Ling Long - Shanghai Shanghai

Ling Long sits at 57 Shanxi Rd (S), directly across from the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts. It holds one Michelin star and ranks at no. 35 on the 2024 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. The room runs smart and elegant, leaning into a polished aesthetic that avoids the kitsch common to the area’s fusion spots.

While the city is full of heavy, traditional Chinese dining, Ling Long pushes for a lighter, boundary-blurring approach. You choose this over the more established names near Tianzifang because it refuses to lean on regional nostalgia. It is a more demanding meal than what you find in the typical Shanghai dining room, trading comfort for a precision that makes the neighboring restaurants feel stagnant by comparison.