35 editor picks in Shanghai.
35 chinese places in Shanghai we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Shanghai | Chinese across every city.
Da Hu Chun on Middle Sichuan Road in Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for the fluffy pan-fried shengjian bao that built its snack food culture.
OrderOrder the pork, prawn or crab roe shengjian bao with a side of beef curry soup, the customary pairing here.
TipIts qingshui buns use fully fermented dough and no added aspic, so they come out soft and bread-like over a cracker-crisp base rather than bursting with soup.
Nanxiang Steamed Bun at City God Temple is the Yu Garden shop of the brand founded in 1900, holding a Bib Gourmand for pork and crab xiaolongbao in Shanghai.
OrderOrder the pork or crab-and-pork xiaolongbao, or the supersized version meant to be sipped through a straw.
TipExpect a queue and tourist crowds; Nomfluence rates Lai Lai and Jia Jia's xiaolongbao higher if you have time to go elsewhere.
Rongjia Noodles Soup with Yellow Croaker in Jing'an, Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for yellow croaker in a milky fish-bone broth over springy wheat noodles.
OrderOrder the yellow croaker noodle soup, its broth simmered from fish bones until milky and rich.
TipIt is a sister shop to one-Michelin-starred Xin Rong Ji, which supplies the premium yellow croaker used here.
Jingmei Wuxi Noodles on Yanping Road in Jing'an, Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for sweet-leaning Wuxi noodles in a small, cramped dining room.
OrderOrder the Wuxi braised pork rib noodles, dressed with soy sauce and scallion oil and dried shrimp.
TipAlso try the chili and soy-braised pork bone noodles or the Taihu three white dumplings filled with egg and shrimp.
Yu Du Lao Wei on Liyuan Road in Huangpu District, Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for a decade of yellow croaker noodles from a Zhoushan-born owner.
OrderOrder the braised yellow croaker noodles, served dry or in soup with thick, thin or rice-cake noodles.
TipThe braised belt fish noodle is another signature; the counter display of fresh seafood shows what else the kitchen stir-fries.
Lu Bo Lang at Yu Garden in Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for Shanghainese dim sum such as turnip pastry and eyebrow pastry, at fair prices in the Old City.
OrderOrder the Shanghainese dim sum: turnip pastry, osmanthus glutinous rice cake and 'eyebrow' pastry.
TipPrivate rooms on the second and third floors take groups; a 2019 refit added wavy silver ceiling panels to the main room.
Old Jesse on Tianping Road in Shanghai has served Shanghainese home cooking in a packed lane house since 2004, the original of several Old Jesse rooms.
OrderOrder the hongshaorou red-braised pork belly, plus the cod fish head braised with green onions if pre-ordered.
TipThe scallion oil noodles round out a table; in hairy crab season, add the crab roe mixed with rice if it is on the menu.
Wang Bao He on Fuzhou Road in Shanghai began in 1744 as a Shaoxing wine maker and moved here in 1936, when it started steaming crabs to go with its wine.
OrderOrder the wine-soaked crab and the fried bean curd jelly with crab paste, the kitchen's proudest dish.
TipAbout nine in ten dishes on the menu carry crab in some form, down to the xiaolongbao and the Lion's Head meatballs.
Lost Heaven on the Bund in Huangpu district, Shanghai serves Yunnan folk cuisine with Burmese and Thai touches in a vast room of dark wood and red lanterns.
OrderOrder the Dali-style chicken with chilies and green onions, plus the mushroom platter.
TipBook ahead for a Bund-view window seat at dinner; the room feels grand for what is still a mid-priced regional Chinese meal.
Xibo on Changshu Road in Shanghai has served Xibonese and Xinjiang minority cuisine since it opened in 2009, run by Xibonese founder Atina Kuo.
OrderOrder the big plate chicken and lamb skewers, best shared with a group over pilaf and grilled corn.
TipCome with a crowd; the whole roasted lamb and big plate chicken are built for sharing, not a solo lunch.
Jia Jia Tang Bao on Huanghe Road near People's Square in Shanghai has hand-wrapped xiaolongbao since 1986, now a chain with several shops across the city.
OrderOrder the pork xiaolongbao or the crab and crab roe version, both made to order rather than pre-frozen.
