Buy-one-get-one pizza and more: 26 great food deals in Shanghai

Bar Centrale

Every Sunday from 5pm until close, Bar Centrale becomes one of the busiest places in the city because of its one-get-one-free pizza deal. The traditional Italian-style pizzas are top-notch (hence the crowds) with classics like the capri, margherita and diavola ranging from 70-120RMB.

More deals: 1kg steak, potatoes and a bottle of wine for 368RMB on Mondays; all pastas 60RMB on Wednesdays; all burrata 55RMB on Thursdays.

Cages Bar and Sports

Does pizza have the potential to unlock the brain? Find out at Cages on Wednesdays during the sports bar’s quiz when your second pizza order is a mere 8RMB (the first starts from 88RMB). The deal runs all day, so you can also munch away on that second pizza before the quiz, without the fear of exposing your potential lack of current events knowledge.

More deals: a burger and a pint of Budweiser for 50RMB on Mondays; six wings for 30RMB on Tuesdays.

Café des Stagiaires (Found 158)

On Wednesdays the French café and bar in Found 158 takes a slice out of Italy’s book and offers two pizzas for the price of one (from 58-98RMB). Choose from toppings such as Parma ham, four cheese, pepperoni, chicken and even a dessert pizza with Nutella and bananas. DJ Muti is also behind the decks soundtracking the pizza party with beats from Africa.

Beef & Liberty, Shanghai Centre

Wave goodbye to your waistline, but not the cash in your wallet when dining at Beef & Liberty on a Monday as the restaurant’s hamburgers are buy-one-get-one-free from 3pm (from 89RMB). Bring a friend or go solo. There is one condition though: you’ll need to buy a drink, which is probably necessary to help these thick NZ-sourced patties down, especially if you do decide to have both to yourself.

BrewDog

A plant-based alternative to your other regular buy-one-get-one-free burger nights. On Mondays at Brewdog, all vegan burgers and veggie mains are two-for-one (from 58-98RMB). Standout offerings include the Clucky This Time that sees southern-fried ZRou meat nestled between a beetroot brioche bun with avocado and vegan Cajun mayo. It’s a cost-effective way to get your burger fix while also protecting the planet.

More deals: all-you-can-eat wings and cauliflower for 98RMB on Wednesdays.

Fat Cow, Yanping Lu

Fat Cow’s Monday night special sees all burgers two-for-one with the purchase of two drinks between 5-10pm. There’re options aplenty (70-139RMB) including chicken, seafood, veggie and then beef burgers cheesier than the puns they're named after – think the My Big Fat Cow Wedding, loaded with feta cheese, mint yogurt and olive tapenade or the Avo-Cow-Do that comes with avocado, bacon, mushrooms and a heap of gouda. If you are rolling with the puns, pair with the Moogaritas (that’s Fat Cow speak for margaritas)

Boteco Brazilian Restaurant and Bar

Found 158 and Fantang Food Hall might be a far way away from Brazil, but you can feel a little closer to the country on the cheap when Boteco offers two of its delicacies – a picanha (rump cap steak) paired with a caipirinha – for 100RMB on Tuesdays. On Mondays you can also get a kilo of picanha and five sides with 50 percent off (324RMB).

More deals: any sandwich and beer for 68RMB on Wednesdays; beef parmigiana with a glass of wine for 99RMB on Thursdays.

El Bodegon

In every discussion about Shanghai’s best bang-for-your-buck steaks, the first place that normally pops up is this Argentinian steakhouse. From Sunday to Thursday, rump, striploin and skirt cuts are 110RMB (200g) or 165RMB (300g), while ribeye and tenderloin are 155RMB (200g) or 230RMB (300g) and come with a glass of house wine, sangria, beer or soft drink. Arrive before 4pm on weekends for a further 10 percent off, along with the rest of the food menu.

Bubba's Food Co

Work your way through 12 wings at Bubba's for 60RMB from 6-10pm on Wednesdays. You'll get six of the Texan barbecue joint's famous smoked drumsticks (that take a day to marinate) served with scratch-made blue cheese sauce, plus six sizzling fried chicken wings that come with ranch and carrot sticks.

More deals: buy-one-get-one-free burgers and two tacos for 40RMB from 5-10pm on Tuesdays.

The Rooster, Jingan

You’ve got two options for wings night at The Rooster – Tuesday or Friday –and a choice of 12 sauces to have them lathered in. Those include the likes of Buffalo, honey mustard, barbecue, lemon pepper and, for the brave, the bar’s signature liquid hot magma. Prices are usually 45RMB for six or 80RMB for 12, but on these nights, they’re 50 percent off.

