Mercure Shanghai Jiuting

This airy restaurant with chic retro decor, near Hongqiao airport, is a veritable haven for weary travellers. As well as cooking up the same classics as the namesake sister branch in Hong Kong, the experienced Shanghainese chef imbues Cantonese dim sum with unique Shanghainese touches. Honey-glazed barbecued pork, and tofu-skin beggar's purses are both highlights. Round off your meal with pear, bamboo bird's nest and nostoc sweet soup.

In Hongqiao district, near a train station and airport, this restaurant is a popular choice among travellers. The head chef is a Shanghai native, who respects traditions, while exploring other Chinese regional flavours. His menu is heavily based on Shanghainese cuisine, with occasional Cantonese and Huaiyang dishes. Try his marinated pigeon with green Sichuan peppercorns and silky meat, and the umami-rich sautéed shredded fish with chive sprouts.

A Chaoshan native, the chef sources items from his hometown, such as teal and sun-dried shrimps. Must-try classics include steamed fourfinger threadfin served chilled. Seasonal offerings embrace produce picked at the peak of its flavour. In summer, try the braised fish maw with chanterelles in a dried seafood broth, slow cooked for 5 hours and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. There are just five private rooms in this villa, so reservations are a must!

Since 1992, this household name has been a favourite Ningbonese seafood joint. Their first outpost in Shanghai takes up two storeys with live fish tanks and an open kitchen downstairs and the main dining room reached by a bright red staircase upstairs. Braised pomfret with sticky rice cake exemplifies the rustic charm and full-bodied flavours of Ningbo home-style cooking. Raw marinated white crab known as ’18 cuts’ is loaded with umami.

Brace yourself for nostalgia aplenty: velvet tufted chairs, walls covered in vintage blue bricks, art pieces from around the world…Most ingredients are shipped from Anhui, including mouldy tofu – a speciality you can’t miss. Wine-scented fermented mandarin fish is another classic slightly adapted to suit the local palate. The Anhui-style braised pork trotter in soybean paste is cooked in a 30-year-old marinade for exceptional depth and layered flavours. On top of the à la carte menu, you can also have one tailored in advanced.

Founded in 1878, this two-storey noodle shop is something of a local landmark thanks to its gilded sign and elaborate façade. Chefs start work at 4am, making noodles and dim sum from scratch. The ground floor serves 20 different noodle and rice dishes, including the famous three-treasure soup noodles (fried eel, fried fish and pork hock). The dining room upstairs offers more comfort and a bigger Shanghainese menu, from soups to hot dishes and dim sum.

Several famous chefs joined forces in this venture that offers traditional and creative Cantonese and Sichuanese fare under one roof. Flavours are nuanced and varied, making for a multi-faceted experience. Signatures include roast young duck with Sichuan pepper, a crossover between Cantonese barbecue and Sichuanese spice. Yellow croaker can be prepared in myriad ways – try it poached in claypot with aged dried radish.