Shanghai French Concession: 10-Dish Food Tour & Local Eats
Ten dishes hidden in Shanghai's French Concession, where the real old-city food still lives
You walk through the French Concession with a local guide, eating at four real restaurants and trying 10+ dishes that tourists usually miss: xiaolongbao, pan-fried buns, pork belly, and fresh dessert. All meals and drinks are included, the group stays small, and you finish with craft beer near the subway so you can get back on your own time.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Shanghai's French Concession cuisine
- Introduction to old Shanghai cuisine
- Try Xiaolongbao at local dumpling joint
- Eat scallion noodles and dumplings
- Enjoy Shanghai-style pork belly dish
- Taste fresh mango sago dessert
- End with local craft beer
What’s included
Your day includes a local English-speaking guide, all food at four sit-down restaurants, unlimited local beer and soda, bottled water throughout, and a craft beer at the final brewery stop. The group stays small (2–12 people), vegetarian options are available with advance notice, and you can reach the subway easily from where the tour ends.
Times
- Monday to Saturday 18:00 18:30
- Sunday 18:30
Information
Prices and times updated today
Operated by Lost Plate
The experience
Hands tear into a steamed bun, steam rising off the pleated top, and you realize you're standing in a kitchen that's been doing this the same way for decades. That's where the French Concession food tour starts, not with a lecture about Shanghai's 1936 foreign occupation, but with the actual work of making xiaolongbao, the soup dumplings that define the city. Your local English-speaking guide takes you through four sit-down restaurants across the neighborhood, and you'll eat at least 10 dishes that most visitors never find because they're not in guidebooks or on tourist maps. They're just where people from the neighborhood eat.
The tour moves through the old streets on foot, stopping first at a dumpling joint that competes with the Michelin-starred places without the crowds. From there you hit a spot known for scallion noodles and dumplings with sesame sauce, then a restaurant where the kitchen shows off the labor-intensive process of making pan-fried buns: that technique was designated Local Intangible Cultural Heritage. The pork belly comes next, a Shanghai favorite that takes a full day to braise, and you'll understand why once you taste it. Small groups stay under twelve people, so there's room to ask questions and actually talk to the guide instead of just following a flag.
Dessert is fresh mango over chilled sago cream with pomelo at a cozy shop run by a Shanghainese owner who makes everything without shortcuts. The tour wraps with a locally made craft beer at a brewery ten minutes' walk from South Shaanxi Road Subway Station, where you can feel the modern Shanghai that the world knows. All the food, all the drinks, bottled water throughout. It's included. If you're vegetarian, let them know when you book and they'll adjust the stops.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat what locals actually eat in Shanghai without spending hours researching restaurants or navigating menus alone. The guide takes the planning out of it and the fixed route means you hit four solid spots in one evening instead of wandering and guessing.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 15 years); Infant (under 4).
Is it really safe to eat at these restaurants?
Yes. The tour uses 4+ sit-down restaurants that are safe and established in the neighborhood, not street food or informal stalls.
What if I'm vegetarian?
Vegetarian options are available with advance notice at booking. Let them know your dietary needs and they'll adjust the restaurant stops.
Do I need to speak Chinese?
No. Your guide speaks English and handles all ordering and explanations at each stop.
How many people are in the group?
Small groups of 2–12 people, so it stays intimate and you can actually talk to the guide.
What's included in the price?
All food at the four restaurants, unlimited local beer, soda, and bottled water throughout the tour.
Where does it start and end?
The tour operates in the French Concession neighborhood. It ends near South Shaanxi Road Subway Station, about a 10-minute walk from the final brewery.
What should I wear?
Comfortable walking shoes. The tour operates in all weather, so dress appropriately for the season.
Shanghai French Concession: 10-Dish Food Tour & Local Eats
3h 30m · EN
from US$ 75 per person