10 Best Value for Money Spots

We all want the best of everything. Best location, best value, and the best quality. Turns out we CAN have it all! We went on a hunt for the best restaurants in town where you can not only get the best experience, but also save money while you’re at it. Thank us later.

Le Café Des Stagiares

Address: 158 Julu Lu (Found 158)

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Daily noon to 2am

Delicious food and reasonable pricing. Search no more. Only RMB 20 for a glass of wine. And their cheese platter is absolutely one of the lowest in town. For RMB 100, expect Beijing Grey (Camembert), Tomette (hard cheese) and Crotin de Chevre (goat cheese). This will go along perfectly with people watching at Found 158.

Lasagna ala Bolognese RMB 50

Their lasagna is also good for value at a staggering RMB 50. They don’t scrimp on their cheese.

Windows

Address: 1618 NanjingXi Lu, 2FL

Tel: [phone]

To the windows...to the wall.  Don’t scoff at the idea of adding Windows to the list, where else can you get cheap a** drinks and a steak dinner for RMB 35?

Las Tapas

Address: 45 Sinan Lu, 1-2FL

Tel:  [phone]

Have a taste of Europe, one dish at a time. This is the place to hit up for the indecisive person. Each tapa is enough to satisfy your taste buds and still allows plenty of room for more dishes. Fairly priced, you can find an amazing range of tapas between from RMB 35-55 such as coquettes, sautéed porcini and egg. you can also enjoy wine by the glass from RMB 40.

Paella Valencia RMB178

But, if you want something filling, the paella portions are generous which is great for sharing. All paellas are RMB 178 and are also generously portioned and can feed two hungry souls.

Funkadeli

Address: 291 Fumin Lu

Tel: [phone]

Funkadeli has many dishes that are not only budget friendly, but tasty.If you are a cheese lover, you can get their cheese boards with ham for RMB 120, this is a sharing portion that is perfect for four people.

Avocado Gentleman, RMB 65 with mozzarella, fiordilatte, grilled zucchini, egg, mayo and avocado.

But that’s not all, their ham quesadilla is pretty darn good and at RMB 60 and also their avocado gentleman at RMB 65.

Zeitgeist

Address:  537 Haifang Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am

Cheese gratin “Spatzle” with roasted onion and salad greens RMB68

F&B newcomer is wowing Shanghai with their Bavarian cuisine, which is not only delicious, but at a very good bargain. Their spätzle, which is so cheesy and delicious is only at RMB 68. But the real steal is their schnitzel night which is only RMB 88 for all you can eat. And of course- their German beers are an affordable RMB 35.

Heat

Address: 199 Maoming Bei Lu

Tel: [phone]

The venue is a cool mix of retro French and contemporary minimalism, but let’s focus on what really matters: those amazing birds. At Heat they have only one kind of classic chicken, however, five sauces are available to liven things up: Honey Mustard, Thai Chili, Garlic Aioli, ChimiChurri and Chicken Gravy. Spend RMB 98 and get a half of a roast chicken. Cancel your cooking plans because why cook when you can get a meal for such a good value.

Shanghai Republik

Address: 418 Dagu Lu

Tel: [phone]

Classic pizza, RMB48

Right on Dagu Lu, Shanghai Republik not only serves up delicious mojitos but they also have some great deals. Pizza for RMB 48 and their weekend all-you-can-eat mussels for RMB 88… this is the spot to hit if you are tight on your purse strings!

Babbo

Address: 1023 KangDing Lu

Tel: [phone]

Pan Asian roasted pork, RMB 130

This Fusion restaurant is firmly on our radar because of its simple decor, cute patio, and amazing prices. For cheese lovers, we dare you to try their cheese plate for just RMB 100.

Cheese platter, RMB100 includes blue cheese, goat cheese, Danish Brie cheese, and Parmesan

Shanghai Brewery

Address: 20 Donghu Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Sun-Mon 10am-2am; Fri-Sat 10am-3am

Meat lovers you’re in for a big treat.  At this North American bar, you can get dishes like this, the sausage plate, for only RMB 88.

Papito

Address: 969 Wuding Rd.

Tel: [phone]

Hours: 10pm-8pm Daily

Technically not a restaurant, but this on-the-go style of street food offers fulfilling pancakes for under 45 kuai! Yes, you read that right. We recommend the Nutella and cheese crepe, along with the ham and cheese crepe.

WE ARE HIRING

We are looking for people who love life, food and travel to join our team! Currently, we are recruiting for the following positions:

Nightlife Editor

Food & Wine Editor

Wellness & Fitness Editor

Proofreader

Marketing

Sales

Interns

Ideal candidates are talented, energetic and creative people who can work in a fast paced environment, and Chinese skills are a plus. 

Want to take on a challenge?

Please send your cover letter and CV to: 

[e-mail]

Related Articles