Loushang Hotpot (楼上火锅) is an upmarket Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that specializes in fresh seafood. Oh, and it’s open until 4am.

Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood.

There are multiple locations of Loushang. The one on Maoming Nan Lu, right below Shake is the OG location. It’s from the same restaurant group as Le Patio La Famille, a Michelin one-star restaurant since the Guide’s launch in 2017.

Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence

Cantonese-Style Hotpot in Shanghai

Loushang specializes in Cantonese-style hotpot and seafood. It can get quite pricey for hotpot, that is, if you order a lot of fresh seafood—geoduck, conch, king crab, lobster, fish—which are live and on display in tanks by the kitchen. You could have an average check of ¥300, but it can also go up to ¥1,000 if you go for the premium stuff.

Here’s what you should order:

Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
The Golden Chicken Soup (¥328, 金牌走地鸡煲花胶汤) is the signature hotpot soup base. You should get this. It’s enough for six people to share, and like all hotpots, they’ll refill your soup with a second soup base. It’s a deep yellow soup that’s ultra-rich from slow-cooking a whole chicken for 4-6 hours.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Fish maw is also added, giving the soup its silky, collagen-rich texture.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
You first enjoy the soup with a couple pieces of fish maw before adding the rest of your order to the bubbling broth.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Incidentals per person: sauces (¥12), wet towels (¥3), and congee (¥10). The congee is made with the soup base towards the end of the meal.

For the hotpot, there’s all the usual suspects of thinly sliced beef, seafood, meatballs, tofu, and vegetables.

Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Three Cuts of Beef (¥388, 招牌三色牛肉船), cooked for you by the staff.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
You have some well-marbled cuts on the platter. Best to have it cooked to medium.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Coral trout (东星斑, ¥888/500g, fish is roughly 1.2kg) – A quick dip into the roiling boil and it’s ready. A delicate, sweet tasting fish. But see what I mean about seafood increasing your average check? It’s fresh, live, high quality stuff, and accurately priced.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
After you finish the fish fillets, they take the bones back into the kitchen and deep-fry with salt and pepper. Excellent. You can also get it as a congee instead.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Snails in spicy oil (¥168, 辣酒煮花螺) – The staff will even ask if you’d like them to deshell the snails for you! That’s a testament to the level of service. It’s a great starter and drinking snack.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Century Egg (¥68/two, 酸姜糖心皮蛋) – Custardy century egg with a dab of sugar and young ginger. I’m a fan of century egg, so this was very enjoyable.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Salt and pepper bullfrog (¥88, 椒盐蛙腿) – The seasoning is simple, but it’s expertly cooked with a thin, crispy batter.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Claypot rice (¥128, 鸳鸯肠煲仔饭) – I would come back just for this. It’s a hefty claypot with Chinese wax sausage and salt-cured meat. It’s mixed and portioned table-side.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
The best part is that the crisped bits (锅巴) at the bottom of the claypot are set on a plate of it’s own. Genius.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Fried corn (¥48, 炸粟米) – Lightly coated in seven-spice. A great side dish, and highly addictive.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Deep-fried tofu (¥48, 蒜香一口豆腐) – Soft, silken tofu with a thin layer of crispy batter, also fantastic.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Hokkaido clams with chives (¥168, 葱油小甜蚌) – Massive clams cooked with chives and house soy sauce.
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Typical Hong Kong-style desserts, clockwise : chilled mango and sago (¥28, 冰冻杨枝甘露), (¥26, 祛火润喉的作羹), osmanthus with gorgon’s fruit (¥28, 桃胶鸡头米), and milk custard (¥26, 潮州奶冻)
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence
Blue Girl Beer (¥38), a classic Hong Kong beer. There’s also Tsingdao (¥28).

A small note: I have to say that even if you are able to read Chinese, the menu extremely difficult to navigate. At least that’s what I feel. Some dishes have poetic or pun-related names. I can’t even tell what they are.

Loushang 楼上火锅 is a Cantonese-style hotpot restaurant in Shanghai that also specializes in live seafood. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence

The ingredients are of excellent quality, and the service is stupendous. And the kicker: it’s open until 4am. (It’s kinda known for being a late night spot.) Best time to go is early dinner or after 8pm.


Loushang Hotpot 楼上火锅
Maoming Lu: 2/F, 46 Maoming Nan Lu, near Jinxian Lu 茂名南路46号2楼, 近进贤路
Tel: 62470007, 62470017
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-4am
Nanhui Lu: 73 Nanhui Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu 南汇路73号, 近北京西路
Tel: 62477778, 62477779
Hours: 11:30-2:30pm, 5:30pm-4am