TipMany locals stop here after buying the famous palmiers from the nearby Park Hotel; the Huanghe Road branch is the best known.
Lai Lai Xiao Long on Tianjin Road in Huangpu, Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for hairy crab xiaolongbao wrapped to order since it opened in 2006.
OrderOrder the hairy crab and crab roe xiaolongbao, available year-round, with ginger in vinegar on the side.
TipPork and pork-crab versions and wonton are also on the menu; expect a line out the door at this small, tightly packed shop.
Lan Xin, known locally as Lyceum Restaurant, on quiet Jinxian Road in central Shanghai holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for wok-braised red pork belly.
OrderOrder the red-braised pork belly, reduced sauce, soft but firm texture.
TipIt holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and does not take reservations, so queues are common; go outside lunch and dinner peaks.
Dong Tai Xiang on North Chongqing Road in Shanghai is the only shengjian shop whose semi-fermented technique holds intangible heritage status.
OrderOrder the shengjian pan-fried pork buns; the dough-making skill keeps every bun plump even once it cools.
TipIt is the only shengjian shop whose semi-fermented technique carries intangible cultural heritage recognition.
Wu You Xian on South Maoming Road in central Shanghai holds a Michelin star for xiaolongbao, folded 32 times inside a duck-egg-yolk wrapper.
OrderOrder the tasting set of crab roe, paste and meat xiaolongbao, made from crabs prepared fresh that same day.
TipEach dumpling has 32 folds and a duck-egg-yolk wrapper for extra elasticity; it is a short walk from the Huaihai Road shops.
Rui Fu Yuan on Maoming South Road in Shanghai has served home-style Shanghainese cooking since 1994, drawing local regulars for its hongshao rou pork belly.
OrderYellow croaker wonton soup and the red-braised pork belly.
TipThe yellow croaker soup with pork wontons can run out; reserve it with your table or arrive early.
Legend Taste on Kangding Road in Shanghai is a no-frills Yunnan restaurant serving southern minority dishes like black chicken salad from a covered terrace.
OrderBlack chicken salad with lemon chili and the wild vegetable pancake.
TipThe terrace out front is the more relaxed seat; the dining room inside is cozy and can feel tight.
Di Shui Dong on Maoming South Road in Shanghai is a loud, busy Hunan restaurant whose cumin-cooked spare ribs keep weekend queues forming at this branch.
OrderCumin spare ribs, shredded pig ears with chilli and the steamed jiaozi.
TipExpect a wait on weekends even at this bigger second location, and a buzzing, loud room once you are seated.
Jianguo 328 on West Jianguo Road in Shanghai cooks MSG-free Benbang classics, drawing crowds for its dried-shrimp scallion oil noodles and pork belly.
OrderScallion oil noodles and the red-braised pork belly.
TipReserve ahead and aim for off-peak hours; the noodles pair well with the crispy pork chop.
Shanghai Old Restaurant by Yuyuan Garden, founded in 1875, guards Shanghai heritage cooking techniques and steams its eight-treasure duck for eight hours.
OrderEight-treasure duck and the red-braised pork belly.
TipThe eight-treasure duck is steamed overnight and served the next day, so reserve it a day ahead.
Hao Sheng on Guangyuan Road in Shanghai serves home-style Shanghainese cooking with no fixed menu, letting the chef choose dishes by what is fresh that day.
OrderSauteed river shrimp and the blanched pork liver.
TipCall ahead; the kitchen manages its own bookings and does not take walk-ins reliably.
Mao Long on Jinxian Road in Shanghai has served no-frills Shanghainese home cooking since 1989, run out of a five-table room by a mother and her daughter.
OrderThe braised pork the family is proudest of, plus whatever seafood came in that morning.
TipIt seats about 20 across five tables, so a short wait for a table is normal at peak hours.
Easeful Cuisine on South Shaanxi Road in Shanghai earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its Zhejiang cooking, served from a second-floor dining room.
OrderThe boneless smoked cod fried to order and the charred brown sugar walnut rice cake.
TipBeyond the main dining room there are six private areas, useful for a group; the seafood comes mostly from Zhejiang.
Lao Zheng Xing on Fuzhou Road in Shanghai has held a Michelin star for nine straight years, serving clay-pot yanduxian with bamboo shoots and pork.
OrderYanduxian, the clay-pot spring soup of salted pork, fresh pork belly and bamboo shoots.
TipFounded in 1862 and at this address since 1997, it now fills several floors; try the yellow croaker in wine lees sauce too.
Ren He Guan on Zhaojiabang Road in Shanghai, here since 2014, holds one Michelin star for hong shao rou and crab dishes from a brand over 200 years old.
OrderHong shao rou, red-braised pork belly cut into neat cubes with a braised egg.
TipDim yellow lights, 1930s memorabilia and singers in qipao set the room; book ahead or expect to wait.
Deda Western Restaurant on West Nanjing Road in Shanghai opened in 1897 in Hongkou and here in 2007, serving the Haipai pork chop, borscht and potato salad.
OrderFried pork chop with Worcestershire-style sauce, borscht, and potato salad, Deda's old three.
TipMost diners are Shanghainese regulars there for nostalgia; the room by the Nanjing Road window doubles as a coffee house with a cake shop.
Fu 1088 in Jing'an, Shanghai holds one Michelin star for Shanghainese cooking inside a restored 1920s Spanish-style villa with sixteen private rooms.
OrderOrder the soy-marinated cod, the glazed pork belly, and the crab roe xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).
TipSixteen private rooms fill the villa, sized for two people up to twenty, so it books out fast for group dinners.
Fu 1015 on Yuyuan Road in Changning holds one Michelin star for Shanghainese cooking in a historic villa where all 15 private rooms carry old Shanghai flair.
OrderOrder the sauteed river shrimp with crabmeat and crab roe, and the shrimp-and-pine-nut stuffed duck.
TipSave room for the minced date cake and the cashew seaweed puff pastry among the dessert options.
Moose in a restored Changning mansion holds one Michelin star for Huaiyang cooking, under a head chef with more than 30 years of experience.
OrderOrder the crispy white teat fish, a sea cucumber dish with spring onions, and the eight treasures gourd duck.
TipThe main room fills the ground floor of the three-storey mansion, antlers and oil paintings on white walls; private rooms are upstairs.
Meet the Bund at BFC in Huangpu holds one Michelin star and No. 6 on Asia's 50 Best 2026 for chef Chen Zhiping's Fujian cooking in Shanghai.
OrderThe duck essence, a whole duck steamed for hours with the juices collected and no water added.
TipIt has held a Michelin star for five consecutive years and rose from No. 14 to No. 6 on Asia's 50 Best in a single year.
Sheng Yong Xing on the Bund holds one Michelin star for Peking duck, the Beijing brand's first Shanghai outpost at Five on the Bund, Huangpu.
OrderOrder the whole Peking duck, roasted over jujube wood and carved tableside, about ¥500 a bird.
TipEach 45-day-old duck carries a QR code that traces its source; ask the server to scan it before carving begins.
Yuan You Tao on Xinle Road in Shanghai pairs modern Hunan dishes like chili century-egg beef tartare with orange and natural wines by the glass.
TipAsk the sommelier for a huangjiu pour alongside the spicier Hunan plates if the natural wines feel too light.
Juke on Dongping Road in Shanghai is an 18-seat neo-bistro from chef Michael Janczewski, pairing Mediterranean cooking with playful Asian twists.
OrderThe hand-rolled udon with razor clams and Sichuan caviar, or the osso buco in mapo tofu gravy.
TipThe menu runs 12 to 14 dishes built for sharing, so come with at least one other person.
Gubigubi on Yongjia Road in Shanghai serves Ningbo rice cakes and grilled Zhoushan mackerel from a Mediterranean-style lane house on a quiet corner.
OrderSeafood Ningbo rice cakes and the grilled Zhoushan mackerel.
TipThe airy ground-floor cafe is casual; climb to the upstairs dining room for a proper sit-down meal.
Bastard, set in a former youth hostel in Jing'an, Shanghai, is best known for dinner small plates and natural wine, but its lunch noodles are the real find.
OrderLunch-only Scallion Aburasoba or the Bastard Wonton Noodles, both on Sapporo-style noodles.
TipThe noodle bowls run at lunch only; after dark the room turns to small plates and natural wine.
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