Top Rated Pizza Joints in Shanghai That Locals Swear By
Words by
Wei Zhang
The first pizza I ever ate in Shanghai was a burnt Margherita at a half-forgotten corner spot in the French Concession, and I remember thinking there had to be better. Over the past decade I have eaten my way through strip malls in Pudong, late-night basement kitchens near Jing'an, and tiny takeout windows tucked behind Fuxing Road toy shops. What follows is a genuinely personal roundup of the top rated pizza joints in Shanghai, the ones locals keep coming back to, the slices people quote in group chats at midnight.
To walk into most of these places is to understand something important about how Shanghai eats. Pizza here did not arrive through corporate franchise culture first. It arrived with Italian expats in the late 1990s running tiny kitchens for other expats, then slowly made its way onto local radar through word of mouth, delivery apps, and the sheer hunger of a city that never stops growing. Every venue on this list carries a piece of that story.
If you only have three days in the city and you want to know where to start, skip the hotel restaurant and head straight to the local pizza spots Shanghai regulars defend fiercely when anyone dares suggest the food scene is too Westernized.
T88Near the Back Doors of Jing'an: Where Residents Actually Eat Cheap Pizza Shanghai Stylest88 by the Temple
A few minutes' walk south of Jing'an Temple, down a side street most taxi drivers will not find on the first try, sits Pizza Factory. The place is small, maybe twenty seats, the walls are covered with old concert posters and faded photos of Shanghai street scenes from the 1920s. The owner, a Suzhou native named Lao Guo, has been running this place since 2009 and still pulls every dough by hand each morning. He learned to make pizza from a Sicilian chef who worked at one of the older hotels on Huaihai Road and brought back techniques that most fast-casual chains here never bothered to learn.
The Margherita runs 58 yuan for a 10-inch pie. The Diavola, loaded with a spicy sausage blend he sources from a small batch producer in Zhejiang province, is 68 yuan and worth every cent. Go on a weekday afternoon between 2 and 5 PM when the lunch rush dies down and Lao Guo himself is often standing behind the counter. This is the best time to visit because you will get his full attention and he will likely recommend whatever is freshest that day. Ask about the seasonal specials he only advertises on a chalkboard near the door. These change monthly and are almost always outstanding.
The one thing to know before going: cash is not accepted. Everything is WeChat Pay or Alipay. This has been standard in Shanghai for years, but visitors coming from overseas sometimes get caught off guard, so set up your payment apps before heading over. Parking is not even worth thinking about in this neighborhood. Take Metro Line 2 to Jing'an Temple and walk 8 minutes south on the narrow side street beside the old lane-house entrance.
PizzaExpress in the Former French Concession: The Best Casual Pizza Shanghai Locals Return to Repeatedly
PizzaExpress, the British chain with a surprisingly strong foothold in Shanghai, has several locations, but the one on Xintiendi North Block is the version locals actually recommend over, say, the IFC or Super Brand Mall outposts. It sits on the lower ground floor, easy to miss if you are focused on the main dining terrace above, but the atmosphere down here is calmer, the service faster, and the wood-fired oven has been producing consistent results since the branch opened in the mid-2010s.
What makes this one different from other branches in Shanghai is the staff. Several of the servers and kitchen team have worked here for over five runs, which matters because turnover in Shanghai's F&B industry is notoriously high. They know repeat customers by name, remember how you ordered your pizza last time, and will adjust pepperoni placement if you ask. It is a small thing, but after bouncing between dozens of restaurants where the staff changes every few months, this consistency feels like a rare gift in a city that never stays still.
The Leggera range, their lighter-calorie line with a hole in the center filled with fresh salad greens, is a smart pick if you have been eating heavy Shanghainese braised dishes all week and want something that feels indulgent without settling into a food coma. Prices range from 65 to 118 yuan depending on toppings. Visit on a Sunday morning between 10 and noon, when Xintiandi is still sleepy and tourist buses have not yet filled the plaza outside.
One honest complaint: the dining area near the back gets very cold in winter because of the ventilation from the kitchen, so ask for a table closer to the front or bring a light layer even in January.
Napule Not Just for Expats: A Neighborhood Gem Along Wukang Road
On Nepule's original location on Wukang Road, in the heart of the French Concession's leafy villa district, you will find a restaurant that has quietly shaped Shanghai's entire pizza conversation. Opened years ago by a team that included trained Neapolitan pizzaiolos and local hospitality professionals, Nepule is the place that made a generation of Shanghai residents take wood-fired pizza seriously.
Their Margherita DOC is a textbook interpretation. San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, basil added after baking in the wood-fired oven that reaches 450 degrees Celsius. The result is a pie with a leopard-spotted char on the cornicione and a tender, slightly wet center, which is exactly what you want from a proper Margherita. At 88 yuan, it is not the cheap pizza Shanghai is known for, and locals who balk at the price usually end up reconciling themselves after the first bite.
Nepule also does seasonal toppings that draw from local inspirations. A few autumns ago they ran a version with Chinese sausage and pickled mustard greens, and it worked so well it sold out every evening for three weeks. Follow their WeChat mini program to catch these limited runs.
