This trip was completed in December 2024.
Our visit to Shanghai happened on the cusp of fall and winter, coinciding with the last of fall's foliage and the first of Christmas' charm. As the weather turned colder, we found ourselves enjoying sipping coffee in a cafe and indulging in heartwarming food like claypot dishes and hot pot.
During this time, we noticed that specialty coffee seemed increasingly popular, with many distinctive coffee shops dotting the city. This review will feature a few of those we visited, all of them offering their own flavor of ambience, creativity, and expertise. If you enjoy specialty coffee, it could be rewarding to visit a couple of them.
For a more general trip review of Shanghai, you can refer to our previous post on April 2024. With that, read on for some cosy cafes, Shanghai Disneyland and the seasonal Christmas market at the Bund!
Accommodation: Pullman Shanghai Jing'an
Rating 7.9/10
Located adjacent to Shanghai Railway Station and at the eponymous metro station, the hotel is a convenient option for commuting both between cities and within the heart of the city. The hotel is a quick five-minute sheltered walk from the metro station, with a cove-like entryway leading into an entrance walled in by surrounding buildings.
The lobby was nicely decorated for Christmas with a festive ambience to it. An interesting observation was that the hotel floors are categorised according to their Accor loyalty program, with elite membership status occupying higher floors of the hotel.
Our room was a decent size with floor-to-ceiling windows, although there was not much of a view except some office buildings opposite an expressway. We found the soundproofing to be sufficient in the room, although one can definitely hear the traffic from the expressway in the bathroom where the window can be kept open for ventilation purposes. For comfort during winter, the heating system is also adequate and efficient.
Overall, the hotel ranks well for striking a good balance between its convenient location and reasonable price point. Room rates start from around 800RMB/night. As our trip this time round also included a short trip to Nanjing by train, the proximity to the railway station made this hotel in Shanghai a perfect resting spot for inter-city travel.
Dining: T12 Lab
Rating 8.2/10
A relatively established name in the city's specialty coffee scene, T12 Lab offers a variety of coffee beans that can be prepared in your preferred coffee style. If you've taken a liking to a certain type of coffee bean, they are also available for purchase in handy 100-grams bags.
A small selection of baked goods, such as scones, canelé and financiers, are available to go with your coffee. Taste-wise, they surprisingly do not pale in comparison to full-fledged bakeries. As recommended by the barista, we got a Dirty done in beans from Brazil, along with a lemon and sage scone as well as a buttered toast. Coffee was served together with a small card that shares simple tips on how best to enjoy it.
Another intriguing characteristic of T12 Lab was the couple of signages encouraging customers to speak softly in the premises. You’d observe that the baristas all set an example by conversing in soft voices. There is even a live decibel reading sitting in one corner to remind everyone of this!
To fully appreciate this peaceful slice of bustling Shanghai, try to visit during the weekdays as the weekend crowd can lead to long queue and uncertain waiting time.
Dining: Da Xiao Le Coffeeshop
Rating 8.0/10
The lesser-known little sister of T12 Lab, Da Xiao Le Coffeeshop offers a mirrored selection of coffee beans and baked goods. Compared to T12 Lab, Da Xiao Le has a more homely and cozy setting, decorated with unique pieces of vintage furniture and quirky crockery. Despite a smaller seating capacity, the crowd was manageable and did not feel overwhelming.
While sipping our coffee, we couldn’t help but notice that many customers seemed to be frequent visitors who are no strangers with the baristas. The friendly banters between them certainly added to the neighbourhood atmosphere and sense of community.
In addition, Da Xiao Le is situated in an area with a concentration of trendy bistros and coffeeshops, and a 10-minute walk away from luxury shopping mall, IAPM. Consider Da Xiao Le if you're keen to have a cup of the same good quality coffee without jostling with the crowd at T12 Lab.
Dining: Captain George
Rating 8.2/10
A multi-sensorial experience with coffee beans awaits you at Captain George. A stone's throw away from T12 Lab is Captain George, with a fancy old European interior in the theme of a "Flavor Museum". In terms of coffee selection, it's similar to the above two, where one could pick the coffee bean and way of preparation.
To maximize the coffee-tasting experience, Captain George offers a set of three cups of coffee each brewed with different beans in different ways. The curation changes seasonally, but two of which will typically be done in classic ways, while the final cup will be innovatively executed with an unexpected blend of ingredients.
