🍜 Guide gastronomique de Shanghai

Shanghai is China's most international city and a culinary capital of Jiangnan cuisine. Known for its 'red cooking' technique — braising with dark soy sauce and sugar — Shanghai's food ranges from delicate xiaolongbao to hearty hongshao rou, from seasonal hairy crab to bustling street food.

📍 Chine · 17 plats à découvrir

Plats incontournables à Shanghai

Xiaolongbao

Xiaolongbao

小笼包 · Xiǎolóng Bāo

Delicate steamed soup dumplings with a thin, translucent wrapper and a burst of hot pork broth inside.

🌶 📍 Facile à trouver
Lire la suite →
Shengjianbao

Shengjianbao

生煎包 · Shēngjiān Bāo

Pan-fried pork buns with a crispy golden bottom, juicy filling, and sprinkled with sesame and scallions.

🌶 📍 Facile à trouver
Lire la suite →
Red Braised Pork Belly

Red Braised Pork Belly

红烧肉 · Hóngshāo Ròu

Melt-in-your-mouth pork belly braised in soy sauce, caramelized sugar, and Shaoxing wine — the soul of Shanghai home cooking.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Shanghai Hairy Crab

Shanghai Hairy Crab

大闸蟹 · Dàzháxiè

A seasonal delicacy — steamed female crabs prized for their golden roe and sweet, delicate meat.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Yanduxian

Yanduxian

腌笃鲜 · Yān Dǔ Xiān

A hearty spring soup of cured pork, fresh pork, tender bamboo shoots, and tofu knots — pure Shanghai umami.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Eight Treasure Duck

Eight Treasure Duck

八宝鸭 · Bābǎo Yā

A whole duck deboned, stuffed with glutinous rice and eight treasures, then braised to perfection — a banquet showstopper.

🌶 📍 Difficile à trouver
Lire la suite →
Scallion Oil Noodles

Scallion Oil Noodles

葱油拌面 · Cōng Yóu Bàn Miàn

A deceptively simple dish — chewy noodles tossed in fragrant scallion-infused oil and soy sauce.

🌶 📍 Facile à trouver
Lire la suite →
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

糖醋小排 · Tángcù Xiǎopái

Tender pork spare ribs glazed in a sweet-sour sauce — a Shanghainese banquet classic.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Sixi Kaofu

Sixi Kaofu

四喜烤麸 · Sìxǐ Kǎo Fū

A cold appetizer of wheat gluten, wood ear mushrooms, and peanuts in a savory-sweet soy glaze.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Crab Meat Tofu

Crab Meat Tofu

蟹粉豆腐 · Xiè Fěn Dòufu

Silky tofu with fresh crab meat and roe in a delicate, golden sauce — a taste of Shanghai luxury.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Oil-Exploded Shrimp

Oil-Exploded Shrimp

油爆虾 · Yóu Bào Xiā

Whole river shrimp quickly deep-fried and wok-tossed in a sweet-savory glaze — crispy shells, tender meat.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Nanxiang Xiaolongbao

Nanxiang Xiaolongbao

南翔小笼 · Nánxiáng Xiǎolóng

The original xiaolongbao from Nanxiang — smaller, thinner-skinned, and even more delicate.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Pork Chop with Rice Cakes

Pork Chop with Rice Cakes

排骨年糕 · Páigǔ Niángāo

Crispy deep-fried pork chop paired with soft, chewy rice cakes in a sweet soy glaze — Shanghai street food at its best.

🌶 📍 Facile à trouver
Lire la suite →
Jiuniang Yuanzi

Jiuniang Yuanzi

酒酿圆子 · Jiǔniàng Yuánzǐ

Sweet fermented rice soup with tiny chewy glutinous rice balls — a warm, comforting Shanghai dessert.

🌶 📍 Courant
Lire la suite →
Fengjing Braised Trotters

Fengjing Braised Trotters

枫泾丁蹄 · Fēngjīng Dīng Tí

Pork trotters slowly braised in soy sauce until impossibly tender — a specialty of Shanghai's Fengjing water town.

🌶 📍 Difficile à trouver
Lire la suite →
White Cut Chicken

White Cut Chicken

白斩鸡 · Bái Zhǎn Jī

Poached whole chicken served cold with ginger-scallion oil — simplicity elevated to an art.

