The Shanghai Scoop is a monthly column dedicated to the latest food and drink news happening in Shanghai. Click here to read the May Scoop.
(Un)surprisingly, there have been a lot of new openings, some way into the future. That said, it’s also been a grueling summer, resulting in quite a few closures and shakeups around town.
Coming Soon
Benny’s – Rotisserie from Quebec
Oh, Canada! Quebec’s favorite family rotisserie Benny’s is opening in Shanghai, starting with delivery service from early September. They’ll follow up with an “express” location at 1788 on Nanjing Xi Lu and a “bistro” at Sinar Mas Plaza in mid-September.
NOUS: Fine French at Rockbund
Opening at the end of September is NOUS, a fine French restaurant. Part of the team is chef-partner Ugo Rinaldo, formerly executive chef at Michelin one-star Phenix. Located at Rockbund above La Bourriche, the restaurant will feature an a la carte menu with sharing dishes, as well as a chef’s table for a tasting menu.
67 Pall Mall – Private Club for Wine Lovers
Looking way into the future — 67 Pall Mall, the famous private members club exclusively for wine lovers is opening in Shanghai in 2026. The Shanghai location will be within one of the historic garden mansions at 7 Donghu Lu. Originally from London the club also has an outpost in Singapore.
Now Open
Upperwood – Super Lounge & Fine Dining
INS welcomes a new opening — Upperwood, a stunning super lounge that combines fine dining, cocktails, bar bites, KTV rooms, and shisha into one luxurious space.
Within is CUN, a contemporary Sichuan-Spanish restaurant, plenty of lounge seating, a long bar for drinks and bites, and a handful of private rooms.
The venue is a merging of the former CUN and ROWT restaurant spaces, though ROWT didn’t survive the transition.
Sonamu Korean Barbecue
New in Shanghai Centre is Sonamu, a Korean BBQ restaurant situated on the second floor above its sister venue Namu, a contemporary Korean restaurant.
The concept combines a restaurant with a grocer-butcher — premium cuts of beef and pork are displayed at a counter, wrapped and available for takeaway or for dine-in cooking. For dine-in guests, there’s a cover charge of ¥15 per person, which includes access to an unlimited banchan counter.
The menu also features a variety of hot dishes, including Korean favorites like japchae, volcano omelet, kimchi hotpot, cold noodles, bibimbap, fried chicken, and jiggae.
Nouvo – French-ish Bistro
A French-ish bistro called Nouvo has replaced Diner on the corner Wulumuqi Lu and Wuyuan Lu. It’s a project led by Chase White (Bar Blanc) with chef Thomas (formerly High Yaki The Sea) in the kitchen.
It’s a bright and sunny cafe during the day, and glows neon pink come evening — casual lunch vs dinner with cocktails.
Bar Rock – Tibetan Cocktail Bar
The OHA Group has unveiled Bar Rock, its third cocktail bar in Shanghai and its first fully Tibetan-operated concept. Born from the growing Tibetan presence within their team, Bar Rock explores the culinary traditions, folk culture, and lived memories of its partners, reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens.
The drink menu is structured around the three stages of Tibetan Buddhist practice: Discipline, Meditation, and Wisdom, with each section progressing in alcohol intensity. Nearly every cocktail incorporates ingredients sourced directly from Tibet, many of which are foraged or handpicked by co-founder Sonam’s (索南) father, creating a tangible link between the bar’s lab and the plateau.
The space draws inspiration from Tibetan homes, inviting guests to remove their shoes and sit on the floor. A palette of temple red and Hainan blue — reminiscent of monastic hues and the vast skies of the prefecture — anchors the design, while bamboo poles crisscross overhead. As for music, it’s a soundtrack of electronic meets ethnic motifs.
Not surprising — OHA Group always does something very cool.
Bar S-Otto – Speakeasy Cocktail Bar
Bar S-Otto is a stylish speakeasy cocktail bar on Fumin Lu, co-founded by lead bartender Filippo Sanchi and backed by Daniel An of Taste Buds Group (Atelier).
