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You'll notice that most Chinese restaurants in Shanghai have large, round tables. The reason becomes clear the first time you eat a late dinner at a local restaurant and are surrounded by jovial, laughing groups of people toasting and topping off from communal bottles of beer, sharing cigarettes, and spinning the lazy Susan load
You'll notice that most Chinese restaurants in Shanghai have large, round tables. The reason becomes clear the first time you eat a late dinner at a local restaurant and are surrounded by jovial, laughing groups of people toasting and topping off from communal bottles o
You'll notice that most Chinese restaurants in Shanghai have large, round tables. The reason becomes clear the first tim
You'll notice that most Chinese restaurants in Shanghai have large, round tables. The reason becomes clear the first time you eat a late dinner at a local restaurant and are surrounded by jovial, laughing groups of people toasting and topping off from communal bottles of beer, sharing cigarettes, and spinning the lazy Susan loaded with food. Whether feting guests or demonstrating their wealth, hosts will order massive, showy spreads.
Shanghai's standing as China's most international city is reflected in its dining scene. You can enjoy xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) for breakfast, foie gras for lunch, and Korean barbecue for dinner. In many restaurants, it’s traditional to order several dishes to share among your party for family-style dining. Tipping is not expected, but more upmarket restaurants will tack on a 10%–15% service charge. Although you can eat at Chinese restaurants for less than Y50 per person, Western meals go for Western prices.
Some restaurants in Shanghai offer set lunches at a fraction of the dinner price. Check out the dining section of Time Out Shanghai, That's Shanghai or Smartshanghai.com, all of which list dining discounts and promotions around town.
The scallion-oil pancakes at this shop are incredibly popular, with long lines forming from the 6 am opening time until closing—around 3 pm, which is when the pancakes usually sell out. Indeed, demand for A Da's delicious take on this traditional Shanghai street food is so fierce that the owner has placed a limit on the number of pieces each customer can order.
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.
50 and 58 Wuyuan Lu, Shanghai, Shanghai Shi, China
This branch of Brut Eatery is a good choice if you're staying near Century Park and/or are traveling with children. The casual café offers a good selection of Western-inspired dishes, with the occasional Asian touch, and has a large play area where kids can run about while you relax and sip coffee.
This hole-in-the-wall shop makes traditional Shanghaiese shengjianbao (fried soup dumplings) with wrappings that are pillowy and soft rather than thin and chewy. Take care not to scald your mouth with the piping-hot soup inside the dumplings, and try to come off-hours to avoid the inevitable morning and lunchtime crowds.
136 Sichuan Zhong Lu, Shanghai, Shanghai Shi, 200000, China
Laptop-equipped freelancers and other trendy locals frequent this petite, friendly, Australian-style café. The menu focuses on breakfast/brunch fare; small plates, often featuring local ingredients; and, of course, delicious hot- or cold-brew coffees.
12 Xiangyang Bei Lu, Shanghai, Shanghai Shi, China
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.
The tiny RAC empire occupies a courtyard at the juncture of Anfu Lu and Wukang Lu. Streetside, it has takeaway coffee and ice cream (summer only) windows; in the courtyard, it has a relaxed French eatery that serves delicious sweet or savory crepes, as well as other casual brunch and lunch fare.
As the bags of beans sitting out, the variety of offerings, and the high prices indicate, coffee is serious business here. But the expertly prepared hot or cold brews are served without a hint of pretension, as are the salad bowls, sandwiches (on house-made bagels), and baked goods.
415 Shaanxi Bei Lu, Shanghai, Shanghai Shi, 200040, China
Yang's, which has 150 branches around town, specializes in the highly addictive shengjianbao (meaty soup dumplings panfried on one side and sprinkled with sesame seeds), which come in sets of four or six. Like all the other shops, this one is a casual, in-and-out, fast-food-style place, where you order at the counter under harsh neon lights.
489 Henan Nan Lu, Shanghai, Shanghai Shi, 200000, China
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