The Chinese are relaxed and open with children and this makes it, almost, a pleasure to bring them with you to restaurants. While the friendly Chinese attitude may not make your child better behaved, at least you don't have to shoulder ugly sneers and the evil eye. Still, sometimes it's nice to go where kids are not only tolerated, they're catered to.
Here are five Western and five Chinese restaurants in Shanghai that welcome you and your kids and will keep your plate full and your glass filled. Enjoy!
1. O’Malleys
- Description: Irish pub/sports bar/playground
- Cuisine: Pub food
- Address: 42 Tao Jiang Road, near Wulumuqi Road. Map & Directions.
- Opening hours: daily 11am-2am
- Features: Standard kids' menu, high chairs, Kids Corner, onsite child "entertainer", toys and extensive play area.
- Comments: How many restaurants or pubs have their own child entertainer? O’Malleys is a super spot to come with your toddlers for a break during your visit to Shanghai. With a big open lawn, sandbox, air-castle and playhouse, you can relax and enjoy lunch, dinner or an afternoon drink.
2. Mesa
- Description: Weekend brunch for the yummy mummy
- Cuisine: Continental
- Address: 748 Julu Road between Fumin and Shanxi Roads
- Reservations: 021-6289-9108 (recommended, especially for terrace dining)
- Opening hours: Sat/Sun 9:30am-5pm (brunch menu)
- Features: Delicious kid's menu, high chairs, inside play area stocked with toys, nanny to watch kids.
- Comments: The concept of enjoying a meal in an elegant restaurant as your toddler choo-choos his train at your feet is unimaginable in most places, but at Mesa, this is an acceptable way to have a lovely brunch. Note: Mesa’s nannies are on hand only during weekend brunches.
3. The Coffee Tree
- Description: Relaxed cozy café, great for a rainy afternoon.
- Cuisine: Cafe fare
- Address: Hong Mei Road, Lane 3215, No. 201 Map & Directions
- Opening hours: daily 9am-8pm
- Features: Home-style food, indoor ball pit, outdoor play set & sandbox, high chairs, comfy sofas.
- Comments: It's difficult to find, down a lane, so refer to the map above. It may be a good pit stop if you are in the area for the Shanghai Zoo but otherwise, it's about a half-hour taxi ride from downtown and other major tourist destinations. But if you are in the area, there's not a better place to have a nice coffee and let the kids play around a bit.
4. Blue Frog - Jin Qiao (Pudong)
- Description: Hectic eaterie
- Cuisine: American
- Address: Green Sports & Leisure Center, 633 Biyun Road, Pudong
- Opening hours: daily early-late
- Features: Classic American eats such as breakfast burritos and burgers. High chairs, crayons, lengthy kids' menu & outdoor play area.
- Comments: This Blue Frog outlet is located within the Green Sports "mall" that locals just call Jin Qiao (“gin chow”). The food is mediocre and expensive, but your kids will have fun running around snatching balloons from the pot-plants and scampering around the outdoor play area. You can guzzle a latte or a bloody mary – whatever suits.
5. Park 97
- Description: Hip outdoor café inside Fuxing Park
- Cuisine: Continental
- Address: Fuxing Park, entrance near Gao'An Road, or Fuxing and Chongqing Roads
- Opening hours: daily early-late
- Features: Located inside the park where the kids can run around and enjoy themselves. Probably a better bet with older ones as you'd want to keep a closer eye on a toddler.
- Comments: A favorite with local expats for sunny weekend dining.
6. Din Tai Fung
- Description: Clean bright spot for the best dumplings in Shanghai
- Cuisine: Taiwanese / Shanghai
- Address: Xin Tian Di South Block, 2F, 123 Xinye Road
- Reservations: 021-6385-8378 (a must – or you will wait in line)
- Opening hours: daily lunch 11am-3pm, dinner 5pm-10pm
- Features: Super friendly staff, high chairs, plastic dinner ware and a big plate glass window where the kids can watch the magic of dumplings unfold before their very eyes.
- Comments: Your guide’s, and her son’s, favorite spot in Shanghai.
7. Crystal Jade
- Description: Lively Chinese dining for dim sum and other treats
- Cuisine: Cantonese / Shanghai
- Address: Xin Tian Di South Block, 2F, 123 Xinye Road
- Reservations: 021-6385-8752 (a must – or you will wait in line)
- Opening hours: daily lunch 11am-3pm, dinner 5pm-10pm
- Features: Kid friendly staff, high chairs, noisy atmosphere and hand-made noodles that the kids can watch being stretched by expert hands at the entrance.
- Comments: Beware of friendly staff handing out sweets to the kids – at least make sure they’ve eaten their dinner first!
8. Bi Feng Tang
- Description: Fun outdoor glass booths are a great spot for private dining and people-watching.
- Cuisine: Cantonese
- Address: 1333 Nanjing Xi Road (corner of Tongren Road)
- Opening hours: daily early to late
- Features: Little glass-ed in booths that sit along the sidewalk on Nanjing Road, one of Shanghai's premiere shopping streets. Sit under the trees and enjoy Cantonese favorites while your kids happily play at your feet.
9. Grape
- Description: Known from guidebooks and locals as the "safe" Chinese restaurant to take visitors, e.g. those who like to eat Chinese food like it is back home.
- Cuisine: Western-style Chinese
- Address: 55A Xinle Road, corner of Xiangyang Road
- Opening hours: daily lunch 11am-3pm, dinner 5pm-10pm
- Features: Familiar Chinese "classics" and kid-friendly staff.
- Comments: Not the most inspired food, but if you're filling the void, and getting the kids to eat, then why not. Amusing window shopping along Xinle Road and if the baby's asleep, stop by the lovely wine bar at Epicvre at 98 Xinle Road for a glass.
10. Vegetarian Lifestyle
- Description: Voted by magazine Shanghai International Family as the “cleanest, greenest restaurant in Shanghai”.
- Cuisine: Vegetarian Chinese
- Address: 258 Fengxian Road (behind Westgate Mall on Nanjing Xi Road)
- Opening hours: daily lunch 11am-3pm, dinner 5pm-10pm
- Features: Non-smoking atmosphere, organic produce and no MSG.
- Comments: Donates over half of their profits to charities so eat well and feel good in mind, body and spirit.
