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The cafe arm of the 13DE MARZO fashion label has turned into one of Anfu Lu's most photographed corners, marked by the giant teddy bear on the building. Every cup arrives hugged by a little bear, the Rose Latte (around 36 RMB) is the signature, and the second floor sells bear apparel and souvenirs. It is takeout only with no seating, so grab your cup and wander the plane-tree streets around it. Expect a queue at weekends.

A corner bakery that opened on Anfu Lu back in 2010 and has quietly stayed a neighbourhood favourite. It runs all day on communal tables, with sourdough, pastries, quiches and proper breakfasts that pull a steady crowd of locals and long-term residents. It is the kind of reliable, unfussy morning spot that anchors a walk around the leafy Xuhui streets nearby.

The Seoul-born bakery that launched a thousand Instagram posts, now in Xintiandi Style I on Xingye Lu. Known for its buttery croissants, signature cream pastries, and the iconic deep green takeaway bag. The Shanghai outpost draws crowds for its flaky pain au chocolat and seasonal specials. Expect a queue on weekends.

Set inside Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai on the Suzhou Creek side of Jing'an, Bvlgari Bar is a waterfront lounge with a wide, unobstructed view over the Huangpu toward the Bund. The menu leans Italian, with wood-fired pizzas and house gelato alongside the cocktail list, and the terrace at dusk is the moment to aim for: sunset sliding into the Bund's night skyline across the water. Expect hotel-bar pricing, around 380 to 550 RMB a head, and a crowd dressed for the setting. A dependable pick for a riverside evening that feels like an occasion.

Funkadeli has been a fixture of the Shanghai expat scene since 2013, when the brand started on Yongkang Lu; this Fumin Lu corner has been home since October 2016. It is a patio bar and Italian kitchen in one: panini, pasta and aperitivo drinks, with indoor seats and a terrace that fills the moment the weather turns kind. At around 100 to 200 RMB a head, open daily from 11:30am until 1am on weekdays and 2am on weekends, it works for a lazy lunch, a spritz at dusk, or the last stop of the night.

No-frills smash burgers from the Yaya's team, now at a new home: the original Xiangyang Bei Lu corner closed at the end of March 2026, and Goodman reopened on the second floor of Building C at 98 Yanping Lu in Jing'an. The menu stays tight on purpose: burgers, loaded fries, shakes, and that's it. The Classic Smash double runs 68 RMB, the triple 88 RMB. Walk-in only, no reservations, and open daily from 11am until half past midnight, which makes it a solid late-night burger stop too.

Nora's is a compact wine shop and bar on Yongfu Lu in Xuhui, run by Nora Liu with a clear point of view. The list leans natural, rotates often, and there are highballs for anyone who would rather not commit to a bottle. Snacks stay simple: burrata gelato, a plate of charcuterie, enough to keep the evening going. Vinyl plays, art hangs on the walls, and every other Thursday brings a Vinyl and Vino night. It is the kind of place you drop into after work and leave later than planned. Open daily from mid-afternoon to midnight.

Penicillin came over from Hong Kong in 2025 and settled into a corner of Nanchang Lu, near Yandang Lu. The bar made its name on closed-loop, low-waste drinks, and that thinking runs through the Shanghai list: fermented rice water, grilled cabbage soda, spirits reworked from kitchen offcuts. Cocktails sit around 88 RMB, with a few considered mocktails for anyone off the sauce. The room carries a lab-like curiosity, though the welcome stays warm. No reservations, so come early on weekends. It draws a mixed crowd of drinks people and curious regulars from across the city.

A cozy Eastern European bar and bistro tucked into Yongping Li on Hengshan Lu, named after the thick pancake-flatbread it serves alongside borscht, goulash and draniki. The menu wanders from Eastern Europe to the Caucasus, the room stays warm and unfussy, and it pours from late morning to midnight, which makes it as good for a slow lunch as for a nightcap. Shanghai's food press has been quietly circling it since it opened, and the Slavic comfort-food niche it fills is real.

Tuttù is an Italian bistro tucked into a lane off Yanping Lu in Jing'an, from Chef Giorgio, who also runs Hazel. The cooking is produce-driven and generous by local standards, built around balance rather than showmanship. The wine program is a real part of the draw, so it works equally for a full dinner or a couple of glasses with a plate to share. The room is casual but considered, small enough to feel personal. It opened recently and has been filling up on weekends, so booking ahead is sensible. Open evenings, later Thursday through Saturday.

Tucked into a sunny corner on Donghu Lu in Xuhui, Babar is a French wine bar and bistro with an open front that is perfect for people-watching. Simon Briens (Blaz, RAC) and Guillaume Tu (Spread) run the show, offering an unusually deep by-the-glass list paired with snack-sized French plates that sneak in Asian accents. The real draw: every evening from 6 to 8pm, wines by the glass go for a flat 60 RMB, a fine excuse to grab a counter seat early.

