Where to eat real Cantonese dim sum in Shanghai, sorted by budget from cheap-and-cheerful to Michelin, plus the dishes to order first and how to order without a word of Chinese.
For proper Cantonese dim sum in Shanghai, the quick answer is: go casual and cheap at Bi Feng Tang (避风塘) for about ¥70 to ¥100 (USD 10 to 15) a head, reliable mid-range at Crystal Jade (翡翠酒家) in Xintiandi for ¥180 to ¥250 (USD 27 to 37), or polished Hong Kong-style at Lei Garden (利苑) in iapm for ¥300 and up. Dim sum here is a booked, tick-a-menu lunch rather than the trolley free-for-all you may picture, and it is one of the easiest great meals to share without reading a word of Chinese.
Good to know
- Good for 适合: a slow weekend lunch with friends, your parents when they visit, or anyone who wants a proper Cantonese spread of small plates and tea.
- What you'll pay 大致花费: about ¥70 to ¥100 (USD 10 to 15) a head at a casual spot, ¥180 to ¥250 (USD 27 to 37) mid-range, and ¥300 and up (USD 45+) at the polished places.
- Go early 趁早去: dim sum is a lunch thing here and the good places fill by noon on weekends, so book or arrive before 11:30.
What dim sum actually is in Shanghai
Dim sum (点心) is the Cantonese tradition of small steamed and fried plates eaten with tea, a meal the Cantonese call 饮茶 (yum cha), literally drinking tea. In Shanghai it is a lunch affair, usually served from late morning to mid-afternoon, and the rolling trolleys of old Hong Kong films are rare: you tick dishes on a paper menu and they arrive from the kitchen in steamers. It is not the same thing as a Shanghai xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) lunch, which is local Jiangnan food; dim sum is Cantonese, and the two are worth knowing apart.
The dishes to order first
A good first order covers the classics and still comes in cheap. Point at these and you cannot go wrong:
- Har gow 虾饺, translucent shrimp dumplings, the dish a kitchen is judged on.
- Siu mai 烧卖, open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings.
- Char siu bao 叉烧包, fluffy or baked buns of sweet barbecue pork.
- Cheung fun 肠粉, silky rice noodle rolls with shrimp or beef, glossy with soy.
- Lo mai gai 糯米鸡, sticky rice and chicken steamed in a lotus leaf.
- Egg tart 蛋挞, the warm custard tart to finish on.
Three or four steamers between two people, plus a pot of tea, is a full lunch. Order a second round once you see how hungry you really are.
Har gow is the dish that tells you everything: if the shrimp dumplings at a Shanghai dim sum place are springy and thin-skinned, the rest of the kitchen is in good hands.
Where to go, sorted by budget
Shanghai does dim sum at every price, and the gap between the cheap and the grand is smaller than you would guess for the core dishes. Start casual, then climb the list when you want the occasion.
| Spot 餐厅 | Where 位置 | Per person 人均 | For 适合 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bi Feng Tang 避风塘 | Several branches | ¥70 to 100 USD 10 to 15 | Casual and cheap, often open late, a gentle first try |
| Crystal Jade 翡翠酒家 | Xintiandi, Huangpu | ¥180 to 250 USD 27 to 37 | Reliable mid-range, famous for its dumplings and buns |
| Lei Garden 利苑 | iapm, Xuhui | ¥300 to 400 USD 45 to 60 | Polished Hong Kong Cantonese, Michelin-recognised |
| Seventh Son 家全七福 | Jing'an | ¥580 to 700 USD 87 to 105 | A Michelin one-star splurge for a special lunch |
Seventh Son (家全七福) relocated within Jing'an in 2025, so confirm the current address when you book; it is the Michelin splurge, not the everyday. For everyday, Crystal Jade in Xintiandi is the dependable middle, and Bi Feng Tang is the friendly, forgiving place to have your first-ever yum cha.
How ordering and tea actually work
You will be handed a paper menu with a column of boxes; tick the quantity next to each dish and hand it back, or order on the table's mini-app. When the pot of tea arrives, the first rinse is sometimes poured over the cups to warm them, then topped up through the meal; leave the lid ajar on an empty pot and a server refills it. A small per-head tea-and-pickle charge (茶位费), usually ¥5 to ¥20 (USD 1 to 3), is normal and not a scam. Pay at the end at the till, not the table, and tipping is not expected anywhere.
Which one is for you
If you are new to yum cha or just want a cheap, cheerful plate of dumplings, go to Bi Feng Tang. If you want a dependable, central lunch that will not disappoint your visiting parents, choose Crystal Jade in Xintiandi. If you want the polished Hong Kong version with impeccable har gow, book Lei Garden at iapm. And if it is a birthday or a treat and budget is open, Seventh Son is the Michelin splurge, as long as you confirm its new address first.
What is the difference between dim sum and xiaolongbao in Shanghai?
Dim sum (点心) is Cantonese, a spread of small steamed and fried plates eaten with tea at lunch, with dishes like har gow and char siu bao. Xiaolongbao are Shanghai soup dumplings, a local Jiangnan specialty eaten on their own. You will find both in Shanghai, but a dim sum restaurant and a xiaolongbao shop are different places with different menus.
How much does dim sum cost per person in Shanghai?
Expect about ¥70 to ¥100 (USD 10 to 15) a head at a casual chain like Bi Feng Tang, ¥180 to ¥250 (USD 27 to 37) at a mid-range place like Crystal Jade, and ¥300 or more (USD 45+) at polished Cantonese restaurants such as Lei Garden, before much alcohol. A small tea-and-pickle charge of ¥5 to ¥20 (USD 1 to 3) a head is normal on top.
Can I order dim sum in Shanghai without speaking Chinese?
Yes, easily. Most dim sum here uses a tick-box paper menu or a table app, often with pictures, so you mark the dishes you want rather than describing them, and a little survival Chinese only helps. The classics (har gow, siu mai, char siu bao) are usually pictured or easy to point to, and higher-end places such as Lei Garden have English menus and English-speaking staff.
When is dim sum served in Shanghai?
Dim sum is mainly a late-morning-to-mid-afternoon lunch here, roughly 11:00 to 15:00, and the good places fill up by noon on weekends. A few casual spots like Bi Feng Tang also serve it into the evening. Book or arrive before 11:30 on a Saturday or Sunday if you want a table without a wait.
Sources · 资料来源
- Dianping 大众点评, venue listings for Crystal Jade, Lei Garden and Seventh Son (addresses, 人均, hours). dianping.com
- Ctrip 携程 restaurant pages (Lei Garden iapm and Bi Feng Tang branch prices and hours). you.ctrip.com
- Shanghai Local Treasure 上海本地宝, venue directory (Seventh Son address cross-check). sh.bendibao.com
Prices are what diners report, not official menus, and change. Seventh Son relocated within Jing'an in 2025, so confirm the current address and all prices before you go.
As Confucius put it in the Analects, 食不厌精，脍不厌细, one never tires of food prepared with real care. Dim sum is that idea on a steamer: small things done precisely, meant to be shared slowly over tea.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
