How to Order Food in Shanghai: Restaurant and Delivery Guide

Here is the whole trick, before you scroll: open WeChat, tap the Scan icon (the little square at the top right), point it at the menu, and hit the translate button that appears. Ten seconds, no typing, and the whole page reads in English. If there is no printed menu, just a QR sticker on the table, you scan that instead and order on your own phone. And if all else fails, you point. Nobody in a Shanghai restaurant expects you to read the characters, and dinner is genuinely one of the easiest things to figure out here once you know the three moves.

The photo-translate move that reads any menu in three seconds

Most guides tell you to download Google Translate. Fine, but it needs a VPN here and it stalls exactly when you are hungry. The move that actually works lives inside apps you already have.

WeChat: tap the + or the search bar, choose Scan (扫一扫), point at the menu, then tap the translate icon in the corner of the scan screen. It renders the characters into English right on top of the photo.

Alipay: the scan tool has a built-in Translate mode too, and it is fast. Apple's built-in Translate app (Camera tab) works offline and does not need a VPN, which makes it the quiet hero on an iPhone.

The honest catch: translation turns 红烧肉 into "braised pork" but will not tell you it is a fatty, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth Shanghai classic. When a name still reads like a riddle, search the restaurant on Dianping and look at the photos other diners uploaded. The picture tells you more than any translation.

The point-and-order move for when there is no photo

Old-school spots and family restaurants sometimes have no pictures and no English at all. Here is the move that has never once failed me: look at what the table next to you is eating, catch the server's eye, point, and say "zhè ge" (这个, "this one"). Hold up fingers for how many. Done.

If you want to steer without reading a word, three phrases carry you: "bù là" (不辣, not spicy), "yí ge ròu, yí ge sù" (一个肉，一个素, one meat dish, one vegetable), and "nǐ tuījiàn" (你推荐, what do you recommend). Servers love the last one, and you almost always eat well.

The 10 dishes you can order anywhere and will actually like

Screenshot this. These turn up on nearly every Chinese menu in Shanghai, they are gentle on a new palate, and each one is a safe, delicious landing. Show the characters to your server or type them into the scan-order app.

One of everything above, for two people sharing, lands around ¥120 to ¥160 total in a casual spot as of 2026. In US dollars, roughly 17 to 22. Converted at about 7.2 RMB to the dollar, August 2026, so treat the dollars as a ballpark.

How to say no-spicy, no-coriander, no-MSG, and flag an allergy

These are the phrases that save a meal. Say them out loud or show the characters; both work. Coriander (cilantro) is the one that ambushes people, so learn that one first.

• No spicy 不要辣 bú yào là (or just 不辣, bù là)
• A little spicy 微辣 wēi là
• No coriander / cilantro 不要香菜 bú yào xiāngcài
• No MSG 不要味精 bú yào wèijīng
• I'm allergic to peanuts 我对花生过敏 wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn
• I'm allergic to seafood 我对海鲜过敏 wǒ duì hǎixiān guòmǐn

One honest warning: a "no MSG" request is often heard as a preference, not a hard line, so a true allergy needs the word 过敏 (guòmǐn, allergy) and a firm tone, not a polite "no MSG please". For a serious allergy, type the full sentence into your translate app and show the screen, and skip busy hole-in-the-wall kitchens where a rushed cook cannot promise a clean pan. If you are here for a while, a handful of these phrases stick fast; our guide to learning Mandarin in Shanghai covers where to start.

Ordering on the table QR mini-program without losing your mind

Roughly nine in ten sit-down spots in central Shanghai now run on 扫码点餐 (scan-to-order) as of 2026. There is a QR sticker on your table. You scan it, a mini-program opens inside WeChat or Alipay, you browse, tap dishes into a cart, and pay, all on your own phone. The runner just brings the food.

The friction: the mini-program is almost never in English, and translate apps do not overlay cleanly on top of it. The fix that works every time:

• Screenshot the menu page, then open Apple Translate or Google Translate camera mode and point it at your own screenshot. Now it translates.
• Most QR menus have photos anyway, so you can order by picture and cross-check the mystery ones on Dianping.
• If it demands a Chinese phone number to proceed, wave a server over and say "bāng wǒ diǎn" (帮我点, help me order). They will tap it in on their own device.

