As we reach the midpoint of 2026, the Shanghai restaurant scene continues to evolve with an exciting new wave of openings making their mark. From dry-aged Korean barbecue and Chinese-Italian mashups to chef-driven global flavors and modern Chinese twists, this year has already delivered plenty of fresh spots worth exploring.
A quick note: not everything below opened in 2026. A few of these spots technically opened in late 2025 but only got their Nomfluence coverage this year, so I’ve folded them in here rather than making you dig through last year’s archive.
Here’s a recap of openings covered on Nomfluence — consider it your curated pocket guide for the rest of the year!
New Restaurants in Shanghai 2026 (So Far)
- Akanee – Contemporary Thai
- Blossom – Contemporary Chaoshan
- Deng Ji Gourmet Garden – Cult-favorite Sichuan
- The Dome – Japanese omakase on The Bund
- Four Seasons Cuisine – Traditional, honest to god Sichuan
- Hanro Shanghai – Elevated Korean BBQ
- Hikiniku To Come – Japanese hamburger rice
- Love Sushi – Omakase
- Morena by Azul – Brunch & global bites
- Nono’s – Chinese-Italian bistro
- O’Mills Firewood Alchemy – Fusion and grill
- SFSF – Cozy Cantonese
- Skyline Dome – Rooftop party vibes on the Bund
- Smokin’ Bowl – Tacos, tortas, and to-go
- Times – Contemporary Cantonese & cocktails
- Verdant – Taiwanese fusion
- VICE Shanghai – Chef-driven global plates
- White Foods – Modern Chinese claypot rice & matcha desserts
- Cila – Contemporary Northwestern wine bistro
- Wang Lu – Modern Jiangxi cuisine
Akanee
Akanee brings the kind of “new Thai cuisine” you’d expect at a hip Bangkok bistro to Changning. Tucked down a quiet residential lane in a remodeled one-story house, the setting is a unique space on its own, rustic and eclectic, with a bar counter facing the open kitchen. But the real draw is the food, led by chef May Phannita, a Le Cordon Bleu alum who plays fast and loose with tradition. Think sous-vide wagyu tongue finished over charcoal, pad Thai with orecchiette in place of rice noodles, and a panang chicken curry that packs in complex spices. (Opened late 2025.)
Akanee
View the listing here.
Blossom
Contemporary Chaoshan restaurant Blossom is the casual, lower-commitment entry point into Michelin one-star Amazing Chinese Cuisine’s world, tucked into the upper floors of Plaza 66 in Jing’an. Several signatures cross over from the flagship with adjusted sourcing to keep the bill down — a Chaoshan beef offal pot with tendon air-freighted from Shantou, a steamed grouper dressed in pickled mustard greens and chilies. Comforting, regionally rooted, and considerably easier to book than its sister restaurant.
Blossom
View the listing here.
Deng Ji Gourmet Garden
This one’s a comeback, not a debut. Cult-favorite Deng Ji Gourmet Garden originally closed its Dingxi Road spot back in 2017, and now it’s back, modernized and polished, located on the second floor of PAC in Jing’an. Grandmaster Deng Huadong’s revival is the accessible counterpart to his Black Pearl-awarded Nan Xing Yuan, running about ¥200 a head versus ¥1,500 at the flagship. The mala oxtail bamboo and garlic-chili sliced pork are showstoppers. (Opened mid 2025.)
Deng Ji Gourmet Garden
View the listing here.
The Dome
The Dome opened in late 2025 on The Bund, bringing something new to the riverfront, which hasn’t seen a major opening in a while. Backed by The Fellas Group, the kitchen is led by Chef Terada-San of Chez Bulizo, who runs a performance-style omakase counter in addition to a la carte options. But The Dome is more than just food; they put on a show with whole tuna ceremonies and sake barrel crackings. They’re also increasingly popular for their old-school ladies’ nights on Thursdays — straight up free drinks.
The Dome
View the listing here.
Four Seasons Cuisine
Four Seasons Cuisine on Jinxian Lu does some seriously unadulterated traditional Sichuan food. The restaurant has a trendy, tavern-like atmosphere, a cross between a woody bistro and drinking den. In addition to traditional Sichuan dishes with large sharable portions, the restaurant specializes in river fish, usually roasted with a mountain of red chilies, scallions, and garlic. The mapo tofu is one of the best I’ve had in a while, and their signature beef, wok-fried with peppers, is the kind of addictive dish I’d suffer through a queue for. Yes, this place is known for a wait, so book ahead or go for a weekday lunch to skip the dinner rush. (Opened mid 2025.)
Four Seasons Cuisine
View the listing here.
Hanro Shanghai
Hanro Shanghai takes Korean barbecue to the next level with dry-aged beef and pork, a push on champagne instead of beer, and high-quality house-made banchan. Located on the corner of Donghu Lu across from IAPM, it’s founded by Chef Tom Ryu of acclaimed Korean contemporary restaurants NABI and Wuli. The second-floor dining room is purposeful, minimalist black and gray, with grills built into every table. The meats here are high-fat and rich, so you’ll need less than you think, and the quality is superb. The banchan? So good you might accidentally fill up on them before the meat arrives. For meat connoisseurs in a KBBQ setting.
Hanro Shanghai
View the listing here.
Hikiniku To Come
Hikiniku To Come is the Tokyo-born hamburger steak chain that had Shanghai queuing from day one. Located in the newly opened FUFU complex on Donghu Lu, the concept is simple: charcoal-grilled wagyu patties, unlimited rice, raw egg for added creaminess, and six sauces, all served at a bar counter around the cooking station. The patties are juicy and cooked to medium, the house standard.
Hikiniku To Come
View the listing here.
