Restaurant in Shanghai, China
Old Shanghai cooking. Few restaurants match it.
A 1930s former British Consulate turned Shanghainese restaurant, YongFoo Elite is the right booking if you want classic recipes — braised pork belly with pu'er tea, seasonal hairy crab — in a heritage setting that most Shanghai restaurants cannot match. Ranked on OAD Top Restaurants in Asia three years running and holding 75 La Liste points in 2025, it earns a return visit, especially in autumn hairy crab season.
Yes — if you want traditional Shanghainese cooking in a setting that most restaurants in the city cannot replicate. Housed in a 1930s former British Consulate building that underwent a three-year restoration, YongFoo Elite combines heritage architecture with a menu of classic Shanghainese dishes, including ancient recipes that are genuinely difficult to find elsewhere. It has appeared on the Opinionated About Dining (OAD) Leading Restaurants in Asia list three consecutive years running, moving from Recommended (2023) to #399 (2024) to #454 (2025), and holds 75 points on La Liste's 2025 global ranking. For a visitor or a Shanghai resident who wants to go deeper into the city's native cuisine, this is a serious option.
If you have been once and are thinking about returning, the multi-visit case here is stronger than at most Shanghainese restaurants. The menu covers traditional territory with enough range that a second or third visit can feel materially different depending on what you prioritize.
On a first visit, the braised pork belly with pu'er tea is the dish to anchor your order around. La Liste's notes on the restaurant describe earthy depth and dark soy notes — the tea adds a bitterness that cuts through the fat in a way that straight red-braised versions do not. It is the clearest expression of what makes this kitchen's approach to classic Shanghainese cooking worth the trip.
On a second visit, if the season is right, the hairy crab preparations are the reason to return. La Liste describes the hairy crab roe and crabmeat options as loaded with flavour , these are seasonal dishes tied to autumn, so timing matters. Hairy crab season in Shanghai runs roughly October through December; booking during this window gives you access to preparations that are not available year-round. If you are planning a visit with crab in mind, that is the scheduling constraint to work around.
A third visit is where the wine list becomes relevant. YongFoo Elite carries a curated wine program that La Liste specifically calls out , unusual for a Shanghainese restaurant at this positioning. Pairing wine with braised and soy-forward Shanghainese dishes is a different experience from a Cantonese or French meal, and the list here is built to handle it. Worth exploring if you have already covered the core dishes.
For broader context on where to eat in the city, see our full Shanghai restaurants guide. If you are comparing traditional Shanghainese cooking across this restaurant's peer group, Fu 1088, Fu 1039, and Fu 1015 are the obvious Shanghai comparisons , all three operate in the same heritage-villa format and Shanghainese cuisine territory. Lao Zheng Xing and Cheng Long Hang (Huangpu) are the go-to options if you want a less formal take on traditional Shanghainese.
If you are travelling beyond Shanghai and want to benchmark Shanghainese cooking more broadly, Liu Yuan Pavilion in Hong Kong and Shanghai Cuisine in Beijing are the reference points in their respective cities. For other fine Chinese dining in the region, Xin Rong Ji in Beijing, Ru Yuan in Hangzhou, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Guangzhou, Xin Rong Ji in Chengdu, and Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing cover the broader range of serious Chinese cooking in mainland China and the wider region.
YongFoo Elite is located at 200 Yongfu Road, Xuhui District , a tree-lined residential street in the former French Concession. The building itself is part of what you are paying for. Opening hours run 10 AM to 10 PM Monday through Thursday and Sunday, with an earlier opening of 8:30 AM on Friday and Saturday. Booking difficulty is rated easy, but advance reservations are still sensible for weekend dinners and essential during hairy crab season in autumn.
| Detail | YongFoo Elite | Fu 1088 | Lao Zheng Xing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | Shanghainese (traditional) | Shanghainese | Shanghainese |
| District | Xuhui (French Concession) | Jing'an | Huangpu |
| Setting | 1930s heritage villa | Heritage villa | Classic dining room |
| Booking Difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Easy |
| OAD Ranked | Yes (2023–2025) | Check Pearl | Check Pearl |
| La Liste 2025 | 75 pts | , | , |
For planning the rest of your trip, see our Shanghai hotels guide, our Shanghai bars guide, our Shanghai wineries guide, and our Shanghai experiences guide.