The best time to visit is a weekday evening around 6:30 PM, early enough to miss the peak dinner crush but late enough that the patio lighting along Wukang Road transforms the whole block into something cinematic. This is one of the most photogenic streets in Shanghai, lined with wutong trees and historic architecture, and eating pizza here on a spring evening is one of those experiences that captures the strange, beautiful collision of old European Shanghai and modern Chinese cosmopolitanism.
The downside: wait times on weekends can easily stretch past an hour, and the staff will not always update you on your queue number. Put your name down, then walk to the nearby Wukang Building or browse the little boutiques on the same block until your phone buzzes.
Mark a name attached to the most respected Jewish Bakery in Shanghai
Mark's, the pizza and bake shop connected to Mark's kosher bakery brand, operates a small but fiercely loyal following near the old Jewish quarter around Tilanqiao in Hongkou District. This area was home to thousands of Jewish refugees who arrived in Shanghai during World War II, and walking its quiet streets today still carries a weight that surprises first-time visitors.
The space itself is clean and minimal. A counter, a handful of tables, and an oven visible through a glass partition. The pizza leans New York style, with foldable slices that hold their own against what you would find in Brooklyn. Their pepperoni slice, sold individually for around 35 yuan, is the most popular order and for good reason. It is greased and pepperoni-laden in a way that justifies the napkin mountain you will produce.
What most tourists would not know is that Mark's bakery supplies challah bread to several synagogues and Jewish community gatherings across the city. The pizza operation grew out of that baking tradition, which explains why the dough has a slightly richer, egg-washed quality you do not get at most pizza spots. If you visit on a weekday afternoon, you might catch housewives from the nearby lanes picking up challah loaves and staying for a quick slice. It is the kind of scene that tells you more about the neighborhood's history than any heritage plaque could.
One thing to prepare for: the surrounding area lacks the polished comfort of the French Concession or Pudong. This is working-class Shanghai, flat-roofed apartments and open-air markets, and you will not find a Starbucks within a 15-minute walk. Come for the pizza and stay for the unexpected sense of place.
A Slice of Hongqiao: Dr. Pizza
Dr. Pizza, a Korean-developed brand with a location near Hongqiao in Changning District, sits somewhat off the radar for tourists, which is precisely why locals in the know appreciate it. The brand has made a name for itself across East Asia by treating pizza like a quasi-scientific product. Every detail, from how the dough is fermented to the precise bake time, follows a documented protocol. The result is a thin, crispy base that people who like crunchy-crackery pizzas will find deeply satisfying.
Their Honey Garlic Chicken pizza, at about 76 yuan for a medium, is wildly popular with local customers who grew up on sweet-savory flavor profiles common in Shanghai cuisine. Standard pepperoni and Margherita options are available too, but the real draw is the Korean-influenced topping combinations that you will not find at Italian-run shops. The sweet potato mousse crust, a ring of mashed sweet potato baked into the outer edge, is a local favorite and worth trying even if you think you are a purist.
Visit on a weekday evening, ideally Tuesday or Wednesday, when the Hongqiao area is busy with office workers but the restaurant itself is not yet packed. The lunch rush here is brutal, with lines forming 20 minutes before noon, so avoid that window unless you enjoy standing in a queue with impatient salarymen.
The one thing that frustrates me about this location is the seating. The tables are close together, and if you are a larger person or carrying a backpack, navigating to your seat without bumping into someone else's chair requires genuine spatial awareness. It is a minor thing, but in a city where personal space is already at a premium, it stands out.
Pudong's Answer to Late-Night Cravings: Pizza Marzano at Super Brand Mall
Pizza Marzano, the UK-based Italian chain, has a branch in the Super Brand Mall in Lujiazui, Pudong, and while it may seem like an odd inclusion on a list of local favorites, hear me out. This particular branch has become a reliable late-night option for the thousands of young professionals who work in the surrounding office towers and often do not finish work until 9 or 10 PM.
The pizzas here are solid, not transcendent. The Rustica, with its folded-over edges and generous toppings, is the most ordered item and runs around 98 yuan. The dough is a bit thicker and softer than what you would get at a wood-fired specialist, but at 10 PM on a Tuesday in Pudong, when most independent restaurants have already closed their kitchens, having a dependable option matters more than perfection.
What makes this spot worth mentioning is its role in the daily rhythm of Pudong life. Lujiazui is the financial district, all glass towers and stock tickers, and the people eating here at night are analysts, designers, and startup founders unwinding after long days. The energy is different from the French Concession. It is faster, more transactional, but also more honest in its own way. You are eating pizza in the shadow of the Shanghai Tower, and that contrast between the globalized skyline and the simple act of sharing a pie with colleagues is something uniquely Shanghai.
Go after 9 PM on a weekday. The mall itself will be mostly empty, but the restaurant stays open and the staff are relaxed in a way they never are during the chaotic lunch service. One warning: the mall's parking garage is a labyrinth, and finding your car afterward can take 20 minutes if you did not photograph your parking spot.
