The traditions of Shanghai’s cosmopolitan past are still dimly apparent in the city’s restaurants. Many of the old establishments have continued to thrive and although the original food-panelled dining rooms are succnmbing to modernization year by year, the growth of private enterprise ensures zhat the choice ofvennes is now wider than ever. If you are arriving from other areas of China, be prepared to be astonnded by the excellent diversity of food in the city, with most Chinese regional cuisines represented, as well as an equally impressive range of foreign cuisine including Brazilian, Indian, Japanese and European.
You will also find that restaurants serving both Chinese and international cuisine are more expensive in Shanghai than elsewhere, akhough prices remain reasonable by international standards. Despite ioca]s’ grumbles about how quickly prices are approaching Hong Kong’s level, most dishes at Chinese restaurants range from US$3 to 4, and even many upmarket Western restaurants have meal specials that come to less than USD10. Compared to, for
example, Sichuan or Cantonese cuisine, Shanghai cuisine is not particularly well known or popular among foreigners; nevertheless, there are some interesting dishes, especially ifyou enjoy exotic seafood. Fish and shrimps are considered basic to any respectable meal, and if possible eels and crab will appear as well.
In season - between October and December - you may get the chance to try dazha crab, the most expensive and supposedly the most delicious. Most cooking is done with added ginger, sugar and Shaoxing wine, but without heavy spicing. One general warning about restaurant dining in Shanghai is the need to establish with absolute clarity - in advance - the prices of file dishes.
Some Shanghai Restaurants
Gongdelin Vegetarian 445 Nanjing Xi Lu, between Chengdu Lu and Huangpi Lu. Probably the best vegetarian restaurant in town — the “fish”, “meat” and “crab’ are actually all made of vegetables and tofu the “squid” is recommended.
Moon the Bund Floor 7, 5 Wai Tan , entrance at Guang Dong Lu 021/63509988. Worth eating at for the extraordinary view overlooking the Bond, tile Huangpu traffic and Pudong’s skyline alone. The Moditerranean-style cuisine isn’t half bad either - some of the classiest (and most expen sive) food in town. Service could be better, and some complain that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, but the set lunch (RMB88) is good value. Reservations recommended.
Meilongzhen No, 22, Lane 1081, off tire 800s of Nanjing Xi Lu by Jiang Ning lu. Locals flock to this cavernous, excellent Shanghainese restaurant specializing in seafood, with its simple, tasteful decor giving little overt indication that the place set as one of the most notorious Mafia dens in th 1920s. The eel and squid dishes are especiall tasty.
Shanghai Ren Jia 41 Yunnan Zhung Lu. Huge, bustling restaurant, with interesting twists on standard Shanghainese fare. Best to come in large group so you can share multiple dishes.
Xiao Shaexing Yunnan Lu (east side), immedietly north of Jinjiang Lu. Famous in Shanghai for “white cut chicken” (bai qieji), although advertous diners might wish to sample the blood soul chicken feet.
Xinghualou Fuzhou Lc, a couple of blocks west Henan Lu. Another long-established Cantonese restaurant, but less expensive than the Ding xia Garden.
1221 1221 Yah’an Xi Lu. A little out of the way - a taxi is your best bet, although bus #71 stops right outside- this is one of the city’s best and most creative Shanghainese restaurants, attracting a mix of locals and expatriates. The drunken chicken
xiang su fa (fragrant crispy duck) are excellent, as are the onion cakes.
1931 112 Maoming Nan Lu, just south of Huaihai ‘ zhong Lu. Tbe right mix of Shaoghainese, Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisines, Reasonably priced, good-sized portions.
Badlands Tex-Mex Yan’an Lu, right opposite the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Good and cheap all you-can-eat buffet of Mexican food for lunch and dinner; cheap booze available anytime.
Ding Xiang Garden 849 Hua Shan Lu 021/62511166. The best Cantonese place in Shanghai, with scrumptious dim sum lunch and pleasant, if cavernous, decor. In warmer weather, you can dine alfresco in the garden, a rarity for a Cantonese restaurant. A dinner for two comes to around RMB120, drinks included, per head. Reservations recommended.
Frankie’s Place 1477 Gubei Nan Lu. Reasonable Singaporeao place serving excellent curries and barbecued sting ray.
Friendship inside the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Chinese cuisine, slightly oriented to Western tastes; popular among expatriates.
Fulin Xuan 37 Sioan Lu, two blocks south of Huaihai Lu. Typically massive Cantonese place with an English menu and a good reputation among locals. The abalone and shark’s fie are almost like Hong Kong’s. Most dishes come to Rmb100 each. Run by Macau Chinese.
Gap 127 Maoming Nan Lu, just north of Huaihai Zhong Lu; 8 Heogshan Lu, by Wulumuqi Nan Lu; & 8 Zunyi Lu, by Hongqiao Friendship Store. This Shanghainese chain now has six branches - a testament to the superior quality of their cuisine.
Specializes in seafood, although the dim sum is quite good, too. The Maoming Nan Lu branch
has live music and fashion shows nightly.
Park 97 On the western edge of Fuxing Park three blocks south of Huaihai Lu. Home of Shanghai’s best tapas bar, with big portions at reasonable prices and good pizzas. Weekend brunches and a weekly chocoholics bar keep things interesting. At night, the bar is one of the hottest places in the city to hang out.
Shintori 288 Wulumuqi Nan Lu, three blocks south of Hengshan Lu o21/64672459. Nouvelle Japanese trendsetter. The Keiseki-style buffet will set you back around RMB300-400, but its entertaining presentation and excellent taste will give you something to talk about. Reservations recom mended.
Simply Thai 5-C Dong Ping Lu. The best of the city’s Thai joints, with eclectic dishes, 
impressive service, inexpensive and delicious food and a relaxing outdoor courtyard setting. Tny the stir-fried asparagus and fish cakes and tub kim krobcoconut syrup - for dessert.
Tandoor Jinjiang Hote l, New South Building, just north of the Huaihai Lu and Maoming Lu intersection RMB021/64725494. First-class but very expensive Indian food, from RMB150 to RMB250 per head, drinks included (although at lunchtime there is a RMB
96 set-menu available). Reservations recommended.
Tony Roma’s Shanghai Centre, next to the Portman Ritz-Carlton. Probably the most Amedcan place in China, famous for spare-ribs and barbecue sauce, but the high prices make this a choice for only the truly homesick.
Sasha’s 9 Dong Ping Lu, at Hengshan Lu 021/64746166. Good Continental European ceuisine served in a charming wooden mansion. The set lunch is the best deal at RMB99. Reservations recommended.
Shu Di La Zi Yu Guan ‘187 Anfu Lu, on the corner with Wulumuqi Zhong Lu. Very good Sichuan and Hunanese cuisine. Try the mala dofu and spicy pepper chicken. There’s an English menu and it’s not too pricey.
Xu’s Dumpling House No. 1, Lane 142, justoff Xinle Lu. Hole-in-the-wall serving excellent, inexpensive jiaozi and other dumplings.
Yangzhou 72 Nanjing Xi Lu. Crammed with locals jostling to order the excellent Shanghainese seafood specialities. The ju hua xie (chrysanthemum crab) is sublime.
Related Information:
