Where You Should Eat in Shanghai Based on Your Favorite Beijing Restaurants

If you're about to make your Nth trip to Shanghai and you're getting bored of your usual haunts or perhaps taking your first trip and struggling to choose from the frankly mind-boggling range of restaurants on offer in the Paris of the East then never fear – we've got you covered. Whatever you're favorite Beijing destination, from seafood to pizza, we've selected a complementary restaurant in Shanghai. So go down there and get eating!

If you love the poke bowl at Obentos/loved the poke bowl at the now retired Soul Bowls by Hatchery, then you'll love Little Catch Poke Cafe.

Starting out life as a popular neighborhood fishmonger on Wulmuqi Lu where they offered mostly take away bowls, Little Catch have since opened a larger space just south of Nanjing Xi Lu. There's a wide selection of poke on offer, from classic Hawaiian ahi tuna to octopus with umeboshi (sour plum) and, my personal favorite, the "dynamite salmon" with spicy mayo. Bowls start from RMB 55 and there are plenty of options to customize with grains instead of rice, extra avocado, extra poke, etc. 

If you love TiensTiens, then you'll love Farine.

Farine is pretty much an institution in Shanghai, with four branches (plus the newly opened experimental kitchen LAB Farine) across the city serving excellent coffee and artisanal French bread and patisserie. Stop in for a croissant and a café au lait for breakfast or grab a quick sandwich for lunch. 

On the subject of French bakeries, Lost Bakery, from the group behind Lost Heaven, is a capital place to get some work done, what with its rustic decor, high ceilings, and plenty of natural light. Coffee is decent and the French pastries – try the fruit tarts – are delicious and reasonably priced. 

If you love the pizza at Great Leap #45 Brewpub, then you'll love Homeslice.

Those with a yen for great, big slices of New York style pizza then you'll find much to love at Homeslice (also pictured at top), an impossibly trendy pizza eatery founded by chef and entrepreneur Nat Alexander that just opened in Found 158 on Julu Lu (pro tip: it's in the subterranean plaza in the middle of the park when you get to 158 Julu Lu on the map). You can buy your pizza by the slice or by the pie and boy, is this good pizza: toothsome sour dough crusts and well-judged toppings such as the white pizza with garlic ricotta or the simply titled "meat" with fennel-spiked sausage and pepperoni. They'll also have a selection of wines, beers, and cocktails, including a very decent Aperol spritz, for around RMB 45.

READ: Great Restaurants to Try in Hong Kong While You're There

If you love any and all things healthy and fast-casual (à la Moka Bros), then you'll love Sproutworks.

Look, I know Sproutworks is hardly a hidden gem, having been open for years and with five locations around Shanghai, but on a recent visit, I was reminded just why they're so successful. With a regularly changing selection of healthy and creative sides (pick two for RMB 30 or four for RMB 50), plus salads and paninis, there's something for everyone (I'm a big fan of their kale Caesar salad) and they don't mind you whiling away the afternoon on your laptop either. The Changshu Lu branch is usually a bit quieter and has a nice terrace. 

If you just love sandwiches, then you'll love Madison Kitchen.

Madison Kitchen punches well above the weight of its diminutive storefront on Huaihai Zhonglu (there are just a handful of stools at the counter for eating in). The newest venture from Shanghai cook Austin Hu, this deli and sandwich shop serves simple-yet-gourmet sandwiches made with house-cured and smoked meats. The "big girl" melt with pastrami, ham, cheddar, and sauerkraut is out of this world, as is the kimchi grilled cheese – you'll need a nap to recover from that last one. If you've got any room left over, grab some of the aforementioned home-cured meats to go or pick up a couple of excellent cookies or pastries from the counter.

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Photos: Pixabay, Robynne Tindall, Dazhong Dianping