Café del Volcán on Yongkang Lu in Xuhui has been roasting Latin American volcanic soil beans since 2012. This tiny spot feels like a neighborhood hangout, not a photo backdrop. Grab a properly pulled espresso or a slow pour-over, pair it with a pastry, and watch Yongkang Lu come alive. It's a reliable, unfussy stop for coffee that tastes like its origin, made by people who genuinely care about the cup.

Egg is an all-day brunch cafe on Xiangyang Bei Lu in Jing'an, a bright, airy corner with the feel of a Sydney beach cafe. Opened by US expat Camden Hauge, it does photogenic breakfast plates, avocado toast, rice waffles and corn fritters, with good coffee and a second-floor loft that fills with people working over flat whites. It is known for occasional guest-chef dinners too, but the mornings are the reason to come.

Actor Bai Jingting's Goodbai on Yanqing Lu in Xuhui is a concept cafe and merch store that has been a hit on Xiaohongshu since opening in 2024. Part design boutique, part coffee bar, the cafe sits at No. 104 with the clothing store a few doors down at No. 92. Sip the signature Goodbai Latte or a magnolia-scented cup, with drinks under 48 RMB and most people spending 28 to 40. Expect a stylish crowd and weekend queues; come for the people-watching and the branding as much as the coffee, then pop into the store for the merch.

Jia Jia Tang Bao is a made-to-order xiaolongbao shop on Huanghe Road food street, two minutes from People's Square. Open since 1986 and now at No.127 after moving across the street, it steams each basket only after you order, so the soup inside arrives scalding and the skins stay thin. Pork baskets run around 25 RMB for 12, crab roe versions around 38-60 RMB. Order and pay at the counter, share a table, and go before noon if you want the crab ones, they sell out.

Metal Hands sits at 234 Nanchang Lu in Huangpu, a calm block near Xintiandi. The concrete-and-wood interior, with its skylight and greenery, is as thoughtful as the coffee. It’s one of the few mainland China cafes to land on a global specialty coffee ranking. Order a dirty, espresso poured over cold milk, or a seasonal riff like the cinnamon poached-egg latte (yes, that’s a thing) or pistachio dirty. Come for a serious cup, stay for a second in a room made for lingering.

Nanxiang Mantou Dian is the century-old xiaolongbao house beside the zigzag bridge in the Yu Garden bazaar, Huangpu. The brand dates to 1900 and carries the Nanxiang steamed-bun tradition that made Shanghai soup dumplings famous; it appears in the Michelin Guide. The ground-floor window sells takeout baskets to the queue, while the upper floors seat you for crab roe and pork versions, around 35 RMB and up for six. Come at opening time or mid-afternoon, the bridge-side queue at lunch is real.

The Lakeside Veggie, or Linhu Sushi, is a vegetarian restaurant near Longhua Temple in Xuhui, and it carries a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Shanghai for good cooking at a fair price. The kitchen cooks homey Jiangnan and Chinese dishes and leans away from mock meat, so vegetables, beancurd and mushrooms are treated as the point rather than as substitutes. It sits on the second floor of a shopping centre and draws a steady crowd of temple visitors, particularly around Buddhist observance days, when arriving early is the difference between lunch and a queue.

Tucked away on Tai'an Lu in Xuhui, Trifle (揣福) is a bakery and cafe that combines French-style pastries with playful local twists. Their butter croissant is a classic, but you'll also find a spicy Guizhou sausage puff pastry and a tofu cheesecake, with most items running 15 to 20 RMB. Seasonal breads tend to sell out by afternoon, so go early for first pick. The corner spot draws a young, camera-ready crowd, but it's a great excuse to wander this quiet, leafy pocket of Xuhui with something warm in hand.

Wanshou Zhai is an old-school xiaolongbao and wonton shop on Shanyin Road in Hongkou, a short walk from Lu Xun Park. It has fed this lane-house neighborhood since the 1960s and was named among Shanghai's noted local snacks during the 2010 Expo. Locals queue from dawn for thin-skinned pork xiaolongbao and the three-fresh wonton soup; a full breakfast lands around 20 RMB. Tables are shared, turnover is fast, and the room feels like the Shanghai of thirty years ago in the good way.

The blockbuster show of Shanghai's summer: 472 artifacts from the Mawangdui Han tombs, including 31 sets of grade-one national treasures, telling the story of how Han-dynasty nobility lived 2,000 years ago. It runs July 3 to October 7, 2026 at the China Art Museum, the red crown-shaped landmark from Expo 2010. Time your visit around the silk banners: the Tomb No.1 banner of Lady Xin Zhui displays only until August 16, then the Tomb No.3 banner takes over from August 18 to October 7. Tickets are 98 RMB with early-bird tiers sold out; book ahead rather than gambling on the door.

