With innovative restaurants, sophisticated hotels, and a booming art scene, Shanghai is undergoing one of the most rapid expansions in the East.
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Lay of the Land
Former French Concession: The plane-tree-lined streets and gracious villas of the well-preserved neighborhood make it the city’s most coveted address.
The Bund: Thanks to a recent $33 million restoration, this thoroughfare, Shanghai’s answer to the Champs-Élysées and Fifth Avenue, has welcomed a slew of luxury stores, upscale restaurants, and top hotels.
Jing’an: The lively downtown district, crammed with skyscrapers and mega shopping centers, is fast-paced and often crowded; for a break, head to the 13th-century Jing’an Buddhist temple.
Lujiazui: You’ll find some of the city’s best hotels in the financial district on the eastern banks of the Huangpu River.
Getting Around: Taxis are easy to hail, but drivers seldom speak English, so make sure you have addresses written down in Chinese. Alternatively, the metro is extensive and efficient.
Eat: From laid-back local haunts to temples of haute cuisine, here’s where to dine now.
Mercato: Jean-Georges Vongerichten teamed up with Shanghai-based design duo Neri & Hu at this rustic-chic, Bund-side Italian restaurant done in reclaimed wood and leather. Wood-fired pizzas and fresh pastas top the menu, but there are plenty of stellar fish options, including salt-and-pepper sea bass and scallops with green chile, lime, and pistachio. $$$
Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet: The city’s most buzzed-about new restaurant has only 10 seats —and a three-month waiting list. With the help of projectors, scent diffusers, and a sophisticated sound system, chef Paul Pairet combines audio, olfactory, and visual effects with innovative dishes bearing wacky names such as “foie gras can’t quit” and “truffle burnt soup bread.” It’s dinner theater for the 21st century. $$$$$
Hai by Goga: At his first restaurant, Goga, a pared-down space overlooking the city, San Francisco native Brad Turley gained a cult following for his spot-on Pacific Rim cuisine. His second act sticks to the same formula: boldly flavored options such as tuna-edamame potato salad and scallops with Thai lobster curry. 86-21/3461-7893. $$$
Lost Heaven: Moody lighting and carved-teak chairs set the stage at this local favorite in the Former French Concession that whips up the city’s finest Yunnanese cuisine. There are mouthwatering lemongrass-laced meats, vegetable pancakes, and spicy curries. $$
Jishi: When it comes to Shanghainese food, this unpretentious restaurant is as authentic as it gets. (The waiters speak nary a word of English.) Tangcu paigu (sweet-and-sour spare ribs) and congbao yutou (braised fish head with scallions) are staples; if it’s hairy crab season (October–December), don’t miss the xiefen fenpi (crab with vermicelli sheets). 86-21/6282-9260. $$
Madison: An alum of New York City’s Gramercy Tavern, young chef Austin Hu showcases standout dishes — such as duck breast with apple, chrysanthemum greens, and chorizo-flecked vinaigrette and candied pork belly with kimchi jus — in a loftlike restaurant in the Xuhui district. $$$
Restaurant Pricing Key
$ Less than $25
$$ $25 to $75
$$$ $75 to $150
$$$$ More than $150
Shop: Looking for the best Shanghai designers, beauty products, and more?
Dong Liang Studio: Partners Charles Wang and Nam Lang’s three-story space stocks an impressive collection of women’s clothing from cutting-edge Chinese fashion labels, including fitted jackets by local designer He Yan and hand-stitched evening wear by Beijing-based Vega Zaishi Wang. 86-21/3469-6926.
Antik Nana: The beauty is in the details at London-trained Nana’s studio, where the jeweler’s quirky, intricate designs — clockwork brooches inlaid with miniature hourglasses; antique bracelets with clusters of skull charms — are inspired by steampunk themes.
Xinlelu.com: At this online fashion retailer’s brick-and-mortar showroom, there’s a tightly curated assortment of up-and-coming Asian designers (Aijek, Nuomi), along with a selection of vintage items handpicked by owner Cairn Wu Reppun.
Ba Yan Ka La: Enter French expat Jean Zimmerman’s calm-inducing flagship in Xuhui, and your serotonin levels will instantly skyrocket. His soaps and lotions (Tibetan roseroot bubble bath; Chinese mulberry body milk) treat everything from skin woes to body aches.
Mary Ching U.K.-bred designer Alison Cheung’s Shanghai boutique is a mecca for heels and handbags. But the traditionally minded should steer clear: statement stilettos come in hot reds, pinks, and snakeskin, and cashmere slippers are playfully adorned with pom-poms and fake gems.
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