Lotus Eatery is a cheap and cheerful restaurant that specializes in some of China's more exotic southwestern food. The focus is primarily Yunnan cuisine, with unique dishes like fried goat's cheese, stir-fried banana blossoms and a lots of different dishes made with... Read more
Porcellino is a casual Italian concept. A "salumeria" is basically an Italian-style deli, and while Porcellino offers a solid selection of cured meats and imported cheeses, that's only part of what it does. They also do handmade pizzas and risottos, simple pasta... Read more
Zhongshan Park gets major points for allowing people on the grass. The park is named after Sun Yat-sen; Zhongshan is an alternative spelling for his name. So good they named the area after it. There’s a museum, a tea shop, blah blah blah… really you come here to sit... Read more
The Mr. Pancake House chain has remained in business since around 2008 because they open early and serve cheap, mediocre American diner style breakfast and weak, bottomless coffee all day. It's a sub-Denny's kinda place where people take their one-night-stands or... Read more
Changfeng Park on the west side of town is a large, landscaped park with a lake that takes up the center. Lots of benches by the water but it's hard to get a seat on the weekends. You can also rent a sightseeing boat or see some fish in the aquarium. They've got some... Read more
The second venue from Shanghai live-house icon Yuyintang. Built into a basement in the office building across from Zhongshan Park's main entrance, this one's a little bigger. They've poured a lot of effort into getting the space sound-optimized, installing... Read more
Fortune, Harmony, Wisdom. These are the the translations of the three characters that comprise the name of this posh vegetarian Chinese restaurant. It's courtesy of restaurateur Fang Yuan and Tony Lu, the culinary brain trust behind the famed restaurants Fu 1039,... Read more
Ganesha is a simple, 20-seat Indian restaurant perched on the second floor of a mall just opposite the Jiangsu Lu metro station. They get busy at lunch times thanks to their cheap, cheap set menus and a lack of other non-Chinese lunch options in this area: two... Read more
Three types of games available here: VR games, escape rooms and, wait for it, VR Escape Rooms! It's both of them, at once, basically escape rooms with VR glasses on. They've partnered with Ubisoft for two of their escape rooms. Read more
This is a travel company that arranges inexpensive group tours out of Shanghai. It's run by foreigners and the tours seem to draw a mainly foreign crowd of younger people looking to cut loose on a weekend away. For info about upcoming trips, check the website. Read more
Toriyasu is a superb Japanese yakitori restaurant that elevates grilled chicken skewers to a study in detail and perfection. Packed with salarymen and the occasional couple on a date. It's tough to find. Walk north on Huichuan Lu and look for a slatted wood facade... Read more
For shoes you would rather not clean yourself, Circle Clean will do it for you. With their standard package offering a 4 day turn around, cleaning leather, suede and fabric shoes as well as additional services like shoe deodorizing and stain removal (that requires 1... Read more
Part of the modern, experimental and forward thinking chain that still hasn't lost touch with its roots, much like Shanghai itself. Contemporary Chinese cuisine with Western influences. Read more
Adjacent to the New World Shanghai Hotel, this Cantonese restaurant is under the direction of executive Chef Wong from Hong Kong who is passionate about the health benefits of home-style Cantonese cuisine. The main dining room has room for 78 with traditional tables... Read more