Restaurants Overview

Shanghainese food is fairly typical Chinese, with dark, sweet, and oily dishes served in great abundance. The dish sizes can be quite small, so be careful when ordering -- it's not unusual for two diners to polish off six dishes plus rice. The drink of choice with Shanghainese food is huangjiu, or yellow wine. It's a mild-tasting sweetish rice wine, which pairs well with the local cuisine.

Shanghai is full of fine restaurants from around the world, but sometimes, the finest dining experience in the city can be had with a steamer tray of xiaolongbao (Shanghai's signature dumplings -- small steamed buns filled with pork and crab meat in broth) matched with a cold beer. River fish is often the highlight (and most expensive part) of the meal, and hairy crab is a seasonal delicacy. It may not be the finest dining, but it's an enjoyable and genuine taste of the city.