The 1922 Shanghai Municipal Council building opened its doors to the public after a painstaking restoration led by David Chipperfield Architects, and walking its neoclassical corridors feels like being let into a room the city kept locked for a century. It opened with a large Salvador Dali show, and the program keeps rotating: exhibitions, performances, and an immersive seven-course Taste of China dinner theater for a proper occasion. Check what is on before you go, and come for the architecture even if you skip the shows.

A private wellness retreat on the basement level of The Langham, Xintiandi, Chuan Spa is built around fully enclosed, independent suites with real privacy: therapists knock and wait before entering. Every suite has its own shower, so there is no need to bring extra toiletries, and you can adjust room temperature, background music, and massage pressure to your own comfort. Treatments run 1,280 to 1,880 RMB, and spending 800 RMB or more on a treatment also unlocks day access to the hotel's indoor heated pool and gym. It has become one of my go-to spots in the city for a proper reset.

Padel has quietly become the racquet sport of Shanghai's international crowd, and this club inside the restored 1935 Jiangwan Stadium is where it happens: six indoor courts and two outdoor ones under a genuinely atmospheric heritage grandstand. It hosted the FIP Gold Shanghai world-tour stop in June, so the level on court next to you can be humbling. Book courts by phone or WeChat; evenings and weekends fill fast, and beginners' sessions are easy to find.

Dino Beach (热带风暴) is a large summer water park in Minhang, a Shanghai institution built around a huge wave pool, a long lazy river and dozens of slides. It opens for the season only, roughly late June to early September, with tiered session pricing that runs about 120 to 200 RMB depending on the day and time slot; weekday off-peak is cheapest, online early-bird deals often go lower, and children under 0.8 meters enter free. It is a water park for play rather than lap swimming, and a reliable day out for families escaping the July heat. Confirm current dates and prices on the official channels before you go, since the season shifts each year.

Power Station of Art (上海当代艺术博物馆, PSA) is a contemporary art museum set inside a converted power plant on the Huangpu riverside in Huangpu district, and China's first state-run museum dedicated to contemporary art. The 2012 conversion kept the industrial bones, including a tall chimney, and turned them into soaring exhibition halls that host the Shanghai Biennale and major international shows. General admission is free, with some special exhibitions ticketed. The building alone rewards the trip, and the riverside setting pairs easily with a Bund walk. Closed Mondays.

Shanghai Museum East (上海博物馆东馆) is the vast new Pudong wing of the Shanghai Museum, on Century Avenue near the Science and Technology Museum metro. Opened in stages from 2024, it spreads the collection of bronzes, ceramics, jade, painting and calligraphy across bright modern galleries with room to breathe. General admission is free and individual visitors can walk in without a reservation, though special exhibitions may charge and book out. Give yourself half a day; it is far larger than the original People's Square building. Closed Tuesdays.

Shanghai Swimming Center is a municipal natatorium in Xuhui, a two-minute walk from Shanghai Swimming Center station on Metro Line 11. It has a full 50-meter competition pool plus training and kids' zones, and it takes walk-ins: scan your passport at the self-service kiosk, no reservation needed. Entry is 55 RMB for a 90-minute session. Bring a swim cap (required at most Shanghai pools) and set up the free digital health commitment card on the Suishenban mini-program before you go. It is one of the better-value serious lap-swim options in central Shanghai.

Sleep No More Shanghai is an immersive theatre production inside the five-storey McKinnon Hotel at 1013 Beijing Xi Lu, Jing'an, closing for good on August 30, 2026. Co-created by Punchdrunk and SMG Live, it retells Macbeth in a moody 1930s Shanghai: you wear a white mask, roam the hotel at your own pace, and follow whichever character pulls you in. Since December 2016 it has played 2,670 performances to more than 750,000 people. The farewell season brings themed nights, midnight shows, two goodbye parties and a free ten-year memories gallery from July 15. Book via the official WeChat mini program or Trip.com; age 16 plus.

Takashimaya Shanghai on Hongqiao Lu in Changning's Gubei is a proper slice of Tokyo depato culture. The basement food hall stocks Japanese groceries, bento, and pastries that local families quietly treasure, while upper floors offer homeware and fashion with unhurried service. Come summer 2026, an official Evangelion English afternoon tea room lands on 4F with a merch counter on 1F. Open daily 10:00, 21:30, it pairs perfectly with a Gubei lunch and feels calmer than downtown malls.

Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal (吴淞口国际邮轮港) is Shanghai's ocean cruise port at 1 Baoyang Lu, Baoshan, where the Huangpu River meets the Yangtze. Royal Caribbean, MSC and other lines board here for sailings to Japan and Korea. It sits about 24 km northeast of People's Square: take Metro Line 3 to Baoyang Road, then a 15-minute taxi or the terminal shuttle. Give yourself a generous margin on embarkation day, since check-in, customs and immigration all queue separately. Porters and organized taxi lines meet arriving ships, and the riverside boardwalk gives a decent view of the ships even if you are only seeing someone off.