Don’t be fooled by the spaceship-like exterior; inside, the sexy addition to the Lujiazui district nods to the 1920’s with Art Deco–inspired rugs and white leather chairs.
Design firm Yabu Pushelberg was behind this 171-room gem. Silk lanterns and elaborate latticework honor Chinese design traditions. Tip: Ask for a tour of the neighborhood in a motorcycle sidecar.
On the Bund’s fast-developing north end, Banyan Tree’s first foray into Shanghai is a Zen-like retreat. Its best asset? All 12 suites have sweeping views of the Huangpu River and the Pudong skyline.
The property remains the classiest act in Pudong. High-speed elevators whisk you to the 87th floor, where a Tony Chi–designed lobby incorporates shagreen and tortoiseshell walls.
Architect David Beer and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon have done up the interiors with cool celadon tones and black marble hallways, not to mention period pieces like a 1930’s elevator.
The 229-room hotel is a study in understatement, where rooms have delicate indigenous touches like dragon-scaled screens. At night, order a “blood and bitters" at the bamboo-framed terrace.
Moganshan Road, Shanghai’s version of SoHo, New York, is a warren of warehouses turned galleries. Among the best: ShanghArt, the avant-garde OV Gallery, and photography-driven M97 Gallery.
Experimental temporary shows are the draw at the Bund’s only contemporary art gallery, which wows with an eye-catching Art Deco façade and interiors by London-based architect David Chipperfield.
A former private garden during the Ming dynasty, this green oasis is now a prime spot for people-watching, with couples practicing the fox-trot and elderly women belting out Chinese opera.
Built in an old power station, the mammoth, 443,000-square-foot museum played host to the 2012 Shanghai Biennale. It’s the first public museum on the mainland to showcase contemporary Chinese art.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten teamed up with Shanghai-based design duo Neri & Hu at this rustic-chic, Bund-side Italian restaurant. Wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas, and stellar fish options top the menu.
Following the success of Goga, San Francisco native Brad Turley's second act sticks to the same formula: boldly flavored options such as tuna-edamame potato salad and scallops with Thai lobster curry.
This local favorite in the Former French Concession whips up the city’s finest Yunnanese cuisine. There are mouthwatering lemongrass-laced meats, vegetable pancakes, and spicy curries.
Young chef Austin Hu showcases standout dishes—such as duck breast with apple and chorizo-flecked vinaigrette and candied pork belly with kimchi jus—in a loftlike restaurant in the Xuhui district.
Take in the scene at the 111-foot mahogany bar of the former Shanghai Club, now a Waldorf Astoria.
Don’t miss dinner here—the staff is knowledgeable and the food delicious. Try the steak and foie gras.
The neighborhood, filled with restored lane houses, cafés, and old-timers hanging out, is great for anyone interested in getting a taste of real Shanghai.
The soaps and lotions (Tibetan roseroot bubble bath; Chinese mulberry body milk) at French expat Jean Zimmerman’s calm-inducing flagship treat everything from skin woes to body aches.
A mecca for heels and handbags, where you'll find statement stilettos in hot reds, pinks, and snakeskin, and cashmere slippers playfully adorned with pom-poms and fake gems.
Dinner theater for the 21st century: chef Paul Pairet combines audio, olfactory, and visual effects with his innovative dishes. That there's only 10 tables explains the three-month waiting list.
In the local furniture maker’s showroom, pieces mix Chinese style with contemporary design, often using walnut wood.
A teahouse in a charming three-story building in the Former French Concession that carries an infinite variety of blends.
