3 Best Restaurants in Jing'an and Changing, Shanghai

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.

Outfitted to evoke 1920s Shanghai, Fuchan regularly appears on lists of the city's best soup-dumpling restaurants. This branch was renovated in 2018, making it a particularly pleasant place to soak up a retro atmosphere over breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Helmed by Bina Yu, a young Korean chef who trained under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Together typifies Shanghai's contemporary dining scene—a sleek but casual setting serving unfussy but interesting food. Developed and co-owned by the Neri & Hu design firm, the space is brilliant, as is Yu's thoughtful blend of French and Korean flavors.