Closings:
Genesis Restaurant
Well done, Shanghai. Not many closures this month (that we know of). High five.
EPIC, Cross Yu's cocktail bar on Gaoyou Lu, has closed after a 10-year run.
Yak & Yeti Himalayan Taste on Xiangyang Bei Lu has served its last dish. It outlasted every restaurant that came before it in that location, but the owners say they'll be back elsewhere later this year.
Genesis Restaurant, the Korean restaurant backed by the car brand of the same name, closed its Xintiandi location in early June.
Feral Banh Mi, Sadly, the very solid Feral Banh Mi on Maoming Lu had to suddenly close due to reasons beyond their control, but fortunately they will reopen on Yuyuan Lu near the old Specters around the end of August.
New-ish Openings Around Town
Bar Goodman
The team behind Yaya's Pasta and Goodman clearly weren't ready to give up on smash burgers. After closing the original Goodman earlier this year, they've brought it back as BAR GOODMAN, turning the one-trick burger spot into a proper neighborhood bar. The burgers are still here, but they're joined by oysters, steak tartare, fried chicken, steak-frites and other sharing plates, making it just as much a place for dinner as it is for drinks.
Drinks lean classic, with freezer-chilled martinis, Negronis, highballs, wine and beer, while low lighting, good music and a laid-back atmosphere make it an easy pick for dates, after-work drinks or late-night catch-ups. It's less "let's go get a burger" and more the kind of place where you meet for a drink, end up ordering a burger anyway, and stick around for another round.
Aster by Joshua Paris
Joshua Paris, formerly head chef at the now-closed three-Michelin-starred Ultraviolet, has opened his own place, Aster. It's one of the more anticipated restaurant openings this year, but instead of another theatrical tasting menu, he's gone for something much more approachable: an elegant dining room, an à la carte menu, and modern European cooking that borrows freely from wherever good ideas come from.
The menu sits somewhere between bistro and fine dining. The Huzhou Drunken Pigeon has quickly become the signature dish, served chilled with chicken consommé jelly, foie gras and yellow wine. Other early favorites include the French stuffed chicken with morels and porcini, bluefin tuna tartare, truffle linguine and an exceptionally silky New Zealand king salmon. Behind the bar is Ace Tang (formerly of The Bunker by Flask), with a cocktail program that's already getting plenty of praise alongside a thoughtfully priced wine list.
The early verdict has been overwhelmingly positive. People are liking the polished but unfussy service, the confident cooking, and the fact that you can come in for a few dishes and a drink without making an entire evening of it. It's still very much a special occasion restaurant, but for cooking at this level, most diners seem to think it's worth it. One of the strongest new openings of the year, and one that'll probably get harder to book once word gets around.
Vice
After nearly two decades running Cantina Agave, Raffe "Wolf" Ibrahamian has finally opened something completely different. For VICE, he's teamed up with chef Carlos Sotomayor (formerly High Yaki) and bartender Nick (formerly J. Boroski), making this less a solo project than a meeting of three familiar names from Shanghai's F&B scene.
Housed in a restored lane house on Yongjia Lu, VICE trades tacos and margaritas for a menu of creative sharing plates that borrows freely from Latin America, Europe and Asia without getting hung up on labels. Think salmon with leche de tigre, duck confit spring rolls, rich lamb gratin and beef noodles with house-made chili crisp. It's playful, confident cooking that feels driven by experience rather than trends.
Downstairs is an intimate dining room with an open kitchen, while upstairs is a cocktail bar that's worth sticking around for. The drinks lean towards well-made classics and martinis instead of gimmicks, giving the whole place a relaxed confidence. For anyone who knows Wolf from Cantina Agave, VICE is a genuine surprise—and one of the more interesting restaurant openings this month.
So Mezze (Xujiahui)
The So Mezze team has opened a new branch in Xujiahui, right by Grand Gateway. It's the brand's third location, though the Pudong outpost has since closed, and this one takes things in a slightly different direction.