Love Sushi
Love Sushi is an extension of Sun-San’s empire, the sushi master behind Ochiyo, Sushi Brother, and Uni Shushi. It’s a genuinely good omakase restaurant led by 20-year kaiseki veteran Ma Shifu, behind a cozy ten-seat counter at Plaza 66. Expect hyper-seasonal seafood, excellent sushi, and a subdued dining experience.
Love Sushi
View the listing here.
Morena by Azul
Morena by Azul is chef-founder Eduardo Vargas’s rebrand and concept refresh of Azul in Shankang Li. It’s not fusion for fusion’s sake — the menu draws from Vargas’s Peruvian heritage and Mediterranean flavors, with Asian ingredients folded in intuitively. A brighter, sunnier space now anchors a huge weekend brunch and weekday lunch, most dishes under ¥100.
Morena by Azul
View the listing here.
Nono’s
Nono’s is a Chinese-Italian spot in Xuhui leaning into the fusion category with confidence. Located on Yongfu Lu, it boasts a handsome dining room, the vibe buzzy and youthful, making it a popular spot for date nights and stylish dinners. Chef Chris Zhu’s Chinese influence is subtle, a deft hand that plays with house-made salumi, pastas, and creative small plates. Order the claypot-roasted Chongming yellow chicken, a signature, and any fresh pasta. Nono’s just launched a daily brunch service, too.
Nono’s
View the listing here.
O’Mills Firewood Alchemy
O’Mills Firewood Alchemy is the popular bakery-and-brunch brand’s step into dinner-first territory, anchored by fire grilling, oven-roasting, and fermentation. Located on Huashan Lu, the space is awash in granite and heavy greys, unusual to their usual rustic woody style, setting a more serious tone for dinner. The menu is built for sharing, dishes like roasted chicken, braised lamb shoulder, pizza, and large pots of rice. Daytime vibe is less heavy, still catering to a brunch-hungry crowd; the bread display, freshly baked, is also front and center.
O’Mills Firewood Alchemy
View the listing here.
SFSF
From the OHA Group comes SFSF (食福是福), a Cantonese eatery that’s taken over the old OHA Eatery space on Anfu Lu. Here, you’ll find seasonal Cantonese soups and steamed dishes that are light, nourishing, and easy on the wallet. The steamed sea whelk and bamboo shoot soup is the standout, along with a fried rice studded with the tiniest baby mussels you’ve ever seen. Lunch for under ¥100.
Skyline Dome
Skyline Dome arrived a handful of months after sister venue The Dome, perched one floor above it on the Bund. Split-level terraces, a private room for ten, and a crowd that’s slightly older, better-dressed, and unafraid of a bottle service tab — think a grown-up Bar Rouge. Chef Terada-san’s yakitori and sushi carry over from downstairs, a selection that’s more suited for a drinks-first venue. For nights out on the Bund, skyline, DJ, and selfies.
Skyline Dome
View the listing here.
Smokin’ Bowl
Smokin’ Bowl is the sister concept of beloved Jing’an barbecue joint Smokin’ Hog, opened right next door on Wuding Lu as a grab-and-go counterpart. No brisket, no ribs — instead, bowls, tortas, and tacos built from the same smoked meats. Quick and tasty comfort food that you don’t need to think twice about.
Smokin’ Bowl
View the listing here.
Times
From the Shanghai OUD Group comes Times, a Cantonese-inspired resto-bar on Yongkang Lu. By day it’s a Cantonese-inspired brunch cafe; by night, a snacky bistro-bar built on riffs of traditional Cantonese flavors — think charcoal-grilled squid with a Chaoshan-style radish sauce, or fermented red bean tofu ribs meant for gnawing. The seafood dishes are the most memorable of the lineup.
Verdant
Verdant takes the night shift in a Xuhui lane space that runs as a brunch cafe by day, turning Taiwanese street food staples into elevated small plates. Think a modern take on oyster omelet and a poached rice in taro duck broth built for sharing.
Verdant
View the listing here.
VICE Shanghai
Of all the new restaurants in Shanghai, my favorite opening is VICE, helmed by F&B veterans chef Carlos Sotomayor and Cantina Agave’s Raffe Ibrahamian. Set in a restored heritage lane house on Yongjia Lu, the globally-influenced menu pulls from Sotomayor’s Peruvian roots and time in Asia — salmon with leche de tigre dish, a braised lamb shoulder, and a sizzling claypot chicken with oyster sauce. One of the better things to happen in Xuhui in a long time. Lunch just launched!
VICE Shanghai
View the listing here.
White Foods
White Foods went viral for its six-flavor toast, but the real draw at this Hengshan Lu spot is the claypot rice sets and hand-whisked matcha desserts. Choices for rice sets aplenty, from wagyu beef with sea urchin to black cod with truffle. For dessert, don’t miss the matcha basque cake and matcha cream sablé. Overall, everything here is well-priced for what lands on the plate.
White Foods
View the listing here.
Honorable Mentions
Not exactly new, but worth mentioning:
Cila
Cila relocated to Jing’an in mid-to-late 2025, bringing its contemporary Northwestern Chinese cooking to a new space with an upgraded menu. Northwestern flavors, fire cooking, and Chinese wine take the spotlight here, built on serious sourcing and the spirit of the region. Dive into their spice-rich menu of cumin-grilled lamb chops and modern skewers, and explore Chinese wines with their wine flights.
Wang Lu
Wang Lu (望庐) has expanded its Bib Gourmand-winning Jiangxi cuisine to a second location at Bund City Hall in Huangpu. The menu leans into the region’s reputation for being “spicier than Sichuan and Hunan,” though it’s only half-deserved — a fish head steamed with three kinds of chilies shares menu space with lianhua blood duck, a dish that’s considered an intangible cultural heritage. Ideal for entertaining, especially if they’re adventurous.
Wang Lu
View the listing here.
