Shanghai has developed an impressive obsession with sandwiches in recent years, a huge difference from a decade ago. From smoked pastrami towers to Italian panini crafted with reverence, these are the spots serving some of the best sandwiches in Shanghai.
Totino Panino: Italian Panini
A cult-favorite panini shop from Italian maestro Salvatore Giammaria, Totino Panino sets the bar for authentic Italian sandwiches in Shanghai. The secret? Freshly baked ciabatta, delivered daily, stuffed with premium imports like prosciutto, burrata, and porchetta.
With more than 20 varieties (¥45–125), there’s a panini for every craving — from the simple Caprese to the massive Wolf #4, a meat-lover’s dream.
Sandwiches to get: Wolf #4 for those with huge appetites, Sir Dave (my favorite) with roast beef, fior di latte, pickled jalapeños, lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard.
Totino Panino
Click here for the venue listing.
BizyBoy: Pastrami Sandwich
By day a sandwich shop, by night a pasta bar, Bizy Boy exploded onto the scene with what many hail as Shanghai’s best pastrami sandwich (¥158). This impressive stack — juicy house-cured pastrami, Comté, cheddar, and kraut on sourdough — justifies the Yuyuan Lu queues. It’s a flavor bomb balanced by tangy sauerkraut and Dijon, though structural collapse is inevitable.
Other standouts: the Fried Cod (¥128), with its crackling batter and apple slaw, and the Roasted Chicken Melt (¥88), which is heavy on cheese, heavier on guilt.
BizyBoy
Click here for the venue listing.
Sub Standard – Fresh Baked Subs
Helmed by Jason Oakley (The French Laundry, Coquille), Sub Standard is a no-frills sandwich and pizza spot with serious pedigree. Their hole-in-the-wall original in Jing’an is more suited for grab-and-go, while their spacious new Changning location offers seating — just don’t expect tablecloths.
The bread for the sandwiches is made fresh on-site, resulting in light, fluffy rolls. The Italian Sausage Smash (¥58) with charred broccolini and mozzarella and Corned Beef (¥68) with cured brisket, pickled cabbage and Russian dressing are both huge hits.
Sub Standard
Click here for the venue listing.
Tonton – For Tuna Melt Lovers
Tonton is a Xuhui bakery and sandwichery that lures crowds with their fluffy donuts (¥22+) and fresh pastries. Catering to the lunch crowd, they also do solid sandwiches — gargantuan ones that deliver on satisfaction.
The Fried Chicken (¥108) is a crunchy, cheese-layered beast on brioche, while the Spicy Tuna Melt (¥108), my go-to, oozes with mayo-whipped tuna and melted cheese.
Tonton
Click here for the venue listing.
Tock’s – The OG Reuben Sandwich in Shanghai
Before Shanghai’s sandwich boom, there was Tock’s — the Canadian deli that’s been slinging legendary Reubens (¥88/108) since 2014. Customize your meat (lean, medium, or “heart attack”), then let the Russian-dressed, kraut-loaded stack work its magic. Served with skinny fries and pickles, it’s a rite of passage.
Tock’s
Click here for the venue listing.
Cages – The Beefzilla
If you’re talking about smoked meat sandwiches, then it would be remiss not to mention the Beefzilla at Cages. On Thursdays, Shanghai’s largest sports bar rolls out their barbecued meats, and with that, a crazy sandwich. The Beefzilla, a mountain that’s give or take 800 grams total of bone-in short rib, smoked beef brisket, two beef patties, cheddar cheese, and secret sauce loaded between Texas toast.
They also have “normal” sandwiches too — Hot Pastrami (¥98), Italian Sub (¥78), Fried Chicken Sando (¥78), and a Meatball Sub (¥78).
Cages
Click here for the venue listing.
ZUP – Fried Chicken Sando
Beyond its tavern-style pizzas, ZUP serves sandwiches that rival some of the city’s top players. Gliding into American bar favorites is the The Franny, a fried chicken sandwiches drenched in house-made hot sauce, topped with Asian slaw and ouse pickles. The Italian Cold Cut is a favorite, layered with mortadella, giardiniera, pickled peppers, lettuce, and tomato. Both sandwiches are ¥48/half or ¥68/whole.
ZUP Pizza Bar
Click here for the venue listing.
Saigon Mama – Banh Mi
With nearly a dozen locations, Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Mama delivers Shanghai’s most reliable bánh mì (from ¥55). Crusty baguettes are stuffed with pork pâté, housemade ham, and pickled veggies — plus variations like roasted chicken or a breakfast version with egg.
Saigon Mama
Click here for the venue listing.
