JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square

Dining & Bars

As with its economic development, Shanghai's restaurant scene is perpetually evolving and improving with each new establishment pushing the envelope for higher standards. One can dine very well in Shanghai with budgets small and large, though ambiance, service and fare vary from the two CNY street corner kebabs, to a CNY200 glass of wine imported from the Ashanti Dome vineyards in South Africa. Shanghai's authentic international cuisine allows diners to complement Mexican tacos and margaritas with a side order of live mariachi band at JJ Mariachi's, or down a pint of Guinness pulled by a Dubliner at O'Malley's Irish Pub, or have chicken tandoor prepared the way it is meant to be made by Indian chefs. So for authentic French, Japanese, Korean, or Italian food (the list goes on and on), Shanghai has just the place.

When it comes to Chinese food, there is no exception. A resurgence in Shanghai chic has resulted in many eateries designed in sleek modern style while serving homestyle Shanghainese food. There are also numerous Cantonese restaurants that rival their Hong Kong counterparts, serving excellent food in stylish surroundings. The following restaurants are only a handful of many recommended places to eat.

The Bund

For restaurants with a view, go to the Bund. Shanghai's means by which to measure all else when it comes to continental fare is M on the Bund. Justifiably expensive, the flawless presentation and service, not to mention the best views of the Bund and Pu Dong Shanghai has to offer, are worth every bit of the cost.

Nan Jing Road

A number of recommended eateries can be found around the Shanghai Center. For American food, Tony Roma's serves up barbecued ribs; the Hard Rock Cafe and Malone's offer typical American fare spiced with live music, and bars that keep you entertained when the kitchens close. Or go local. Bi Feng Tang offers Cantonese dim sum favorites to regular local and expat clientele and Gongdelin Vegetarian Restaurant serves veggies only, Chinese style.

Old French Concession Area

A dense concentration of restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes are found in this area. For those who want to try the local cuisine, Shanghainese food can be had in a contemporary setting at Henry, a favorite among Shanghai's expatriate crowd. Sasha's, set in a restored colonial mansion, offers continental food amidst beautiful wood furnishings. Afterwards, get pleasantly shaken and stirred at Shanghai's chic Martini bar, Goya. Or, in a different category altogether, there is the friendly and casual O'Malley's Irish Pub where you can sip on a pint on the outdoor patio. Cap off the night by going to 1931 Cafe Pub, an intimate bar that resembles 1930s Shanghai.

Pu Dong

Pu Dong affords more than just high-rise office buildings. O'Malley's Irish Pub found its way over the Huang Pu River in the form of the Dublin Exchange, an Irish pub where you can down a Kilkenny over live music. A number of hotel restaurants offer fine dining, such as the Grand Cafe, On-56 in the Grand Hyatt Shanghai and the Garden Cafe in the Shangri-La Hotel.


Sightseeing

Most of Shanghai's city center can be explored on foot. This small, intimate city makes it relatively easy to find your way around, but those who come to Shanghai looking for traditional China encounter considerable disappointment. Beijing proves a better city for exploring ancient Chinese buildings and artifacts, but Shanghai's charm comes from its unique colonial past. A sense of nostalgic romanticism and faded glamour lingers in the city, especially in the Old French Concession area where remnants of European architecture face the tree-lined streets. To get a sense of Shanghai, old and new, try the following walking tours.

Tour One: Nan Jing Road and Jing An District

Most of Nan Jing Road stretching east to west offers worthy prospects for exploration. Just walk along this commercial stretch and witness the daily hustle of Shanghai life. A portion of the road on the east side has been transformed into a pedestrian-only street. Flanked by shop fronts, a trolley car and vendors, the pedestrian-only street presents a festive air and attracts many people. Also within walking distance from Nan Jing West Road lies People's Square (Ren Min Guang Chang) and the Shanghai Museum. People's Square, a popular public square, resides in the center of downtown Shanghai. Often full of people and vendors, People's Square provides an ideal place for people watching. Underground, a shopping mall sells mostly fashion and cosmetics for the young and trendy crowd. At night, when Nan Jing East Road lights up in full neon glory, it very much resembles Hong Kong. Visitors searching for quiet and more spiritual attractions should check a few active Buddhist temples in Shanghai. Two are situated in the area. Located on Jiang Ning Road, the Jade Buddha Temple (Yi Fo Si) gained fame for its large jade Buddha brought from Myanmar (Burma) by a disciple. This temple attracts a fair share of tourists and locals who come for worship. The other Buddhist temple, Jing'An, lies on Nan Jing West Road. Open to visitors, this traditional temple poses a stark contrast to the modern buildings on Nan Jing Road.

