Eating in Shanghai: the back story

About Eating in Shanghai: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Shanghai Editorial Team

Shanghai’s table runs from tiny noodle shops to tasting menus. The 2026 MICHELIN guide, the first to cover Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang together, gives the city 50 starred restaurants and 35 Bib Gourmands, many of them serving Shanghainese, Cantonese and Jiangnan cooking.

Shanghainese classics

Local cooking is rich and often sweet-savoury. Look for xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), braised dishes and noodle shops. Several Bib Gourmands, such as Lan Xin, Chun and Mao Long on Jinxian Road, serve home-style Shanghainese food.

The stars

The 2026 guide gives Shanghai one three-star restaurant, Taian Table, 11 with two stars and 38 with one. Cantonese cooking is especially strong among them: T’ang Court, Canton 8, Ji Pin Court, Bao Li Xuan, Imperial Treasure and Tou Zao all hold two stars.

Taian Table is Shanghai’s only three-star restaurant in the 2026 MICHELIN guide, for the fifth year running.

Booking and paying

Book starred restaurants well ahead, often through the restaurant directly or your hotel’s concierge. Many places take Alipay or Weixin (WeChat) Pay, which you can link to an overseas card; check payment when you book.

Our advice: have one Bib Gourmand lunch of Shanghainese cooking and one Cantonese dim sum, and save your big night for a starred dinner.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Eating in Shanghai: the back story before you go.