As we reach the midpoint of 2025, the Shanghai restaurant scene continues to evolve with an exciting new wave of new openings making their mark. From innovative tasting menus to cozy neighborhood bistros and bold culinary concepts, this year has already delivered plenty of fresh new restaurants worth exploring.
Here’s a recap openings covered on Nomfluence — consider it your curated pocket guide for the rest of the year!
Mid-Year Review: Best New Restaurants in Shanghai 2025
1929 by Guillaume Galliot
1929 by Guillaume Galliot makes a splash with contemporary French cuisine. Located within Shanghai’s historic Jinbei Building, the restaurant boasts an impressive dining room with lofty arched walls. It’s a refined take on French cuisine with a few playful detours that showcase founding chef Guillaume Galliot’s storied past, as well as Head Chef Marco Morandini’s Italian heritage. The bar on the second floor is also worth stopping into. Suitable for those celebrating a special occasion.
1929 by Guillaume Galliot
Click here for the venue listing.
Aster by Joshua Paris
Aster is chef Joshua Paris’ first solo project after his head chef posting at Shanghai’s former Michelin three-starred Ultraviolet. Here, the cooking is borderless — Western foundations threaded with French precision, Mediterranean brightness, and subtle Asian inflections. The style leans fine dining without the ceremony, somewhere between casual and haute: sauces are exacting, plating is meticulous, and technique hums beneath dishes like the XL Drunken Pigeon and the Assiette of Lamb. It’s polished, inventive, and priced for a splurge.
Aster by Joshua Paris
Click here for the venue listing.
Atica
The Bottega Group is having themselves a busy year, opening up two concepts within the same building on Xinle Lu. On the top floor of the historic mansion building is Atica, a a stylish yet casual restaurant delivering authentic Spanish comfort food in a stunning space. Vaulted ceilings give way to a dramatic skylight that floods the space with natural light — a spacious dining room, coupled with two private dining rooms and terraces for al fresco. Classic Spanish dishes and tapas are given a modern upgrade, delivering on satisfaction without breaking the bank. It’s one of those new restaurants in Shanghai that is quickly becoming a regular hangout for residents.
Atica
Click here for the venue listing.
La Diosa
On the ground floor of the same historic mansion as Atica is La Diosa, a Mexican cantina and bar that’s all about fun vibes, ice cold margaritas, and Mexican comfort food. \The Instagram-ready interiors just scream fun — splashed with bright colors, Frida Kahlo pop-art, and neon signs, it sets the stage for weekend DJ nights. There’s also a massive outdoor terrace that spans the length of the building. The food is simple and straightforward: tacos, crispy chicharron, and enchiladas, among others, paired with an excellent cocktail list.
La Diosa
Click here for the venue listing.
The Fire
Tucked on the fifth floor of Reel Mall in Jing’an, The Fire shatters the “boring mall dining” myth with Mediterranean-inflected comfort food and a killer free-flow brunch. The spacious, airy dining room opens onto a 400sqm covered terrace with prime views of Jing’an Temple, a coveted perch that’s prime for weekend brunches. Expect charcoal-grilled specialties, brick-oven pizzas, hearty hits like roasted Qingyuan chicken, handmade pastas, and avocado toast piled with eggs and hollandaise.
The Fire
Click here for the venue listing.
Bizy Boy
Bizy Boy burst onto the scene this spring as a daytime cafe slinging sandwiches (with queues out the door for their viral “best pastrami in Shanghai”), transforming into a cozy pasta bar by night. The star? A towering Pastrami Sandwich (¥158) — packed with house sauerkraut, Comté, and cheddar — so massive it’s practically a two-person meal. Lunch is lively and packed; dinner dials down the chaos but keeps the flavor.
Bizy Boy
Click here for the venue listing.
Uni Shushi
Uni Shushi is an intimate 12-seater omakase counter from Sun-San (of Ochiyo fame) located at PAC in Jing’an. It’s one of those rare Japanese omakase restaurants in Shanghai that proves great sushi doesn’t have to cost a fortune, with lunch (¥498) and dinner (¥698) sets that highlight precision and value. Snag one of the bar seats for the full chef’s-counter experience, or book the compact private room. If you’ve tasted Ochiyo’s magic, you already know: this is next-level sushi, served with zero pretension.
Uni Shushi
Click here for the venue listing.
Yunnan Eating Society
Yunnan Eating Society exemplifies Shanghai’s new wave of Chinese bistros—where authentic regional flavors meet effortlessly cool vibes. The hip, youthful space invites lingering over wine or cocktails alongside a sprawling menu of Yunnan classics: think rice and noodle dishes, skewers, shareable snacks, and even hotpot. It’s the full package — vibrant atmosphere, drink-friendly fare, and that unmistakable energy.
Yunnan Eating Society
Click here for the venue listing.
…and one bar of note!
Penicillin Shanghai
Penicillin Shanghai stands out among this year’s new cocktail bar openings as the mainland outpost of Hong Kong’s acclaimed Asia’s 50 Best Bars winner. Staying true to its innovative roots, the bar champions sustainable mixology through zero-waste practices and mad-scientist experimentation. Expect mind-bending in-house fermentations that transform funky ingredients into surprisingly clean, perfectly balanced drinks. The result? An approachable yet revelatory experience – playful for cocktail connoisseurs and downright awe-inspiring for newcomers to this level of creative mixology.
Penicillin Shanghai
Click here for the venue listing.
