We know — our dining coverage has been patchy lately. But we're back in the game. Here's a quick look at the openings that stood out in 2025 so far, plus a heads up: our monthly Where We're Eating & Drinking column is coming back, too.
- Spanish food: Atica, Ocean's Table - both have spanish menus with different angles of spanish food and completely different styles.
- Bars: Nora's Wine Shop & Bar, Penicillin - new spots for wine and cocktails that show two different sides of Shanghai nightlife.
- Pop ups: Nono's - a fun concept that opened in April and is back with a test kitchen at different F&B spots around the city.
- Special mentions: A few new fine dining places, a Japanese omakase, new places in the PAC, and some luxury label cafés.
ática
This will be Bottega group's fourth restaurant in Shanghai and third restaurant off of Xiangyang. Ática is a Spanish tapas restaurant from the Bottega and Forno team (Beijing), on the rooftop terrace of the Basement FG mansion just off Xiangyang Park (Xiangyang Bei Lu and Xinle Lu).
The menu, made by Ferran Edo Andreu (also of Ocean's Table), has traditional Spanish tapas with dishes like olive and anchovy skewers with pickled navarra piparra (58rmb), confit piquillo peppers with toasted peanuts (38rmb), and three kinds of patatas (48–58rmb). There's even flan (48rmb).
The patio was built for long afternoons and summer nights: a full gin & tonic menu (16), eight types of sangria, and classic cocktails. DJs every weekend, and live flamenco on most. Ática seems like its designed to feel familiar to anyone who's spent time in Spain. Expect a wait or book ahead.
penicillin
Hong Kong's Penicillin (ranked #24 on Asia's 50 Best Bars), now has a Shanghai outpost. It's not here to serve your usual gin and tonic or whiskey sour. Opened in April, this is the spot for drinkers who want to be surprised. Expect cocktails with ingredients like fermented rice water, grilled red cabbage soda, or rotovap waste shell vodka. Drinks are split into fermented cocktails (88rmb), mocktails (75rmb), with 15 cocktails (90rmb), some exclusive to the Shanghai menu.
The space is photo-friendly: glass-top tables with succulents, a tree in the center of the entryway, and a frozen (or heated) bar panel depending on the season. There's also a VIP room with no minimum spend. As the founders Agung Prabowo and Laura (originally from Indonesia) say, "Everyone is VIP." Sustainability is core to Penicillin: no coasters, plenty of ingredient upcycling, and a tree planted in Indonesia for every drink sold. Come curious, leave buzzed.
Ocean's Table
Ocean's Table opened in early June in the old Commune Social space. While its predecessor was modern fusion, Ocean's Table leans more contemporary Spanish. The interior still feels familiar: a sleek, two-story layout with the wraparound open kitchen bar and — thankfully — that leafy garden patio still intact. Spanish chef Ferran Edo Andreu leads with a seafood-forward lineup, plus wagyu and vegetarian plates. Brunch runs Friday to Sunday, 11am–2pm, with set menus (268–398rmb) that include coffee and optional sangria. Dinner is à la carte, tapas-style, with mains topping out at 288rmb.
Cocktails are between 58–98rmb, with a full wine list for when things go long. The upstairs bar seats about eight and leads to a small rooftop where you can take your drink and unwind. With its flexible layout, Ocean's Table works for a date, a group dinner, or solo time at the bar with a plate of croquettes and a glass of sangria.
Bizy Boy
Don't let the sandwich fame fool you: Bizy Boy is running a full, chef-driven menu. They opened in March and quickly made waves online for the above-mentioned, lunch-time only, pastrami sandwich. Chef Jeremy's menu includes house-made pastas like scallop mousse ravioli with black tiger prawn (128rmb), and rigatoni with scallop, spicy tomato, and vodka sauce (138rmb). You'll also find beetroot-apple soda (35rmb) and marinated mushrooms with burrata (98rmb).
The food might read upscale, but the space keeps things casual and fun. Colorful interiors, collabs with brands like Bloom Coffee, and events like their recent block party with Franklin (Next Bottle, Nono's), where they turned the pastrami sandwich into a taco, makes this place more like a neighborhood restaurant. Come for the sandwich, stay for the menu.
Nono's
Nono's is a semi-elusive pop-up concept from the Yaya's boys, Chef Chris Zhu (Blaz), and Franklin from Next Bottle. It started as a cheeky offshoot of Yaya's but has evolved into something more refined and experimental. No spicy egg yolk pappardelle or Sichuan eggplant here. Instead, it's a blend of Italian and Chinese.Think squid spaghetti with xuecai (118rmb) and Bone Marrow (108rmb).