Hidden in the basement of Atelier No. 3, the space features an intimate, omakase-style bar counter. Minimal in design, but promises maximum energy. Warm and welcoming with low-key vibes during the early evening.
On the menu are a curated list of signatures and classics, each priced at ¥88. The most talked about drink is the Tiramisu, made with dark rum, Mr Black, muscat wine, cacao, and savoiardi milk.
Junto – Community Beer Space
Junto, a new craft beer space, has taken over the former Mikkeller location in Jing’an, carrying on its predecessor’s spirit with a well-curated beer selection and community-driven events.
The tap list caters to all tastes, from easy-going daily brews to options made for beer nerds. They recently hosted Beijing’s SlowBoat for a beer and burger pop-up, with more events on the horizon—including a monthly beer residency (showcasing a different brewery each month), pet-friendly weekend markets, foosball tournaments, and more.
Onionio: Wanghong Fever
And there’s this one, which has been flooding my Dianping feed… Western restaurant Onionio via Shenzhen opened in IAPM to much fanfare, though, I have no clue as to why. The restaurant is serving up general western food powered purely by a wanghong formula.
One of their signature dishes is this monstrosity: “pumpkin black truffle pasta”, which is served in a bread bowl that’s in the shape of a pumpkin. 为什么? Screenshots via Dianping.
Also new in iapm is Yunnans x 泓0871, a Yunnan restaurant from 泓0871 but more casual and cheaper.
Around Town
Chihuahua Relocates
In the blink of an eye, Chihuahua closed its Wuding Lu space and relocated back to its original spot above Orchard CRC on Xinzha Lu. Founder/superwoman Estefania Casas pulled out all the stops to get it done in under a week — so head on over and give her a big hug, eat a bunch of tacos, and slurp down some margaritas.
Fan favorites remain on the menu (corn tortilla tacos, burritos, etc), plus a few more new dishes (empanadas, ceviche, arepas, etc.) courtesy of consulting chef Hugo Rodriguez.
And they have some pretty good deals: Taco Tuesday runs from 4pm to 10:30pm, ¥99 for five mix-and-match tacos. Free-flow on Friday and Saturday from 8pm, two hours of frozen margaritas or Right Hook beer for ¥99.
Mykonos Island by Unight
Nightlife platform Unight has launched Mykonos Island, a summer pop-up that’s taking over the rooftop space at Lago, Bellagio Shanghai.
The pop-up will run until November 1 with a line-up of DJ-led themed events coupled with performances, signature cocktails, and a Mediterranean-inspired food menu curated by Chef Conrad Van Den Heever launching in August. Open from Wednesday to Sunday, tickets start at ¥100 via Unight mini-program.
Hotel News
The Fairmont Peace Hotel will be rebranded the Raffles Peace Hotel Shanghai come 2027, as Accor and Jinjiang International Group disclosed plans last May. The hotel will undergo renovations while remaining operational.
The Regent Shanghai on The Bund welcomes Lorenzo Merolle as Western Executive Chef, who will be in charge of Italian restaurant Harmonia and CONDÉ, the hotel’s signature bar and terrace. Lorenzo was previously at Scarpetta and Coquille.
Closures – RIP
Frasca at The Middle House closed and will be turning into a new concept, due mid-November.
Canton Disco closed a while back and it is now Rong Shang (蓉尚), also a Cantonese restaurant, and not operated by The Shanghai EDITION.
Papito Pancakes closed their first original store on Taixing Lu. But fear not, they’re still going strong with four locations around Shanghai.
Beloved nyonya kuih spot Nectar closed on June 30.
The Plump Oyster at Taikang Terrace behind Tianzifang closed on June 1 after 14 years of operation.
Ribone Steakhouse on Yuyuan Lu closed June 28 after ten years on the street.
Other closures: Both locations of Bread ETC (July 21), VIVA Portuguese Restaurant, La Jade (Hilton Shanghai City Center), Malaya 19th, Diner, C Steakhouse, La Mesa (More Than Eat), La Vite (Wulumuqi Lu, but their Jianguo Lu location is still open), Upper Room.
*All images provided by the respective venues unless otherwise stated.