The building is a genuine 1930s heritage property , the former British Consulate , so the setting is part of the experience, not just backdrop. Order the braised pork belly with pu'er tea on a first visit: it is the clearest statement of what this kitchen does well and what separates it from more generic Shanghainese restaurants. Price information is not publicly listed, so confirm costs when booking. Booking is rated easy, but it is worth reserving in advance rather than walking in, especially on weekends.
The braised pork belly with pu'er tea is the anchor dish , La Liste specifically notes the earthy depth and dark soy character. If you are visiting in autumn (October through December), the hairy crab roe and crabmeat preparations are the reason to time your visit carefully; La Liste describes them as loaded with flavour. On a subsequent visit, explore the wine list, which is unusually considered for a Shanghainese restaurant and worth pairing with the richer braised dishes.
Dinner is the stronger choice for a special occasion , the heritage setting reads better in the evening. Lunch is a practical option if you want a quieter room and potentially more flexibility with timing; the kitchen opens at 10 AM (8:30 AM on Friday and Saturday). If you are planning around hairy crab, the format matters less than getting the timing right , autumn dinner is the version to book.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, so last-minute reservations are often possible. That said, weekend dinners and the hairy crab season window (October through December) are the exceptions , book those at least one to two weeks out. Given the venue's three consecutive years on OAD Leading Restaurants in Asia and its La Liste recognition, demand from visiting food-focused travellers is real enough to make advance booking a sensible default.
The heritage villa format typically includes private dining rooms suited to groups, which is common among French Concession villa restaurants in this category. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm private room availability and group minimums , phone and booking details are not publicly listed in Pearl's database. For larger groups where a confirmed private dining room is a hard requirement, Fu 1088 is the closest peer with a similar format and similar prestige.
The menu is rooted in traditional Shanghainese cooking , braised meats, crab preparations, and dishes built around soy, pork, and seafood. Vegetarian or allergen-restricted diners will find the options limited compared to a restaurant like Fu He Hui, which is purpose-built for plant-based Chinese fine dining. Contact YongFoo Elite directly before booking if dietary restrictions are a factor , the kitchen is traditional in its orientation and specific accommodations are not documented in available data.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| YongFoo Elite | — | |
| Fu He Hui | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Ming Court | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Polux | ¥¥ | — |
| Royal China Club | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Scarpetta | ¥¥¥ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between YongFoo Elite and alternatives.
The menu is anchored in traditional Shanghainese technique, which relies heavily on pork, seafood, and soy-based preparations — the braised pork belly and hairy crab dishes are signature examples. Vegetarian or allergy-specific needs are not documented in Pearl's data, so this is worth raising directly when booking. If dietary restrictions are a primary concern, Fu He Hui — a vegetarian fine dining option in Shanghai — is the more straightforward fit.
Dinner gives you the full atmospheric return on the 1930s consulate building, which reads differently once the evening light settles in. Lunch is a practical option if you want to keep the booking easier and the pace more relaxed — the kitchen is open from 10 AM daily, and Friday from 8:30 AM. For a first visit where you want the full version of what YongFoo Elite is, dinner is the call.
The former British Consulate layout across multiple rooms makes it more group-friendly than a counter-format restaurant. Private dining is a reasonable expectation for a venue of this scale and heritage, though specific room capacities are not in Pearl's current data — check the venue's official channels at 200 Yongfu Road to confirm. For large groups celebrating a specific occasion, flagging your group size at the time of booking is advisable.
The setting does real work here: the 1930s former British Consulate building in Xuhui District is the context for everything on the plate. Come expecting traditional Shanghainese cooking — ancient recipes that do not appear on most Shanghai restaurant menus — rather than a modern or fusion format. OAD ranked it among the top 400 restaurants in Asia in 2024 and 2025, so the kitchen has independent validation. Book ahead; this is not a walk-in option.
The braised pork belly with pu'er tea and the hairy crab roe and crabmeat dishes are the most documented by OAD's reviewers, who note the pork belly carries earthy depth and dark soy character. The wine list is also flagged as worth attention, which is unusual for a Shanghainese restaurant. Beyond those, the menu leans on ancient regional recipes, so ask staff for seasonal recommendations rather than hunting for a fixed signature list.
Book at least one to two weeks in advance for weekday dinners; weekends and hairy crab season (autumn) warrant more lead time. The restaurant is open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM, with Friday opening earlier at 8:30 AM. No phone or online booking link is publicly listed in Pearl's data, so check the venue's official channels via the address at 200 Yongfu Road, Xuhui District to confirm reservation channels.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