The pop-up first appeared for 10 days at the old KRU in April, followed by a Shenzhen run and a cameo at Bunch Wine Fest (Dongxi). It returns to Shanghai this summer in a test kitchen format (location TBA), with booking info posted on their Instagram: @nonos.pasta. The experience is intimate but social, low lighting, tight tables, and a crowd that comes to eat well and drink better. Wine is curated by Next Bottle, and there's no cocktail menu here.You'll want to book early, word spreads fast.
nora's Wine Shop & bar
Nora's Wine Bar & Shop is a stylish, quietly buzzing wine bar on Yongfu Lu, curated with care by owner Nora Liu. Inside, you'll find art on the walls, vinyl on the speakers (especially every other Thursday for their Vinyl & Vino nights), and a rotating list of natural wines from across the globe: think crisp Pinot Gris from Alsace, cult bottles from Radikon and Fanny Sabre. There's even a highball menu for those that aren't huge fans of wine.
If you're in the mood to snack: burrata gelato, nuts, ham and cheese platter typical but delicious wine noms. The space doubles as a tiny wine boutique, selling coozies, tote bags, chocolate, and wine glasses. Nora's isn't just for wine nerds (the highball menu is proof of that).
Afternoons are relaxed, evenings are date and solo-friendly, and weekends are full of friends catching up over a bottle, or two? Events like olive oil tastings and monthly pop-up dinners round out the lineup. No ideal customer here, just a crowd that appreciates good wine and a low-key, stylish setting. Open daily, 3pm–midnight.
And also...
Nebula - Traditional, pricey (two set menu options, either 988rmb or 1,288rmb), Spanish flavors in a sleek modern venue from Chef Jonatan Rubio, hailing from La Rioja in Spain.
La Barra Bistro - Casual bistro on the first floor of La Barra, located in the old Bonica space in Xian Suo. Think brunch, pasta's, tapas and charcuterie.
Aster by Joshua Paris - Fine dining, opened by Joshua Paris (used to be at Ultraviolet), located in Jing'an, dishes range from 98-588rmb.
Uni Shushi - Small, book-ahead-only omakase, one of the better restaurants inside thePAC. Offers two tasting menus at 498rmb or 698rmb per person.
Catch of the Day (C.O.D.) - A modern bistro from interior designer Qian Sun, serving inventive tapas-style dishes located in the PAC. Open kitchen, with an intimate and elegant vibe. Meals averaging ¥250–450 per person depending on drinks.
And Some Fancy Luxury Brands
Fashion brands have flirted with café concepts in Shanghai for years — D&C, Gucci in iAPM, Dior, Burberry, Vivian Westwood most recently — and most fizzle out once the selfie crowd moves on. But Prada's Mi Shang and Louis Vuitton's ship café might stick around longer, tucked inside bigger flagship experiences that keep the hype on life support.
Louis Vuitton Ship - Louis Vuitton's big cruise-ship concept docked on Nanjing Xi Lu comes with a café on the top deck:Le Café Louis Vuitton. Expect fusion-ish plates dressed up for Instagram — things like jiaozi-style ravioli, pretty pastries, and delicate drinks in branded cups. It's the new spot for the fashion crowd to linger over lunch or coffee, though how long they stick around now that the buzz is fading... we'll see. Worth a stop if you're curious and want that skyline selfie with an LV latte.
Prada Restaurant - Mi Shang, Prada's high-profile café inside the restored Rong Zhai mansion, was the talk of the town when it opened — all glossy pastries, branded teacups, and photo-ready heritage interiors. It still pulls the fashion crowd for a quiet catch-up or an afternoon latte, but with LV's new café down the road, the see-and-be-seen crowd has mostly moved on. Nice for a look if you haven't been yet, but expect more vibe than culinary surprises.
What Closed in 2025 (So Far)
And some noteworthy closures. RIP:
- Bull & Claw (Camel Hospitality Group)
- Co-Cheese
- Joes
- D.O.C
- KIN
- Moka Bros
- 8 Pints
- Commune Social
- Roma
- Boxing Cat
- Liquid Laundry
- Al's Diner
- Charbon
- Mad Dragon
- Ultraviolet
- BANG by Mr. Willis
- Plump Oyster
Create a new List