15 Best Restaurants in Shanghai, China

Lost Heaven

$$ | The Bund Fodor's choice

Southern China's Yunnan cuisine—with Burmese, Vietnamese, and Thai influences—is highlighted at this restaurant, which has a second location in the Former French Concession. Though service at this branch lacks a bit, the dining room is romantic, with dim lighting and exotic, traditional decor; in warmer months, try for a table on the spacious roof deck.

Bird and Bitter

$$ | French Concession

A narrow driveway is all that separates this couplet of venues on a leafy lane. Bird, an intimate, relaxed wine bar and kitchen, has a changing menu of unfussy small-plate dishes with fusion twists and a list of wines with interesting stories. Neighboring Bitter, a café and bar with a living-room-like setting, is a great place to grab a coffee or apertif.

Blackbird

$$ | Changning

Part of the renovated Columbia Circle complex, the carousing spot for American expats in the 1930s, Blackbird features different spaces on three levels. The chic first-floor lounge serves contemporary cocktails and Chinese-influenced small plates and casual mains; the fine-dining Table Black, one level up, has a regional-Chinese tasting menu; and the lovely rooftop space is complete with an outdoor bar and an herb garden that supplies the downstairs kitchens.

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Cobra Lily

$$ | Xintiandi

From the team behind local craft brewery Boxing Cat and American eatery Liquid Laundry comes this hip Southeast Asian fusion concept. Spread over two floors and tucked into a renovated shikumen on Xintiandi's main drag, the space is beautiful by day, when it's flooded with light, but you should come in the evening when you won't feel so bad sampling the excellent cocktails.

Daimon Gastrolounge

$$ | The Bund

Hong Kong "Demon Chef" Alvin Leung does playful, inventive, excellent takes on Hong Kong street food at this casual-concept restaurant, where a dimly lit interior features neon signs and pumping music. If you're feeling flush with funds, book a seat at Leung's upscale Bo Shanghai speakeasy (it's hidden behind an unmarked wall), for a fine-dining tour of regional cuisines remixed with Western flair.

Din Tai Fung

$$ | Lujiazui

The star attractions at this Taiwanese chain are the delicate, impeccably folded xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). Be sure to try the particularly delectable pork and black truffle version.

Golden Maurya

$$ | Pudong

With a gold- and marble-filled interior, this restaurant makes a statement that lives up to its "Golden Peacock" name. Its serves excellent and fiery Sichuan classics and is a higher-end version of the group's popular Maurya chain.

Liquid Laundry

$$ | French Concession

By day, this modern gastropub appeals to families with its crispy pizzas and other delicious lunch and brunch favorites. At night, house-brewed beer, good cocktails, and Friday and Saturday DJ events attract a trendy party crowd.

Lost Heaven

$$ | French Concession

Lu Bo Lang

$$ | Old City

A popular stop for visiting dignitaries, Lu Bo Lang makes for a great photo op: the three-story Chinese pavilion with upturned eaves sits next to the Bridge of Nine Turnings in Yu Garden. The food is good, with a recommendation from Michelin Guide Shanghai.

Oha Eatery

$$ | French Concession

A meal at sleek, wood-adorned Oha is sure to introduce you to new flavors. Tucked behind a small coffee window, this intimate restaurant is easy to miss but well worth finding for its contemporary Chinese food—influenced heavily by Guizhou's regional cuisine, with some modern twists—craft cocktails, and natural wines.

Old Jesse

$$ | French Concession

The well-established Old Jesse is a must-try. Its unforgettable renditions of classic Shanghai dishes are widely considered the best in town; its brusk service and ramshackle dining room are merely part of its authentic charm.

Sense 8

$$ | Xintiandi

The black-lacquer woods and hanging red lanterns at this Cantonese restaurant recall old Wong Kar Wai flicks. The setting and the decent dim sum and roast-meat classics make this a good place for a lunch or dinner experience you won't get outside of China.

Sober Company

$$ | French Concession

This multilevel space offers several venues in one spot. The café has light, Asian-influenced fare, as well as good coffee and coffee or tea cocktails; the upstairs restaurant with New York–inspired decor touches serves modern dim sum and well-done fusion dishes; and the adjacent Sober Society bar features excellent cocktails as well as the Tipsy Room (a secret bar within the bar).

Wujie Shanghai The Bund

$$ | Old City

The name of this refined, upscale restaurant translates roughly to "vegetables without bounds," so expect inventive meat-free dishes. This branch, on the southern part of the Bund near the Old City, is the flagship location, so you can also expect a peaceful setting and excellent service.

Shanghai

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