Sichuan Cuisine is one of the famous Eight Cuisines in China. With a long history, Sichuan food is renowned for its various seasoning especially the hot and spicy sauce. It uses a lot of capsicums and peppercorns. Some people consider Sichuan dishes to be delicious and enjoy themselves to the full; while others cannot bear the spicy flavor.
Sichuan restaurants have taken root in Shanghai since 1920s. Now you can find them everywhere in the city. These restaurants mainly serve Haipai (Shanghai style) Sichuan dishes which has a less hot and spicy sauce. The Hot Boiling Fish and hotpots where you cook your food at the table are the most popular among the locals and the tourists alike. Even with fierce competition from cuisines from other parts of China and the whole world nothing has undermined the popularity of the delicious and inexpensive Sichuan food.
Recommended Sichuan Restaurants:
Sichuan Court
Chinese name: 天府楼 (tiān fǔ lóu)
Specialties: This is a rare luxury Sichuan Cuisine restaurant in Shanghai. The dishes are delicate and added with Shanghai flavor. You can also enjoy the elegant performance of the Chinese zither while you are dining.
Address: 39F, Hilton Hotel, No. 250, Huashan Road, Jing'an District (near West Yan'an Road)
Operating hours: 11:30 - 14:00 (Mon - Fri), 18:00 - 22:30 (daily)
Average cost per person: CNY 500
South Beauty
Chinese name: 俏江南 (qiào jiāng nán)
Specialties: This restaurant serves creative Sichuan dishes. The swanky surroundings and the excellent service are sure to give you satisfaction.
Middle Yan'an Road Branch: No. 881, Middle Yan'an Road, Jing'an District (opposite Shanghai Exhibition Center; near North Shaanxi Road)
Operating hours: 11:30 - 22:30
Average cost per person: CNY 300 - 400
Pudong Branch: 10F, Super Brand Mall, No. 168, West Lujiazui Road, Pudong New Area (near West Yincheng Road)
Operating hours: 9:30 - 22:00
Average cost per person: CNY 200
Zunyi Branch: Unit B7-B8, Waiwei Street, Hongqiao Shanghai City, No. 100, Zunyi Road, Changning District (near Xianxia Road)
Operating hours: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 23:00
Average cost per person: CNY 150
Huaihai Branch: 5F, Shanghai Times Square, No. 99, Middle Huaihai Road, Huangpu District (near Liulin Road)
Operating hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Average cost per person: CNY 150
Xuhui Branch: Unit 1, No. 28, Taojiang Road, Xuhui District (near Baoqing Road)
Operating hours: 10:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:00
Average cost per person: CNY 150-200
Spicy-Joint
Chinese name: 辛香汇 (xīn xiāng huì)
Specialties: The is a busy restaurant famous for its Hot Boiling Fish, bean curd jelly and plum juice.
Operating hours: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:00
Average cost per person: CNY 55
Cross Region Plaza Branch: 5F, Cross Region Plaza, No. 899, Lingling Road, Xuhui District
Caoxi Road Branch: No. 280, Caoxi Road, Xuhui District (near Caobao Road)
Yuxin Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant
Chinese name: 渝信川菜 (yú xìn chuān cài)
Specialties: The red fittings in this restaurant emphasize the hot and spicy feature of Sichuan Cuisine. You can try the authentic Hot Boiling Fish and many other home style Sichuan dishes.
Average cost per person: CNY 85
Investment Promotion Bureau Branch: 3F, Investment Promotion Bureau Plaza, No. 333, North Chengdu Road, Jing’an District (near Weihai Road)
Operating hours: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:00
Huasheng Branch: 5F, Huasheng Plaza, No. 399, Jiujiang Road, Huangpu District (the intersection with Middle Shanxi Road)
Operating hours: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 23:00
Baguo Buyi
Chinese name: 巴国布衣 (bā guó bù yī)
Specialties: The name of the restaurant 'Baguo Buyi' means 'the ordinary people of Sichuan'. The dining environment, the dishes and the service in this restaurant are targeted to be close to the ways of the ordinary people. You will feel relaxed and enjoy the tasty Sichuan dishes and the wonderful Face Changing Show of the Sichuan Opera which accompanies evening dining.
Operating hours: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:00
Average cost per person: CNY 80
Dingxi Branch: No. 1018, Dingxi Road, Changning District (near West Yan'an Road)
Pudong Branch: 1F, Yu'an Mansion, No. 738, Dongfang Road, Pudong New Area (the intersection with Zhangyang Road)
Chuanguo Yanyi
Chinese name: 川国演义 (chuān guó yǎn yì)
Specialties: This is an old high grade Sichuan Cuisine restaurant in Shanghai. The dishes have a fairly heavy spicy flavor. The signature dishes are Hot Boiling Fish and Mao Xie Wang.
Pudong Branch: 10F, Times Square, No. 500, Zhangyang Road, Pudong New Area (near South Pudong Road)
Operating hours: 10:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 23:00
Average cost per person: CNY 110
Huangpu Branch: 2-3F, Guangdong Development Bank Mansion, No. 555, Xujiahui Road, Huangpu District (near Liyuan Road)
Operating hours: 11:00 - 22:30
Average cost per person: CNY 100
Pin Chuan
Chinese name: 品川 (pǐn chuān)
Specialties: It serves typical Haipai (Shanghai styled) Sichuan dishes with delicious flavor and attractive appearances.
Address: No. 47, Taojiang Road, Xuhui District (near South Urumqi Road)
Operating hours: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 23:00
Average cost per person: CNY 100 - 120
Tony Restaurant
Chinese name: 多利川菜馆 (duō lì chuān cài guǎn)
Specialties: This restaurant chain is a famous old one with branches in almost every district of Shanghai. Haipai (Shanghai styled) Sichuan dishes form the mainstream to suit the local taste.
Operating hours: 10:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:30
Average cost per person: CNY 60 - 80
Haiyi Branch: No. 1211, Zhangyang Road, Pudong New Area (near Songlin Road)
Jinqiao Branch: No. 118, Jialin Road, Pudong New Area (near North Yanggao Road)
People's Square Branch: 2-3F, No. 226, West Nanjing Road, Huangpu District (near Huanghe Road)
Huaihai Branch: No. 344, Middle Huaihai Road, Huangpu District (near Madang Road)
Zhongshan Park Branch: No. 1389, Yuyuan Road, Changning District(near Dingxi Road)