Tour Two: Old French Concession

For shopping, you cannot beat Huai Hai Middle Road for selection. Various shopping centers, including the Japanese MZL Isetan Department Store, and stylish boutiques, such as La Maison Mode, line this prosperous and very busy street. The always-bustling, open-air market on Xiang Yang Road is a great place to get that fake Rolex watch for only CNY50. Farther west along Huai Hai lies the impressive and modern Shanghai Library. Other sights to see include Fu Xing Park, a lovely European park, Long Hua Temple and the beautifully restored home of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, known as the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Former Residence & Memorial Hall.

Tour Three: Yu Yuan

Known as the Old City or the Chinese section, Yu Yuan offers a more traditional area of Shanghai with its rock gardens, walkways and Chinese teahouses. Yu Yuan's traditional Chinese garden, Yu Gardens, is certainly worth visiting. Visitors shopping at the rather touristy shopping bazaar often buy everything from a qi pao (traditional Chinese dress) to traditional Chinese medicine.

Tour Four: Pu Dong

In terms of scenic attractions, Pu Dong offers little as it is known mostly as Shanghai's financial district and for its modern high-rise office buildings. But viewing Pu Xi (old town) and the Bund from the perspective of Pu Dong often fascinates visitors. You can also ascend the supposedly tallest structure in Asia, the imposing Oriental Pearl TV Tower, for an aerial view of Shanghai. Travelers should also consider visiting the architecturally striking, 88-floor Jin Mao Building. Recently constructed, this building exhibits a modern showcase of Shanghai's sleek new urban style and prosperity. The Jin Mao also holds the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, as well as offices, businesses and restaurants. For an overall view of the city, the Huang Pu River Tour comes highly recommended.

Tour Five: The Bund

Probably one of the most photographed areas in Shanghai, the Bund gives visitors a sense of grandeur and space. Overlooking the Huang Pu River and the neighboring Pu Dong area, this waterfront area is perfect for strolling. It also provides a stark contrast between Shanghai, old (Pu Xi) and new (Pu Dong).


Entertainment

Considered China's most innovative and fashionable city approximately a century ago, today's Shanghai is rapidly regaining that title. Along with its economic progress, the city's vibrant rebirth in its arts and entertainment scene are progressing rapidly.

Art

All forms of art in Shanghai now enjoy a renaissance, with many galleries devoted to showing both contemporary and traditional Chinese works. ShangArt often exhibits avant-garde works by Chinese artists, while the Shanghai College of Fine Arts Art Institute features works from young, up-and-coming students. For more classic fare, the Chang'an Gallery shows traditional Chinese paintings.

Cinema

Shanghai's many large movie theaters screen both Chinese and Hollywood movies. Also, various organizations show foreign movies with English/Chinese subtitles. The Cine-Club de l'Alliance shows French films with Chinese subtitles, and the German Consulate Auditorium features German films. Judy's Too Movies and Shanghai Film Art Center often feature Hollywood blockbusters.

Dance

Several of the city's venues showcase dance performances. The Shanghai Grand Theater, a first-class international standard theater, often showcases international acts, while the Shanghai Stadium, Majestic Theater and Grand Theater also provide sites for both Asian and Western performances.

Museums

The Shanghai Museum, located at People's Square, claims title to the most popular museum in Shanghai. Designed to look like an ancient Chinese vessel, the museum's modern exterior stands out as a showpiece. However, the museum's interiors are also worth investigating. The museum features superbly displayed, first-class exhibits of ancient Chinese artifacts and archeological finds with Chinese and English explanations. The scientifically inclined may enjoy the Natural History Museum, which features a curious assortment of dinosaur bones and pickled human remains. On the other hand, the romantically inclined will find the somewhat unusual Exhibition for Chinese Ancient Sex Culture interesting. This rather liberal museum aims to educate visitors on the history of sex in China.

Music

The Shanghai Grand Theater, Majestic Theater and Grand Theater provide good places to enjoy classical music. Jing An Chamber Music offers weekly chamber music concerts every Sunday evening at the Jing An Hotel.