The Underdog in Xuhui: Pizza Saporita
Pizza Saporita, a small independent operation in Xuhui District near the old residential lanes off Zhaojiabang Road, is the kind of place you only find because someone who lives nearby insists you go. There is no English signage to speak of, the menu is in Chinese with a few Italian dish names transliterated phonetically, and the owner, a Shanghai native who spent three years working in a pizzeria in Florence, runs the kitchen almost entirely by himself.
His Quattro Formaggi, at 72 yuan, is the standout. Four cheeses, including a local Shanghai-produced cream cheese that adds a subtle tanginess you will not find in Italy. The base is thin and slightly charred at the edges, and the whole thing arrives on a simple wooden board with a drizzle of honey that sounds strange but works beautifully against the saltiness of the gorgonzola.
This is the best casual pizza Shanghai has to offer if you want authenticity without pretension. There is no Instagram wall, no curated playlist, just a man making pizza the way he learned in a Tuscan kitchen and adapting it for the palate of his neighbors. Visit on a Saturday afternoon around 3 PM, when the surrounding lanes are at their quietest and you can sit by the window watching elderly residents play chess and hang laundry on bamboo poles.
The honest drawback: because the owner works alone, service can be slow when there are more than three or four tables occupied. If you are in a rush, this is not the place. But if you have time, the wait is part of the experience. You are watching someone craft something with care, and in a city that moves at breakneck speed, that slowness feels almost radical.
When to Go and What to Know Before You Start Eating
Shanghai's pizza scene does not follow the same rhythm as Italian dining culture. Lunch is typically 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and popular spots fill up fast. Dinner starts earlier than you might expect, around 5:30 PM for locals, with peak hours between 7 and 8:30 PM. If you want to avoid crowds at any of the places listed above, aim for the windows between lunch and dinner, roughly 2 to 5 PM.
Payment is almost entirely digital. WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate, and while some larger chains accept international credit cards, the smaller independent spots will not. Set up one of these apps before your trip, or carry enough yuan to cover meals at the few places that still accept cash.
Delivery apps like Meituan and Ele.me have made pizza accessible across the city, but the experience of eating in person, watching the dough being pulled and the oven doing its work, is a significant part of why these places matter. Delivery is convenient, but it flattens the thing that makes each spot distinct.
Weather matters more than you think. Shanghai's summers are brutally humid, and outdoor seating at places like Nepule or Pizza Saporita becomes genuinely uncomfortable from June through August after 11 AM. Winter, from December through February, is dry and cold, and restaurants with poor insulation, like the PizzaExpress basement, can feel like refrigerators. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the sweet spots for eating comfortably anywhere in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Shanghai is famous for?
Shanghai's most iconic dish is xiaolongbao, the soup dumplings originally from Nanxiang but perfected in the city's own restaurants. A standard basket of eight pork xiaolongbao costs between 25 and 60 yuan depending on the restaurant. The broth inside is made from pork aspic that melts during steaming, and the proper technique involves biting a small hole, sipping the soup, then dipping the rest in black vinegar with shredded ginger. Shengjianbao, the pan-fried version with a crispy bottom and juicy interior, is equally essential and typically costs 15 to 30 yuan for a portion of four.
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Shanghai?
There is no formal dress code at any of the pizza joints or casual restaurants in Shanghai. Smart casual is universally acceptable. One cultural norm worth knowing is that toasting with your glass held lower than the person you are toasting, especially if they are older or senior in rank, is a sign of respect. At shared meals, it is common for dishes to be placed in the center of the table rather than served individually, and using serving chopsticks or the back end of your own chopsticks to take food from shared plates is expected.
Is the tap water in Shanghai safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water in Shanghai is not safe to drink directly from the faucet. The municipal water treatment meets national standards, but aging pipe infrastructure in many buildings introduces contaminants. Most hotels provide bottled water or have filtered water dispensers in lobbies. A 19-liter water jug for home or office delivery costs around 15 to 25 yuan and can be ordered through apps like JD.com or Meituan with same-day delivery. Boiling tap water is the traditional local method and is effective for killing bacteria, though it does not remove heavy metals or chemical residues.
Is Shanghai expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
A mid-tier daily budget in Shanghai runs approximately 800 to 1,200 yuan per person. This breaks down to roughly 300 to 500 yuan for a decent hotel or serviced apartment, 150 to 250 yuan for meals at casual restaurants, 50 to 100 yuan for metro and taxi transport, and 100 to 200 yuan for attractions, coffee, and incidentals. A single pizza at most of the venues listed above costs between 55 and 110 yuan. A coffee at a local cafe runs 25 to 45 yuan. Metro fares start at 3 yuan and rarely exceed 8 yuan per trip.
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Shanghai?
Vegetarian and vegan dining is widely available in Shanghai, particularly in the Jing'an, Xuhui, and former French Concession areas. Dedicated vegetarian restaurants number over 200 across the city, and most standard Chinese restaurants offer vegetable-heavy dishes, though you should specify "su shi" (vegetarian) and confirm no lard or chicken stock is used, as these are common hidden ingredients. Western-style vegan options, including plant-based pizzas, are available at several of the pizza spots listed above, typically for 60 to 90 yuan per pie. Apps like Meituan and Dianping allow filtering by "vegetarian" or "vegan" to locate nearby options.
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