Best Brunch With a View in Shanghai: Great Food and Better Scenery

Shanghai wakes up slowly on a Sunday morning, the Huangpu River catching the first pale light while the city stretches and yawns behind it. If you are hunting for the best brunch with a view in Shanghai, you are in the right city. I have spent years chasing eggs benedict across rooftop terraces, waterfront promenades, and converted warehouses, and I can tell you that the scenic brunch Shanghai delivers is unlike anything else in China. The skyline shifts by the hour, the river traffic hums below, and the food, when you find the right spot, is genuinely memorable.

Rooftop Brunch Shanghai: High Above the Bund

Mr & Mrs Bund

Mr & Mrs Bund sits on the seventh floor of Three on the Bund, right at the confluence of the Huangpu River and the old colonial waterfront. The terrace faces Pudong head-on, and on a clear morning you can count the floors of the Shanghai Tower as the sun climbs behind it. I have been here more times than I care to admit, and the French bistro approach to brunch remains one of the most reliable in the city. The croque madame arrives with a properly runny egg, and the French toast with berries is generous enough to share, though you will not want to. A local tip: request a table at the far left corner of the terrace when you book. That spot gives you an unobstructed angle of both the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund's colonial facades without anyone walking behind your chair. The rooftop brunch Shanghai crowd here skews toward well-heeled locals and long-term expats, so the atmosphere stays relaxed even when the place fills up. One honest note: the prices sit firmly in fine dining territory, with most brunch plates ranging from 180 to 350 RMB, so this is a splurge rather than a casual Sunday ritual.

POP Roof Terrace Bar

POP occupies the top three floors of Three on the Bund as well, but it feels like a completely different world from Mr & Mrs Bund. The rooftop terrace wraps around the building in a U-shape, giving you 270 degrees of skyline from the river to the old French Concession plane trees. Brunch here is more casual, more cocktail-forward, and the crowd tends to be younger. I remember sitting here on an October afternoon when the humidity finally broke and the light turned golden around four o'clock. The crispy pork belly bao and the truffle fries are the items I keep coming back for. A detail most tourists miss: the back corner of the terrace, facing away from the river, looks out over the rooftops of the old Bund buildings and gives you a sense of the city's layered history that the Pudong panorama cannot. The best time to arrive is around eleven in the morning, before the lunch crowd pushes out the brunch stragglers. Service can slow down noticeably after one in the afternoon when the full menu kicks in and the kitchen gets slammed.

Waterfront Brunch Shanghai: Along the Huangpu and Beyond

The Waterhouse at South Bund

The Waterhouse occupies a converted 1930s military warehouse on the south end of the Bund, right where the old dockyards used to handle cargo from Southeast Asia. The building itself is a piece of Shanghai's industrial past, all exposed concrete and steel beams, and the terrace faces the river with a low railing that makes you feel like you are sitting on a dock. The scenic brunch Shanghai offers here has a distinctly different flavor from the polished Bund restaurants. The menu leans Southeast Asian, with a laksa that is genuinely good and a pandan french toast that I have never seen replicated elsewhere in the city. Arrive before ten on a Sunday to grab one of the riverside tables. The morning light here is softer than on the north Bund because the buildings across the river are lower, and you get a wider view of the water. A local tip: walk the length of the South Bund Fabric Market before you eat. It opens early, and browsing the tailor stalls gives you a sense of how this neighborhood functioned before the restaurants moved in. The outdoor seating gets uncomfortably warm by midday in July and August, so plan accordingly if you are visiting in summer.

M on the Bund

M on the Bund has been a fixture of the Shanghai dining scene since the mid-1990s, back when the Bund was still mostly government offices and empty ballrooms. The restaurant sits on the seventh floor of the Nissin Shipping Building, and its terrace has one of the most photographed views in the city. I have watched the Pudong skyline transform from a handful of buildings to the forest of towers it is today, all from this same terrace. The brunch menu changes seasonally, but the eggs benedict with smoked salmon has been a constant for years, and the pastry basket is worth every calorie. The best time to visit is on a weekday morning when the terrace is quiet and you can hear the river traffic below. A detail most people do not know: the building's original shipping company operated routes between Shanghai and Osaka, and if you look at the facade from the outside you can still see the faint outline of the old company name. The waitstaff here are some of the most experienced in the city, and they remember regulars, which gives the place a neighborhood feel despite its international reputation.

Scenic Brunch Shanghai: Gardens, Lakes, and Quiet Corners

The Langham Xintiandi

The Langham's brunch offering is tucked inside the Xintiandi complex, which itself is a masterclass in how Shanghai preserves its shikumen lane houses while turning them into something entirely new. The courtyard terrace sits behind the main hotel building, shielded from the street noise by a wall of grey brick and plane trees. I came here on a rainy Sunday once and discovered that the covered terrace is actually better than the open one because the sound of rain on the glass roof changes the whole mood. The brunch buffet is extensive, with a dedicated egg station, a carving station, and a dessert spread that takes up an entire wall. The smoked salmon and the made-to-order waffles are the highlights. A local tip: Xintiandi's shikumen houses were originally built in the 1920s and 1930s for middle-class Chinese families, and the Communist Party's First National Congress was held in one of them, now a museum a two-minute walk from the hotel. The brunch crowd here is mostly families and hotel guests, so the atmosphere is calm and unhurried. One drawback: the buffet format means you will be on your feet a lot, and the line for the egg station can stretch to ten minutes during peak hours.