More deals: buy-one-get-one-free burgers and fried chicken sandwiches from 3pm 'til late on Mondays.

The Cannery

The Cannery celebrates Taco Tuesday with 28RMB tacos from 5pm on well… Tuesdays. All fillings are winners, from a meat-free Zrou variation to 12-hour-cooked brisket – though the baja fish with spicy slaw and chipotle cream in particular is a delight. Needless to say, pair them with bottles of corona for 25RMB.

Al's Diner, Xinle Lu

Chasing comfort food? Carbo-load at Al's Diner every Tuesday when there's a two-for-one deal on its loaded pasta bowls (from 45-88RMB). Take your pick from dishes like lasagne made with a four-hour-cooked bolognese sauce, triple cheese mac and cheese, shrimp penne, meatball spaghetti and a black truffle and bacon carbonara.

More deals: buy-one-get-one burgers on Mondays; 3RMB wings with purchase of an alcoholic drink or milkshake on Wednesdays; buy-one-get-one ice cream on Thursdays.

Funkadeli

Don’t just satisfy your carb craving, crush them at either Funkadeli location on Wednesdays. From 6-10pm, all pastas on the menu (60-70RMB) are two-for-one with options like pesto gnocchi, four-cheese ravioli and both lasagnes: bolognese or salmon and scamorza.

More deals: all pizzas buy-one-get-one-free from 6-10pm on Mondays.

Bisou

On Tuesdays at this French restaurant and wine bar, the starter to pair with your wine is pâté en croûte – which is half price (normally 78RMB) with the purchase of any bottle.

More deals: buy any Chinese wine and get a complimentary select dish on Wednesdays; buy any French wine and all oysters are buy-two-get-two-free on Tuesdays.

El Santo

Wondering where to start your night on a Wednesday? El Santo’s a good shout when the Mexican cantina slashes half off the price of both its food and drink menus between 5 and 8pm. Nachos, tacos and margaritas are all included and it coincides with the city's longest-running quiz (beginning at 7.30pm).

More deals: tacos and coronas are 20RMB until 10pm on Tuesdays; 2RMB chicken wings from 5-8pm on Thursdays (minimum order of ten).

Liquid Laundry

With Dodu closed for good, the city is down another chicken spot. Thankfully there other alternatives around Shanghai. One being long-running gastrolounge Liquid Laundry, and on a Monday from 5-10.30pm whole-roasted birds here are half price (normally 228RMB).

More deals: buy any steak, get a complimentary bottle of wine on Tuesdays; buy-one-get-one-free pizzas on Thursdays.

Pho To Shop by Cyclo

For 88RMB every Tuesday at this Vietnamese diner, it's actually encouraged to eat as many sandwiches as you want. The first comes with fries and a beer, but after that it’s just you, your baguette and choice of fillings – which range from ham and pâté to vegan tofu, xa xiu pork and more.

More deals: 50 percent off 2.8kg XXL bowls of pho on Thursdays.

The Shed

The blow of it being a Monday and well, the end of the weekend, is lessened at The Shed when the sports bar slashes half the price off most of its main dishes from 4pm. The highlight is the solid and cut-price Aussie steak – at 54RMB – that also comes with two sides. 

Another deal to take note of (and everyone has clearly taken note because it gets so darn busy) is the 2RMB wings nights on Wednesdays which requires a drink for access.

More deals: any pasta or schnitzel for 39RMB from 4pm on Tuesdays.

Tomatito

Wednesday at Tomatito is Miércoles Calientes night when the tapas bar gets extra creative (and cheap) by offering a rotating selection of small plates for 10RMB – all off-menu, experimental dishes that the kitchen has been playing around with. Select beers and house wines are also buy-one-get-one-free, plus special guest chefs from around Shanghai occasionally appear to showcase their own 'sexy' menus.

Xime Japanese Restaurant

If you’re looking for a low-key date night on Monday (or really, just want some excellent discounted noodles), then this relaxed-but-classy Japanese restaurant is a safe bet when all flavours of udon are 50 percent off from 5-10pm. There's the classic, Shanghai crab and oiran (mentaiko, shrimp tempura and fried aubergine).

More deals: fried chicken and a beer for 50RMB from 5-10pm on Tuesdays.

Zeitgeist

One’s probably enough, but if you’re super hungry or attempting to break the Guinness World Record on how many schnitzels can be eaten in a sitting then you can have as many of them as you want for 88RMB on Tuesdays at Zeitgeist. Here they’re served with cranberry sauce and there’s also unlimited potato salad to round out the German gluttony.

More deals: get a pork knuckle with cabbage and bacon salad or sauerkraut and bread dumplings for 198RMB on Mondays (includes two drinks).