While the original Jing'an restaurant mixed Mediterranean influences, this menu leans much more heavily into the team's Turkish roots. Expect plenty of meze, but also Turkish breakfast dishes, kebabs, mixed grills and halal cooking throughout. Desserts like künefe, baklava and Turkish rice pudding round things out. It's less of a cocktail spot than the original, and more the kind of place to settle in with friends over a long meal.
ALSO NEW(ISH)
Maison Dong
One more for the fine dining crowd: Maison Dong, chef Alan Dong's new tasting-menu restaurant in Bund City Hall. Before this, Dong built a quiet following through a private kitchen, the kind of under-the-radar setup that used to thrive in Shanghai. As those spaces have become less viable in recent years, a number of chefs have made the jump into proper restaurants, and Maison Dong is about as big a leap as you can make, trading a villa dining room for one of the Bund's grandest addresses.
The cooking follows a similar path: premium Cantonese ingredients filtered through French technique, with dishes like wagyu tartare, razor clam, threadfin and roast pigeon. It's only just soft-opened, but it's already attracting plenty of attention from the city's serious dining crowd.
Last Drop
Last Drop is the new name for the former Hours wine bar on Shaanxi Bei Lu, following a change in ownership back in May. The concept hasn't changed dramatically, but the new team has doubled down on wine, with a broad by-the-glass selection spanning everything from natural bottles to classic producers, plus staff who genuinely seem to enjoy talking you through the list. The space is small, calm and dog-friendly—more Copenhagen café than buzzy wine bar—and already looks to be building a following among the after-work wine crowd.
Serra
Serra actually opened a few months ago, but somehow slipped past our radar. Opposite the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Opera House, it's an easygoing Spanish-leaning all-day spot with a few Asian twists—think spicy tagliatelle, laksa squid, grilled meats and Basque cheesecake. Reviews consistently mention generous portions, a solid-value lunch set and a pet-friendly terrace. Not exactly a destination restaurant, but definitely one to keep in mind if you're around IAPM and looking for a reliable lunch.
Cinnabon's
The cinnamon roll chain now has two Shanghai locations: Huaihai Middle Road and, more recently, Jing'an Kerry Centre. The first opening came with long queues. By last Friday, the Kerry branch didn't have one. If you've been waiting for the initial rush to pass before committing to 800 calories of cinnamon and frosting, your moment has arrived.
RAC West Bund
RAC has opened another branch, this time at West Bund, adding to a steadily growing collection of locations from French restaurateur Simon Briens. The original Anfu Road café helped set the template for the city's current brunch obsession back in 2017, and it's managed to stay consistently good through the expansions. Expect the usual formula: galettes, crêpes, eggs, decent coffee, natural wine, and a space that's likely to become someone else's regular.
Otantik
Middle Eastern chain Otantik has arrived in Shanghai with two new locations, opening almost simultaneously on East Nanjing Road and in Lujiazui. The restaurant focuses on Levantine cooking, with a menu of mezze, grilled meats and rice dishes inspired by Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and neighboring countries. Reviews praise the friendly service, the predominantly Middle Eastern staff and the authentic flavors, while the dining rooms lean into the region's aesthetic with tiled interiors and warm lighting. Popular orders include the creamy Levant-style chicken with rice, mixed barbecue platters, hummus and baba ghanoush, while Arabic black tea and rice pudding are frequent recommendations to finish the meal. It looks like an accessible introduction to Middle Eastern food for diners who haven't explored the cuisine before, and another welcome addition to Shanghai's steadily growing selection of regional restaurants.
Faat Choi Fan & Champagne
Tiny and viral restaurant on Panyu Lu serving pungent rice noodles with organs, paired with champagne by the glass. Just a simple but strong concept, and rich flavors and smells - your clothes will reek after dining here. For toppings, we're talking pig heart, pork palate (the roof of the pig's mouth), and more deep cuts. So, lots of textures going on in every bowl. The food can be a bit salty but it's solid and memorable. Good service, too. Good for solo or couples – there's less than ten seats here. This is advanced Chinese dining.
Thai Bei
Cute and homey Thai curry spot in Jing'an serving up cheapish sets (around 55rmb per person for a curry, rice, and veg), tom yum, desserts, noodles, mango sticky rice, and more.
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