The former walled town around Yuyuan Garden, where soup-dumpling houses, snack stalls and wet markets fill the lanes south of Yan'an Road.
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.
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.
Tan Sichuan Cuisine at Yu Gardens in Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for Chengdu-style Sichuan food with a Nine-Turn Bridge view from upstairs.
OrderOrder the saliva chicken in chili oil and the whole fish cooked yuxiang style.
TipIt carries backing from Chengdu's THE BRIDGE but runs its own menu; the dan dan noodles and mapo tofu are also strong here.
Canton 8 in Huangpu holds two Michelin stars for char siu, steamed lobster and har gow, once billed as the world's cheapest two-star kitchen.
OrderOrder the char siu and the har gow shrimp dumplings alongside the steamed lobster with garlic butter.
TipIt has kept its two Michelin stars since the inaugural 2017 Shanghai guide despite modest, cookie-cutter decor.
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.
Garlic Barbecue on Jianguo East Road in Shanghai smokes beef brisket over lychee wood for 18 hours, then closes for the day once the meat is gone.
OrderBeef brisket carved to order and the smoked beef short ribs.
TipShow up early on a weekday; the brisket and ribs can sell out by early afternoon.
Huxinting Teahouse on stilts over the lake at Yu Garden in Shanghai has poured tea from the same mid lake pavilion since 1855, its oldest teahouse.
DrinkLongjing green tea
TipEvery Monday a pot of tea and a vegetarian bun still costs just 10 yuan, a holdover from 1990s pricing.
Hong Yu Fang Guotie, a Shanghai name since 2009 now in a mall basement on Xizang South Road, pleats its guotie to order and fries them in a cast iron pan.
TryPan-fried pork guotie
TipThey stop handing out queue tickets at 13:30, so arrive well before then to eat.
Yuyuan Bazaar in Shanghai's Old City sells traditional snacks, handicrafts and xiaolongbao around Yuyuan Garden, open around the clock and lit up after dark.
Er Guang Wonton on Huangjiaque Road in Shanghai serves pork wontons in clear broth or dry with sesame sauce, plus a crisp pork chop, from 07:00 until 02:00.
OrderPork and vegetable wontons in broth and the deep-fried pork chop.
TipThe dry wontons dressed in sesame paste or chili oil are worth ordering alongside the soup version.
Private tour · 4 hours
Start your Shanghai trip calmly with Tony, an English-speaking Shanghai local host. Get practical help with Alipay, WeChat, local transport, food, and a flexible city route.
Experience a 5D dining experience on the Shanghai Bund. Enjoy a 7-course meal led by Panda Chef Cheng, with 270° panoramic projections, AR tables, and 360° surround sound.
Water activity · 4 hours
Discover Shanghai on a night tour with a river cruise and food tasting. Stroll along Suzhou Creek, explore shikumen lanes, and taste local snacks before cruising the H...
