Photograph: courtesy FUYAN
If you’ve spent a significant amount of time in this city, you’ve probably realized that Shanghai’s bar and restaurant scene is one of the most diverse and exciting in the world. It seems like a new spot is always opening just around the corner. That being said, sometimes it’s tough to decide on which new places are worth trying. From classy restaurants to wine and dine, to unique places serving up different world cuisines, to happening new bars, we’ve scoped out five of Shanghai’s new hottest spots we’re going to right now.
Photographs: courtesy FUYAN
Recently, FUYAN Hot Pot launched its first restaurant in the city of Shanghai. The theme of the restaurant is "French and Chinese" with varying styles from three different regions.
The design and style of the restaurant gives off a calming and elegant feel. Classic Chinese-style sculptures and art can be seen decorating the many different spaces of the restaurant with beautiful landscape paintings placed along the walls. The restaurant contains a few private rooms as well as several tables in the lobby, providing guests with extra privacy and comfort.
FUYAN has a team of three chefs, who specialize in high-end Cantonese, Southeast Asian, and Japanese cuisine. Their experienced team of chefs aims to present a unique fusion of flavors and dishes.
The restaurant offers more than 10 different hot pot soup bases, including Thai-style Crab, Singapore-style seafood, and Sichuan- and Chongqing-inspired pickled Chinese cabbage yellow croaker. Pair the soup base with imported high-end ingredients such as Russian king crab, Australian lobster, Sri Lankan green crab, Canadian elephant clam, Thai shrimp and much more. The people at FUYAN guarantee that every diner will have a delicious hot pot experience they won’t soon forget.
Rm 201B, 138 Huaihai Zhong Lu, Shanghai Plaza.
Book a table: (86 21) 63233772
Photographs: courtesy Junn Izakaya
The newest addition to the Mr. Willis group, Junn is a Japanese Izakaya on Wukang Lu. It’s a nice and cozy space with an open kitchen where you can watch the diligent kitchen staff prepare small and tasty bites of BBQ and sashimi.
For those who find choosing a bit difficult, go for one of the curated set menus provided. They’ll set you up with some starters and mains. For the more adventurous, go a la carte and pick from a wide variety of sashimi, grilled steaks, yakitori and hand rolled sushi. As far as drinks go, they’ve got a list of unique and creative highballs along with plenty of sake, beer and wine. This spot is a solid option for a low-key date night or some light bites and a glass of wine with friends.
98 Wukang Lu.
Book a table: (86) 19921331818
Photographs: courtesy INT.
Down a dimly lit path on the side of Mikkeller, INT. is a new restaurant from popular Hong Kong restaurant group Twins Kitchen. The restaurant group started by serial restaurateurs Joshua and Caleb Ng, is their first effort on expanding their footprint to Shanghai. The restaurant’s main focus is to mingle and combine both traditional Chinese and Western flavors to create new and exciting dishes that surpass boundaries and provide diners with an elegant and enriching culinary experience.
A noteworthy starter to try is the abalone carpaccio, marinated in a Western style, and topped with fried garlic, scallions and chili. Other must-try starters are the goose liver terrine with Shaoxing wine and chicken wings stuffed with truffle and foie gras. Must-try mains include Maitake mushroom topped with a duck liver sauce, slow cooked pork ribs with grilled pineapple and teriyaki and grilled pigeon with Sichuan pepper and butter lettuce.
Of course, no classy dinner is complete without a generous wine list. At INT., calling it a generous list would be a gross understatement. The wine cellar is as extensive as it is unique with about 60–80 bottles available at any given time. Owner Joshua Ng is a truly passionate wine lover and searches the world for wines with unique stories and flavors. The majority of the wines on offer come from France and Italy, but options from other regions are available as well. Ask the experienced wait-staff for a recommendation to pair with your meal and tastes.
INT. is an elegant and intimate space with calming colors and chilled music. The vibe, food and drinks make it a great low-key date night or wine and dine spot with friends.
Rm 114, No. 60, 273 Jiaozhou Lu.
Book a table: (86) 13818124450
From the same folks who brought you Turkish restaurant Pasha, SO Mezze is a new spot in the happening Shankangli. The restaurant’s specialty is Mezze, a Turkish-inspired ensemble of different cold dishes.
Start your meal out with some fresh pita bread, baked in-house daily and paired with the rotating sauce of the day. Then take your pick from the Mezze. Choose from an array of unique and creative options like Dolma, a combination of rice and herbs wrapped in fresh vine leaves. Or, go for the Atom, strained yoghurt filled with Cayenne peppers, garlic and butter. If you’re seeking out something you’ve probably never tried, your best bet is the Kavurma, preserved beef and potato combined into a hearty dish full of flavor. The place also offers your more traditional starters, like a meat and cheese plate, beef tartare, salads and more.
Once you’ve peaked your appetite, jump all the way in with a few of the mains on offer. Go for some gut-busting burgers like the Pasha, which sees top-grade beef, pastirma, lettuce, tomato and caramelized onions nestled between a toasted sesame bun. If you’re extra hungry, grab something from the grill, like the lamb chops, beef rib or octopus leg. Finish the meal off with some of the ice cream or pastries available to order. In the way of drinks, they offer a list of classic cocktails, beer and wine.
358 Kangding Lu.
Book a table: (86 21) 31186387
Many of us remember the Beast of the East Social House on Fumin Lu. Its moment in the sun seemed so short lived with it opening right before lockdowns and closing shortly after. Lucky for us, we must mourn no longer, the Social House is back and in its same location to boot.
Photographs: courtesy Social House
It’s hard to fit the Social House into one mold other than just its namesake. It’s a place to grab brunch and free-flow with friends on the weekend or a nice dinner with a couple beers or cocktails. At night, the place is transformed into more of a club and party atmosphere with DJs spinning tunes late into the night.
As far as the food goes, they do a mix of North American and Asian cuisine. Grab a New York style pizza hot out of the oven or tuck into some Southern style American BBQ. Go for some Thai curry, Japanese shrimp caviar soba noodles or Peking duck quesadillas. The list goes on. Wash the grub down with any of the fourteen craft beers on tap or a wide selection of cocktails and wine.
A108, 291 Fumin Lu.
Book a table: (86 21) 60191103