Sinan Mansions

Sinan Mansions is a cluster of restored garden villas in the former French Concession, and the brunch scene here has grown organically over the past decade as independent cafes and restaurants moved into the old residential buildings. The tree canopy along Sinan Road is thick enough to filter the morning light into something almost European, and the quiet is startling given how close you are to Huaihai Road. I spent a full morning here last spring, moving between a coffee spot in one villa and a small French bakery in another, and the whole experience felt like a secret. The specific venues change frequently, but the overall character of the area remains consistent: low buildings, big trees, and a pace of life that feels decades removed from the towers across the river. A local tip: the villas were built in the 1920s for wealthy Chinese businessmen and foreign residents, and each one has a slightly different architectural style. Walk the entire compound before you choose where to eat, because the back gardens are often more interesting than the front terraces. Parking in the area is extremely limited, so take a taxi or the metro to South Shaanxi Road station and walk from there.

Rooftop Brunch Shanghai: Pudong Side Perspectives

Flair at the Ritz-Carlton Pudong

Flair sits on the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton in the IFC Tower, and it is the highest outdoor bar in China. The brunch here is a relatively recent addition, and it comes with a price tag to match the altitude. The view looks straight down the Bund, and on a clear day you can see the river curve toward the sea. I visited on a November morning when the air was crisp and the visibility was perfect, and the experience was genuinely surreal. The food is a mix of Asian and Western, with a sushi station and a roast beef carving table. The lychee martini is the drink to order. A local tip: the elevator ride to the 58th floor takes about forty seconds, and the doors open directly onto the terrace, so the transition from street level to skyline is abrupt and thrilling. The best time to arrive is right when brunch starts at eleven, because the outdoor tables fill up fast and there is no waiting list for the terrace. The wind can be strong up here even on calm days, so bring a light jacket and secure your napkin under your plate.

Vue at the Hyatt on the Bund

Vue occupies the top two floors of the Hyatt on the Bund, in the old Customs House building at the north end of the waterfront. The building itself dates to 1927, and its clock tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Bund. The brunch here is more low-key than Flair, with a focus on Western comfort food and a wine list that leans heavily toward Australian labels. The hot chocolate is thick and rich, and the eggs florentine are consistently well executed. I prefer Vue on overcast days because the grey sky behind the Pudong towers creates a moody, cinematic backdrop that the bright sunshine does not. A detail most tourists miss: the building's original customs hall on the ground floor still has its vaulted ceiling and marble floors, and it is worth a quick look before you head upstairs. The best tables are along the north-facing wall, which gives you a view of the Waibaidu Bridge and the Suzhou Creek confluence. The outdoor terrace is small, so reservations are essential, especially on weekends.

When to Go and What to Know

Shanghai's brunch season runs roughly from March to November, with the best weather in April, May, and October. Summer brings humidity and sudden thunderstorms that can shut down outdoor terraces without warning. Winter is grey and cold, and most rooftop venues close their outdoor seating entirely. Sunday is the busiest day for brunch across the city, so if you can manage a Saturday or even a Friday, you will have a much easier time getting a good table. Reservations are strongly recommended at all the venues mentioned here, and most of them accept bookings through their WeChat official accounts or by phone. Cash is rarely used, so make sure your Alipay or WeChat Pay is set up before you arrive. Tipping is not expected in Shanghai, though some international restaurants will add a ten percent service charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Shanghai?

Shanghai has seen a significant rise in dedicated vegan and vegetarian restaurants over the past five years, particularly in neighborhoods like Jing'an, Xintiandi, and the former French Concession. Most international brunch spots will have at least two or three plant-based options on their menus, though purely vegan venues remain less common than in cities like Berlin or Los Angeles. Expect to pay between 60 and 120 RMB for a vegan brunch plate at a mid-range restaurant.

Is Shanghai expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

A mid-tier traveler in Shanghai should budget approximately 800 to 1,200 RMB per day, covering a hotel room in the 400 to 600 RMB range, two meals at local or mid-range restaurants for 150 to 300 RMB, transportation by metro and taxi for 50 to 100 RMB, and attractions or entertainment for 100 to 200 RMB. Brunch at a scenic venue will push the daily food budget higher, so plan for 200 to 400 RMB per person if you are eating at the places described in this guide.

Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Shanghai?

Most brunch venues in Shanghai have no formal dress code, though rooftop and hotel restaurants tend to expect smart casual attire. Avoid flip-flops and tank tops at places like Flair or Mr & Mrs Bund. When dining with locals, it is customary to offer the seat facing the door to the most senior person at the table. Tipping is not part of local culture, and leaving money on the table may cause confusion rather than gratitude.

Is the tap water in Shanghai safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?

Shanghai's tap water is treated and meets national standards, but most locals and visitors prefer to drink bottled or filtered water due to the taste and aging pipe infrastructure in older buildings. All the venues mentioned in this guide serve filtered or bottled water, and you should not hesitate to ask for it. Boiling tap water is a common practice in Chinese households and remains the most reliable method for making it safe to drink.

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Shanghai is famous for?

Xiaolongbao, the soup-filled steamed dumplings, are the iconic Shanghai specialty, and you will find them on brunch menus across the city, often with a modern twist like truffle or crab roe filling. For a drink, try the Shanghai-style coffee at one of the city's independent cafes, where local roasters blend Yunnan-grown beans with techniques borrowed from both Chinese and Western traditions.