Unique Dining Experiences in Shanghai

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Zhenru Lamb Meat Restaurant spares no part of the animal. Timid eaters can enjoy a tame bowl of lamb meat soup, but those looking for a truly unique culinary experience can try adventurous fare like lamb testicle, lamb liver, lamb lung, lamb trotters, and even lamb penis. Nothing is off limits here.

Ultraviolet is not only the most unique dining experience in Shanghai, it may very well be the most unique dining experience the world over. This high-concept restaurant admits only ten guests each night for a multi-sensory dining experience that combines sight, sound, and smell with taste. Creator Paul Pairet has artfully engineered every second of the dinner to make sure that the food tastes as good as it possibly can.

Shanghai wouldn’t be Shanghai without a handful of cutesy themed cafes. The latest, and perhaps most popular, to hit the city is dedicated to the Sanrio-brand global sensation Hello Kitty. At Bistro Bianco you will find the little cat girl’s biggest fans, as well as her likeness on everything from the mugs to tiramisu.

You’ve heard of cat cafes, but what about dog cafes? Tucked away in an old slaughterhouse turned creative space is Canil dog cafe. For a minimum spend of RMB50 ($7), you get to hang out with the happiest little four legged employees, who absolutely don’t get tired of all the attention.

Sichuanese hotpot has all but become synonymous with Hai Di Lao, the popular chain that has spread all around the world. What makes it such a unique dining experience isn’t so much the food but the service. As soon as you step in the door, you will be waited on hand and foot, from the optional manicure and massage service while you wait for your table to the hot towels that are passed around every few minutes.

Welcome to More Than Toilet restaurant, where crap food doesn’t have to taste bad! The concept of a toilet-themed restaurant originated in Taiwan, but has since become popular throughout Asia. Shanghai’s More Than Toilet serves up standard Chinese cafe fare like pizza and pasta and specializes in squat potty bowls full of poop-shaped ice cream.

Pyongyang Koryo is as close to North Korea as you can get without actually going to North Korea. The food is surprisingly delicious, and the waitstaff is made up entirely of beautiful North Korean woman, who play double duty to put on a nightly 7 o’clock performance. The experience is bizarre, to say the least, and an absolute must-do in Shanghai.

Okay, so Shanghai’s ramen vending machine is less of a dining experience and more of a kitschy grab-and-go situation, but it certainly is unique. Shanghai has its fair share of bizarre vending machines: medicine, orange juice, sex toys, produce. This one is located in the basement of the mall next to Jing’an Temple.

Lotus Eatery brings the diverse cuisines of southern China’s Yunnan province to Shanghai. Dip your toes in the culinary waters with fried goat cheese, then dive all the way in and snack on a plate of crunchy fried bugs. Or, try the cured yak meat with mint leaves. Any way you go, you’re bound to get a top notch meal.

The Muslim Market is one of Shanghai’s hidden gems. Every Friday afternoon before services at the nearby Huxi Mosque, local Uyghur Muslims gather to share the most flavorful halal treats with the city. From high quality lamb kebabs to milky layer cakes, there’s nothing that won’t please the taste buds here. And if you’re in the market for an entire lamb carcass, they sell those too.

Golden Dragon is not your average hotpot restaurant. Instead of bringing out plates of raw lamb or beef, Golden Dragon dishes out plates of raw snake. You then get to cook it yourself in snake broth mixed with snake blood and bile. Many cultures believe in the restorative powers of these ingredients, so though you may wince at the thought of them, but they might just do you good.