Rock/Pop/Jazz Music

Various clubs in the city offer live music. For blues and jazz, the long-running and popular Cotton Club proves the place to go for the best live blues music. Scintillating live jazz music tantalizes the ears nightly at the cozy and funky Hot Chocolate on Dong Ping Road. Some bars and nightclubs, such as M-Box and Full House I, feature live music ranging from rock to pop to jazz and performed by local bands.

Opera

Definitely not for everyone, traditional Chinese opera is mostly recognized for its high-pitched vocals (somewhat akin to caterwauling). However, the visual spectacle of a Chinese opera portrays a lavishly striking event. For a Chinese opera experience, try the Yi Fu Theater or the Great World Entertainment Center. Western operas perform at any of the major venues mentioned above, but usually only when an international operatic troupe tours through China.

Theater

The Shanghai Grand Theater and the Shanghai Theater Academy offer modern theater, but you must call for a schedule and show-time listings. Unfortunately, most of the plays are spoken in Chinese. While considered rather touristy, Chinese acrobatics reveal amazing feats, and Shanghai Circus World, the Great World Entertainment Center and Shanghai Center Theater afford interesting acrobatic shows.


Neighborhoods

Shanghai's relatively small city center makes it easy to navigate. It consists of two basic districts, Pu Xi (western town) and Pu Dong (eastern town), facing one another across the Huang Pu River. As a general rule, Pu Xi embodies "Old Shanghai" and Pu Dong represents "New Shanghai." Excellent examples of this dichotomy are characterized within the architecture, with the early 20th century architecture of the Bund on the Pu Xi side such as the Peace Hotel and the conspicuously modern architecture of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Grand Hyatt Shanghai on the Pu Dong side.

Pu Dong Fifteen years ago, Pu Dong consisted of nothing but farmland, but in an attempt to elevate Shanghai to the level of a major Asian commercial center, the Chinese government created the Pudong New Area Open Economic Development Zone, with a fast rising skyline and loads of investment money. After 1992 the rapid economic development of the area changed the demographics of Pu Dong to a growing cosmopolitan flavor and it is seen as more culturally sophisticated than older Pu Xi.

Chiefly a financial district but also a growing community, Pu Dong offers increasingly more to do and see in this new and growing community east of the Huangpu River. The shops and eateries along Century Boulevard, designed to be a 21st Century main street to match the ultra-modern sky scrapers and business culture, will be a world class walking district by the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, supposedly the largest structure of its kind in Asia, and a symbol of Shanghai's prosperity, looms high over the city. The tower welcomes visitors and houses the Shanghai History Museum. Nearby Jin Mao Tower caps the Pearl's view and is free to the public.

Pu Xi Pu Xi is a warren of city districts that together make up the cosmopolitan flavor of Shanghai. Unlike Beijing's city center, which centered on the Forbidden City and emanating outwards in rings, Shanghai's districts each offer a different flavor and diffuse the “center” of the city into well connected neighborhoods: densely populated Huangpu; historic French Concession which spans Luwan and Xuhui districts; park-like Changning district; expat friendly Jingán district; crowded Putuo district; Zhabei district, home to the Shanghai Railway Station; clean living Hongkou district, where 20th Century writer Lu Xun made his home; and Yangpu district, home to Shanghai's distinguished Fudan and Tongji Universities. Most of the places of interest to the traveler are in Huangpu and Luwan districts. The grid-like city plan makes it easy to find your way around Shanghai. The city has areas that range from the traditionally Chinese Yu Gardens to the modern urban bustle of Huai Hai Road. The following areas of Pu Xi and should not be missed.

Huangpu Huangpu District houses several of the top sites of Shanghai, including the Bund, Nanjing Road, and People's Square, where the incredible Shanghai Museum sits.

The Bund Definitely one of Shanghai's major highlights, the Bund offers an impressive showcase of Shanghai's colonial past. Beautifully preserved art deco and neoclassical buildings face the waterfront which faces the developing Pu Dong skyline. In the early morning one can join in on tai chi practice. In the evening a stroll to watch the lit buildings along the water is highly recommended. For a taste of nostalgia, visit the The Peace Hotel, once Shanghai's premier hotel, it was THE place to stay during Shanghai's colonial heyday.

Nan Jing Road Shanghai's historical shopping street became an exclusive pedestrian thoroughfare in 2000.