Wining and dining in Shanghai

Shanghai, the Chinese Mainland’s buzzy metropolis, has always been an exciting place to eat. It has a history of bringing together diverse cultures and flavours, and today is no different. Embracing everything from local classics to innovative tasting menus, the city’s food scene is electric. Here’s your guide to the best places to eat and drink in Shanghai right now.

Obscura

Garnering a Michelin star just a year after opening, Obscura is something special. At this thoroughly modern Chinese restaurant, chefs DeAille Tam and Simon Wong – partners in life and work – have crafted an immaculate, seasonally changing menu. Over a dozen beautifully plated dishes take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey of the wide-ranging flavours and ingredients of China. In the main dining room, 11 counter seats wrap around an open kitchen where chefs serve you directly. Upstairs, meanwhile, a small private room can host slightly larger parties at a traditional table. 

Bastard

This pint-sized restaurant serves up some of Shanghai’s most exciting food on its fuchsia-hued tabletops. With years of Chinese cooking as his foundation, Polish chef Michael Janczewski channels his creativity into offbeat, whip-smart and always-delicious spins on classic dishes from around the country, like pomelo prawn toast served two ways, chilled eggplant drizzled in a Shaanxi vinaigrette, and melt-in-your-mouth Iberico pork char siu.

Old Jesse 

Nestled among the leafy streets of the former French Concession, this down-to-earth Shanghainese restaurant is a perennial favourite. Seated in the cosy dining room, expect to be served top-tier renditions of all the classics: luscious pieces of red-braised pork, silky-soft tofu with hairy crab meat and roe, and sticky sweet and sour ribs. Be sure to pre-book the scallion roasted cod head – a showstopping dish that’s nothing short of transcendental.

Sage Gastro

Opened by Singaporean-Japanese chef Jun Nishiyama, formerly at three-Michelin starred Ultraviolet, Sage is the recent darling of Shanghai’s food scene. The pared-back space sits on a quiet strip near Suzhou Creek, an intimate setting for its globally inspired cuisine. Order from an a la carte menu featuring dishes such as the chef’s take on Singapore’s iconic chilli crab, charred cabbage drizzled in fermented mushroom cream and ultra-crispy “thrice-fried” chicken, or go all in with an eight-course tasting menu. 

Yaya’s

An upbeat, buzzy paean to pasta, Yaya’s doesn’t hold back when it comes to bold flavours. The restaurant’s roasted eggplant dip vibrates with mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorn oil, while its slow-cooked lamb ragu served atop pappardelle pasta hums with Xinjiang spices. Fresh handmade noodles like tagliolini, cappelletti and ravioli are the canvas for chef Dan Li as he works with local ingredients for a selection of levelled-up Italian classics and inventive riffs you can’t find anywhere else. 

RAC

Brunch may not be a longstanding Chinese tradition but in Shanghai, you’ll never be lacking.The buckwheat galettes at RAC hit the spot with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings, from salted caramel or hazelnut with cocoa, to smoked sardine with lemon and seaweed butter, or a classic ham, egg and cheese. Take your pick from any of the three locations around town – though the vibe on RAC Allee’s rooftop terrace is hard to beat. 

Da Hu Chun

Xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, might be known as Shanghai’s speciality, but shengjianbao are the city’s unsung hero. Staying true to the maxim that everything fried is better, these pork-based dumplings are given the potsticker treatment for crispy bottoms and deliciously juicy insides. There are plenty of places to grab them around town, but Da Hu Chun, an atmospheric shop located at 11 Sichuan Nan Lu by The Bund, is a local gem with nearly a century of history. Its shenjianbao are made with leavened dough for a pillowy soft texture.

Union Trading Company

A pioneer in Shanghai’s now well-established cocktail scene, Union  has been a mainstay since 2014. With a humming atmosphere on any given night, it’s the sort of unpretentious watering hole where everyone knows your name. But its relaxed, neighbourhood vibe belies the high-quality, award-winning drinks on offer. Try the South China Iced Tea with kumquat marmalade and smoky hints of lapsang souchong, or one of the barrel-aged cocktails, and you’ll see why it’s ranked among Asia’s and the World’s 50 Best Bars. 

Pony Up 

Pony Up  hits all the right notes: serious drinks made with a lighthearted attitude. The bar – which opens at 1pm – is polished but playful, with a front bar serving simple, straight-forward, lighter cocktails and a back bar with a lineup of more experimental flavours for after the sun sets. The food eclipses standard bar offerings, with substantial dishes like a patty melt sandwich and corn dogs drizzled in sriracha mayo.