Ordering delivery: Meituan and Ele.me

Prefer to eat at home? The same translate trick runs the two delivery apps that cover the whole city: Meituan (the yellow kangaroo) and Ele.me, rebranded Taobao Shangou (淘宝闪购) in 2026 but working the same. Sherpa's, the old English service, closed in 2024, so these two are it. A foreign card works on both, no Chinese bank account needed, and food arrives in about half an hour.

• Meituan is easiest inside WeChat: pull down for mini programs, search 美团外卖, allow location, and set your address to the actual building and room number, not just the compound gate. Browse (long-press to translate), pay with WeChat Pay, then watch the little rider crawl across the map.
• Ele.me lives inside Alipay: search "eleme", register under the My tab, and pay with a linked Visa or Mastercard. One quirk, its search bar only reads Chinese or pinyin, so "pisa" or 披萨 finds pizza and "pizza" finds nothing.

Costs stay small: a few kuai for delivery, a minimum order around 20 to 30 RMB (about USD 3 to 4), and a packaging fee (打包费) of a few kuai more, all creeping up in heavy rain. Two habits keep it smooth: save your exact Chinese address in characters and keep a working local SIM, because the rider calls, and drop a note like 放门口 (leave at the door) to end the confused phone call before it starts. The maps trick for finding a place in the first instance lives in our Amap in English guide.

Tipping and paying: the easiest part of the whole night

Here is the good news that surprises everyone: there is no tipping in China. None. Not at restaurants, not for the runner, not rounding up. Adding a tip can even confuse the staff, so just don't.

Paying is usually already handled, because on scan-to-order you paid when you ordered. Where you pay at the end, catch a server and say "mǎi dān" (买单, the bill) or "jié zhàng" (结账, settle up). They bring a QR code, you scan with WeChat Pay or Alipay, type the amount, done. Cash still works but almost nobody uses it, and international cards are rarely accepted at the table, so set up mobile pay first. Want a sense of what a week of eating actually costs here? Our Shanghai cost of living guide lays it out, and if weekend eggs are your thing, the go-to brunch in Shanghai is a softer landing while your menu confidence builds.

Common questions

How do I order food in China if I can't read Chinese?

Use WeChat or Alipay's Scan tool with its built-in translate on a printed menu, or scan the table QR code and order by photo in the mini-program. When neither works, point at a dish on a neighbour's table and say "zhè ge" (this one). Staff expect it and it works.

What's the safest dish to order at a Chinese restaurant?

Tomato and egg (西红柿炒鸡蛋), egg fried rice (蛋炒饭), and Kung Pao chicken (宫保鸡丁) are gentle, near-universal, and hard to dislike. Sweet and sour pork is the reliable pick for children and cautious eaters.

How do you say "no spicy" in Chinese?

Say "bú yào là" (不要辣) for no spice, or "wēi là" (微辣) for a little. For coriander, which catches a lot of people off guard, say "bú yào xiāngcài" (不要香菜).

Do you tip at restaurants in Shanghai?

No. Tipping is not part of the culture in mainland China and is not expected at restaurants, cafes, or bars. The price you see is the price you pay.

Can I pay with a foreign card at a Shanghai restaurant?

Rarely at the table. Most places run on WeChat Pay or Alipay QR payment, both of which now let you link an international card. Set one up before you go out and paying takes ten seconds.

Which food delivery apps work in Shanghai?

Meituan and Ele.me handle nearly all of it. Ele.me shows up as Taobao Shangou (淘宝闪购) since its 2026 rebrand but works the same. Run Meituan inside WeChat and Ele.me inside Alipay, both take a foreign card, and there is no English-first app since Sherpa's closed in 2024.

Do I need a Chinese phone number to order delivery?

Strongly recommended. The apps work without one, but the rider calls your number when they arrive, so a local SIM turns every delivery from a coin flip into a routine. A saved note like 放门口 (leave at the door) handles the rest.

How do I use a food delivery app in Shanghai with no Chinese?

Meituan and Ele.me handle nearly all food delivery in Shanghai. Run Meituan inside WeChat and Ele.me inside Alipay, both take a foreign card, and the apps have built-in photo translation when you scan the menu or search for dishes.

What is the standout English-friendly food delivery app in Shanghai?

There is no English-first app since Sherpa's closed in 2024. Most people use Meituan or Ele.me, which work in Chinese but have photo menus and translate functions that make ordering manageable.

How do I order food online in Shanghai?

Use Meituan inside WeChat or Ele.me (now Taobao Shangou) inside Alipay. Scan the restaurant's QR code or search for dishes by photo, add to cart, and pay with a linked international card.