Restaurant in Shanghai, China
Book in autumn. Hairy crab season changes everything.
Yi Long Court at The Peninsula Shanghai is the most practical entry point for top-tier Cantonese dining on the Bund, with easy booking and Peninsula-grade service. Visit in autumn for the hairy crab seasonal menus, which are the strongest reason to choose it over comparable rooms. Private dining is available and worth requesting for groups.
Getting a table at Yi Long Court is easier than you might expect for a restaurant ranked #280 in Asia by Opinionated About Dining in 2024 and #296 in 2025. Booking difficulty is low by the standards of top-tier Cantonese dining in China, which means you are not competing with a three-month waitlist. That said, if you are visiting Shanghai in autumn specifically to eat hairy crab, book the moment you have your travel dates confirmed. The seasonal prix fixe menus built around hairy crab are the single strongest argument for choosing Yi Long Court over comparable Cantonese rooms in the city, and they sell out ahead of general availability.
Yi Long Court occupies the second floor of The Peninsula Shanghai on the Bund, and the room was designed to evoke the home of a wealthy Shanghainese merchant from the 1930s. That framing translates into dark wood panelling, private dining rooms that feel genuinely residential rather than corporate, and a pace of service that matches the setting. If you are returning after a first visit spent in the main dining room, the next move is to request one of the private rooms. They seat groups comfortably, the service ratio improves noticeably, and the atmosphere shifts from hotel-restaurant to something more considered. For parties of four or more, this is the better choice. Solo diners and couples are well handled at standard tables, and there is a dim sum lunch set designed specifically for solo diners.
The tea bar is worth mentioning because it is not a token gesture. A dedicated tea expert is present to walk you through the selection, which spans a range of varieties with distinct aromas and health profiles. This is a practical alternative to wine pairing for a Cantonese meal and fits the format of the cuisine more naturally. There is no traditional bar in the Western hotel-restaurant sense.
The seasonal angle at Yi Long Court is not background decoration. Hairy crab season arrives in autumn, typically October through December, and the kitchen builds dedicated prix fixe menus around it: a six-course lunch option and an eight-course dinner. The crab appears across multiple preparations including soup and dumplings, which gives you a fuller read on the kitchen's technique than ordering a single preparation would. If you are visiting outside hairy crab season, the pan-fried scallops are a consistent signature, and the shrimp-stuffed squid and steamed red snapper with ginger and onions are reliable indicators of how the kitchen handles live seafood. Fresh seafood is flown in from international sources, which at ¥¥¥¥ pricing is the expectation rather than a bonus.
Dim sum lunch runs daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Barbecue pork puffs and steamed shrimp dumplings are on the menu, and the deep-fried pork dumplings with a blistered crust and pork-mushroom filling have drawn specific mention from inspector notes. Dinner runs 6 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. If you came for dim sum on your first visit and have not tried the dinner format, the more ambitious seafood preparations and the noodle in lobster broth are the reason to come back in the evening.
For Cantonese dining at a comparable tier across the region, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, Forum in Hong Kong, and Le Palais in Taipei are the relevant comparisons if you are calibrating what ¥¥¥¥ Cantonese should deliver. Within mainland China, Xin Rong Ji in Beijing and Xin Rong Ji in Chengdu offer a different regional register at a similar price point.
The dress code is smart casual: no shorts, no open-toed shoes. Men should plan for trousers and a button-down shirt; women are expected to be similarly dressed. This is consistent with Peninsula hotel dining standards globally and is enforced. Bilingual service is available at the head waiter and manager level, so a language barrier is not a serious obstacle for non-Mandarin speakers, though the venue notes you may need to repeat yourself occasionally with other staff.
For other high-end Chinese dining options in Shanghai, Ji Pin Court, Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine, and Bao Li Xuan are worth comparing before you commit. Canton 8 (Huangpu) and 102 House sit at lower price points if you want Cantonese or Shanghainese cooking without the Peninsula overhead. See also Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing and Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Guangzhou if you are building a regional itinerary.
| Venue | Price | Cuisine | Booking Difficulty | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yi Long Court | ¥¥¥¥ | Cantonese | Easy | Seasonal menus, private dining, Peninsula service |
| Ming Court | ¥¥¥ | Cantonese | Easy | Strong Cantonese at a lower price tier |
| Royal China Club | ¥¥¥ | Chinese, Cantonese | Easy | Club-style atmosphere, classic execution |
| Fu He Hui | ¥¥¥¥ | Vegetarian | Moderate | Premium plant-based dining, design-forward room |
| Scarpetta | ¥¥¥ | Italian | Easy | European alternative, same neighbourhood tier |
For broader planning, see our full Shanghai restaurants guide, our full Shanghai hotels guide, our full Shanghai bars guide, our full Shanghai wineries guide, and our full Shanghai experiences guide. If you are interested in Cantonese dining beyond Shanghai, Ru Yuan in Hangzhou is a strong regional option worth considering alongside Yi Long Court.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yi Long Court | ¥¥¥¥ | Easy | — |
| Fu He Hui | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Ming Court | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Polux | ¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Royal China Club | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Scarpetta | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
The venue data does not confirm specific dietary restriction policies, but head waiters and managers are bilingual, which makes communicating requirements at the table straightforward. Given the Cantonese format — heavy on seafood, pork, and shellfish — vegetarians or those with shellfish allergies should check the venue's official channels before booking. The kitchen does offer vegetable-forward dishes alongside the seafood-led menu.
Yes, particularly during hairy crab season in autumn, when the kitchen runs a dedicated prix fixe — either six courses at lunch or eight at dinner — built around the seasonal specialty. Outside of that window, the à la carte format gives you access to signatures like pan-fried scallops, shrimp-stuffed squid, and Cantonese barbecue without committing to a full set menu. If your visit falls between October and December, the hairy crab menu is the reason to book a tasting format.
There is no bar in the conventional sense. Yi Long Court has a tea bar instead, with a selection of exotic tea leaves and a tea expert on hand to walk you through the differences in flavour, aroma, and health properties. It is a genuine point of difference from most hotel restaurants, but if you are after cocktails before dinner, you will need to use The Peninsula Shanghai's main bar facilities.
Smart casual is enforced: no shorts, no open-toed shoes. Men should wear trousers and a button-down shirt; women are expected to dress to a similar standard, with a dress or skirt the suggested option. At ¥¥¥¥ pricing inside a five-star hotel on the Bund, dressing slightly above the minimum requirement will be more comfortable in practice.
At ¥¥¥¥, it is one of Shanghai's more expensive Cantonese options, but the Opinionated About Dining ranking (#296 in Asia in 2025, #280 in 2024) and the Peninsula's five-star service standard justify the spend if Cantonese cuisine is your priority. The value case is strongest during hairy crab season or when booking a private room, where the service-to-price ratio is hardest to match elsewhere on the Bund. For a more budget-conscious Cantonese meal, the same category exists at lower price points in Shanghai, but the combination of location, cooking tradition, and service depth is harder to replicate.
Yes, and specifically because of the private dining rooms, which provide five-star hotel service in a setting that feels closer to a well-appointed home dining room than a formal restaurant floor. The bilingual staff removes language friction for international guests, and the Bund address at The Peninsula Shanghai adds occasion weight without requiring any effort on your part. Book a private room if your group is four or more — the experience is materially different from the main dining room.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