🌶 📍 Facile à trouver
Lire la suite →
Shanghai Thick Noodles

Shanghai Thick Noodles

上海粗炒 · Shànghǎi Cū Chǎo

Thick Shanghai-style noodles stir-fried with shredded pork, bok choy, and dark soy sauce — hearty, satisfying, and deeply savory.

🌶 📍 Facile à trouver
Lire la suite →

Meilleurs quartiers gastronomiques

Yu Garden (Yuyuan) Bazaar

The area around Yu Garden in the Old City is Shanghai's most famous food destination. Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant draws long queues for xiaolongbao, and the surrounding bazaar is packed with snack stalls.

À ne pas manquer： Xiaolongbao at Nanxiang, shengjianbao, stinky tofu

Yunnan Road Food Street

Yunnan Road is Shanghai's most famous food street, lined with restaurants and food stalls that have been serving locals for decades. It's the best place to try Shanghai street food classics.

À ne pas manquer： Paigu Niangao at Xian De Lai, Baizhan Ji at Xiao Shao Xing, scallion oil noodles

The Bund / Fuzhou Road

The historic heart of old Shanghai, Fuzhou Road is home to many of the city's most famous traditional restaurants, including the legendary Wang Bao He (crab) and Lao Zheng Xing.

À ne pas manquer： Hairy crab at Wang Bao He, Eight Treasure Duck at Lao Zheng Xing

3-Day Shanghai Food Itinerary

Jour 1 : Shanghai Classics

🌅 Matin Start with Shengjianbao from Yang's on Wujiang Road. Crispy bottoms, juicy filling, and a cup of soymilk.
🌞 Déjeuner Xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung or Nanxiang at Yu Garden. Order a basket of pork and a basket of crab roe.
⛅ Après-midi Walk through Yu Garden Bazaar. Try stinky tofu, fried crab shell, and other street snacks.
🌙 Dîner Hongshao Rou, Yanduxian, and Tangcu Paigu at a proper Shanghainese restaurant like Lao Ke Huang.

Jour 2 : Street Food & Local Eats

🌅 Matin Congyou Banmian (scallion oil noodles) for breakfast at A Niang Mian.
🌞 Déjeuner Paigu Niangao at Xian De Lai on Yunnan Road, then Baizhan Ji at Xiao Shao Xing next door.
⛅ Après-midi Explore the former French Concession. Visit a traditional Shanghainese bakery for Sixi Kaofu and other cold dishes.
🌙 Dîner Nanxiang Xiaolong at the original Nanxiang restaurant or explore the noodle shops for Shanghai Cu Chao.

Jour 3 : Jiangnan Fine Dining

🌅 Matin Visit a wet market to see Shanghai ingredients — hairy crabs in autumn, bamboo shoots in spring.
🌞 Déjeuner Crab feast at Wang Bao He (in season). Xiefen Doufu and Youbao Xia are must-orders.
⛅ Après-midi Take a Shanghai cooking class to learn how to make Hongshao Rou and Xiaolongbao.
🌙 Dîner Grand finale at Fu 1088 or Yongfoo Elite — Babao Duck, Fengjing Trotters, and Jiuniang Yuanzi for dessert.

Questions fréquentes

❓ Is Shanghai food spicy?

No. Shanghainese cuisine is known for 'heavy oil, red sauce' (nong you chi jiang) — sweet and savory flavors from soy sauce, sugar, and Shaoxing wine. Unlike Sichuan or Hunan food, Shanghai dishes rarely use chili.

❓ What's the difference between xiaolongbao and shengjianbao?

Xiaolongbao has a thin, delicate wrapper and is steamed. Shengjianbao has a thick, yeasted dough and is pan-fried — giving it a crispy bottom. Both have soup inside, but shengjian is more robust.

❓ When is hairy crab season?

September to December. Female crabs (with golden roe) are best in September-October. Male crabs (with white cream) peak in October-November. The traditional saying is 'September for females, October for males'.

❓ What's the best time to visit Shanghai for food?

Each season has its specialties: spring (March-April) for Yanduxian and bamboo shoots, autumn (September-November) for hairy crab and seasonal seafood. Summer has excellent cold noodles and desserts.

❓ Is Shanghai expensive for food?

Shanghai has food at every price point. Street food like shengjianbao costs just a few yuan. A proper Shanghainese meal at a mid-range restaurant costs 80-150 yuan per person. High-end dining can be 500+ yuan.