The best bagel shops in Shanghai

Photograph: courtesy Spread the Bagel

Great carbs come in many forms – especially in Shanghai where you've got everything from dumplings and stuffed buns to noodles and all kinds of pancakes, like scallion ones and jianbing. But, if you’re set on an O-shaped treat, Shanghai has some amazing bagel shops making bagels fresh every day. Grab one (with schmear!) for lunch or get a pack delivered to your house for an easy breakfast.

Spread the Bagel

Photograph: courtesy Spread the Bagel

Possibly Shanghai’s most well-known bagel spot, Spread the Bagel serves up artisanal, New York-style bagels. The wide range of bagels and spreads here include Cinnarella (cinnamon raisin), Wholly Molly (whole wheat) and Snow Flake (sea salt) along with more traditional flavours like the everything bagel and sesame.

With its original Nanchang Lu shop just recently shuttered, Spread the Bagel bagels can be ordered online or by calling 185 0177 0684.

📍 www.spreadthebagel.com 

Boom Boom Bagels

Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe

Boom Boom Bagels has a few simple options for bagels but its spreads are where it really shines, with choices like house ricotta and maple-nut cream cheese. Boom Boom's signature bagels mix and match flavours to create some stand-out bagelwiches like The Hindquarter, a bagel topped with house-smoked pulled pork, pickles and fennel.

Its popular Anfu location offers seating at high, bar-style tables and can get packed when the weekend morning crowd descends.

📍 39 Anfu Lu, near Changshu Lu.  

Big Bagel

Photograph: courtesy Big Bagel

These bagels are indeed big bagels. Big Bagel has a very traditional selection of bagels to choose from, including plain, sea salt, sesame and parmesan. For lunch, there's a pastrami bagelwich for 58RMB that’s a fun play on New York cuisine.

Starting out with a shop in Suzhou, Big Bagel has slowly built up momentum, and made the move to Shanghai two years ago, with a shop on Yongkang Lu complete with rustic, wood-panelled walls, tasteful tiling and chalkboards menus.

📍 27 Yongkang Lu, near Jiashan Lu.

Secret Bagel

Photograph: courtesy Secret Bagel

So, what’s the secret? These bagels use a recipe handed down to owner Tian Tao by a 78-year-old Jewish baker, who’d been making bagels his whole life, survived the Holocaust and spoke only Yiddish, teaching Tao through a combination of pointing and Google Translate.

Secret Bagel offers a few classic options alongside whackier flavours – sesame or sea salt bagels can be paired with smoked salmon or roast beef. Alternatively, live a little with an Oreo or chocolate-flavoured bagel. And yes, for all the on-trend kids out there, there are rainbow bagels here.

📍 286 Fengxian Lu, near Jiangning Lu.

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