Holy Bagel – Bagel Sandwiches
Since 2022, Holy Bagel has been Shanghai’s new bagel beacon, boiling and baking authentic New York-style rings (from ¥14) for bagel lovers. They have 16 sandwich options from the classic Smoked Salmon (¥48) to creative mash-ups like the Double Smash (¥48), beef patties on a sesame bagel.
Holy Bagel
Click here for the venue listing.
KLAY – Naanwiches
Modern Indian restaurant KLAY serves up a spin with naan, turning them into naanwiches, loaded with all the flavors and spice of Indian food. The Fillet O Fish (¥68) wraps spiced halibut with pickled onions, while the Wagyu Beef (¥78) delivers spiced wagyu with tikka sauce and cheddar cheese. Available for delivery and during lunch.
KLAY
Click here for the venue listing.
Polux – Club Sandwich
A club sandwich is a cafe staple, and Polux, Paul Pairet’s Xintiandi cafe does it to perfect. The Real Double Decker Club Sandwich (¥110) has a precise balance of micro-thin housemade crispy bacon to lettuce to tomato to chicken between toasted bread. It’s juicy, holds well, and tastes like either the best or second-best Club you’ve ever had. It’s served with Hand-Cut French Fries Allumettes, which are also available a la carte for ¥50.
Polux
Click here for the venue listing.
RAC – Classic Breakfast Sandwich
In addition to the crepes and galettes, the Avocado, Egg & Cheese (¥55) at RAC is an excellent breakfast sandwich. The sum of its parts is what you really want in the morning (or as a hangover buster) — gooey egg, creamy avocado, and melted cheese. Add extra ¥ for crispy bacon.
RAC
Click here for the venue listing.
Sunday’s – Omelet Sandwich
Sunday’s puts their persona into a sandwich, combining American diner with a Japanese twist in the Egg & Cheese Sandwich (¥60). Sunday’s puts an Asian spin on an Instagram classic, swapping standard seasoning for Japanese curry doused over the creamy omelette, topping it off with cheese and mayo. It’s messy in a good way, and comes together with soft, pleasing textures.
Sunday’s Modern Diner
Click here for the venue listing.
Lawry’s – Prime Rib Sandwich
Lawry’s The Prime Rib levels up the sandwich game with a luxe Prime Rib Sandwich. Thinly sliced prime rib (shaved directly from the prime rib trolley) is flavored with barbecue sauce and topped with melted cheese, served with house chips. It’s only available as part of the lunch set, priced at ¥268, but it also gets you an unlimited salad bar.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib
Click here for the venue listing.
Moofin – English Muffin Sandwiches
Moofin is a bakery and cafe known for its namesake — English muffin sandwiches, made with sourdough. Think McD’s breakfast muffins but gourmet. Moofins start from ¥35, which is their Egg & Ham, and they also have variations with sausage and cheese (my go-to), shrimp, bacon, and salmon.
Moofin
Click here for the venue listing.
The Rooster – Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
And for something a little more casual but satisfying all the same is The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (¥58) from neighborhood bar The Rooster. Chicken breast drenched in tangy-spicy buffalo wing sauce, topped with blue cheese and shredded cabbage, served with fries and pickles. The Rooster also has breakfast muffin sandwiches and bagel sandwiches.
The Rooster
Click here for the venue listing.
Bites & Brews – Grilled Cheese
Western restaurant and sandwichery Bites & Brews has nearly a dozen sandwiches on the menu, ranging from breakfast bagels to tuna melts. They originally opened with a focus on grilled cheese sandwiches, but with a twist — stacking all sorts of combinations between sourdough slice like Philly Cheesesteak and chicken avocado. The Texan Grilled Cheese (¥88) is the way to go, featuring BBQ beef brisket, slaw, jalapeño and mustard. They even have a Cubano.
Bites & Brews
Click here for the venue listing.
Roujiamo
Roujiamo (肉夹馍), often referred to as the “Chinese hamburger,” is a popular street food originating from Shaanxi Province in northwestern China. The “bread” is made with flat, unleavened dough that is baked or pan-fried until crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside. It opens up like a pita, similar in size but thicker and flaky. Fillings are usually stewed pork or if you’re in the north of China, you’ll find donkey. Get it at Ziwulu Zhangji, a Shaanxi eatery near Sinan Mansions. The pork roujiamo is ¥18 for the classic, ¥22 for “preferred cut,” and ¥20 for lean meat.
Ziwulu Zhangji
Address: 7 Sinan Road 思南路7号
Hours: 10:30am-8:30pm
1 comment
Yeah but F Tock’s for what they did to Brian.