We went for a classic latte prepared with a fruity Ethiopian bean this time but will be sure to give the seasonal set a try the next time we are back.
Dining: RAC Bar & Coffee
Rating 8.1/10
Situated in the junction between Wukang Road and Anfu Road, RACBAR is a French bistro that specializes in crepes and galettes. Given its prime location, we had to wait a brief 15 minutes despite visiting off-peak at 4pm on a Saturday. To fill the waiting time, there are plenty of shops worth visiting nearby, including multi-brand cosmetic specialty store Harmay and street apparel shop D.Desirable owned by Chinese celebrity Dylan Wang.
Orders at RACBAR were placed directly with the wait staff, which differed from the norm in China where orders were usually submitted via scanning a QR code at the table. Compared to other places, some of the offerings at RACBAR can be pricey, ranging from 78 - 128 RMB for their menu items.
We had a seasonal special, Black Truffle & Raclette Galette, as well as a comforting cup of hot chocolate. The balanced and authentic flavours of the galette were particularly delightful. However, we thought the hot chocolate was a tad too sweet.
Apart from this outlet, RAC has another one that goes by RAC Allee, located not far away at Yanping Road. If you’ve visited the famous Wukang Road and Anfu Road previously, it could be a good reason to visit the other branch to see another side of the area.
Dining: Butterful & Creamorous
Rating 8.0/10
We were pleasantly surprised by the limited-time takeover by Valentino Beauty of Butterful & Creamorous at Wujiang Road, giving the famed bakery a new purple look. On top of the visually impactful aesthetic update, there were special items offered in conjunction with the collaboration.
At this store, only limited seating is scattered along the perimeter and second floor of the bakery, thus most people ordered take-outs. Disposable cutlery and gloves can also be requested for takeout orders to consume on-the-go. There was a line when we arrived but although it appeared long, the wait was only about five minutes.
We were welcomed by a spectacle of pastries and desserts displayed on trays as well as in refrigerators, which we could help ourselves to. Due to the large floor area dedicated to the baked goods, we did feel that walking space within the bakery was slightly narrow.
Overall, the selection was skewed towards sweeter options, in flavors such as chocolate, raspberry and pistachio. To guide visitors through the dizzying selection, there are flags indicating the ranking of their signature items as well. Based on reviews, chocolate-flavoured items are a must-try and they did not disappoint. The Chocolate Chip Crispy Pretzel we tried was generously covered in rich bittersweet chocolate and cereal-like crisps for an added crunch to every bite.
Dining: Wu Li Guan Sichuan Hotpot
Rating 7.8/10
There is no better time for hot pot than during the cold nights of a city winter. It is a comfort meal in Chinese cities and this particular hot pot restaurant ranks highly on social media. Therefore, we decided to give Chengdu brand, Wu Li Guan Sichuan Hotpot a try.
Wu Li Guan is close by Jing’An Temple in the heart of Shanghai’s city center. As the restaurant seemed busy during dinnertime, we joined a virtual queue via the Dianping app prior to arriving. In total, we waited close to one and a half hours in the virtual queue. For customers who do not mind the physical queue, there are also seats outside the restaurant to facilitate the wait.
Upon entering, you’d be greeted with elements typical of hot pot restaurants such as self-service condiment bars, aprons, and baskets to store your belongings. For our soup base, we went with a trio of tomato, mushroom and their signature mala.
The digital menu is comprehensive with a good variety of raw and cooked options. There are several cuts and types of raw beef available for selection. Portions are slightly smaller than typical hot pot places, in proportion with the lower price point per dish. The service staff was attentive, offering to cook the raw meat on our behalf, as well as regularly refilling our tea.
One thing which we find can be improved is the ventilation of the restaurant. With that many tables and the restaurant operating at full capacity throughout the evening, it is natural for the hot pot smell to stay on patrons' clothing and bags. However, it was a little too strong in our opinion.
Overall, if you do not mind the hours-long queue, Wu Li Guan is certainly worth a try. Just perhaps avoid visiting wearing your favorite piece of clothing and bag!
Activity: Shanghai Disney Resort
Rating 9.1/10
A highlight of our itinerary was the visit to Shanghai Disney Resort, in time for the seasonal Christmas theme. In fact, we were also there two months ago for the Halloween theme but we were caught in the thick of a strong typhoon for the whole day.
It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the park from Shanghai city center via metro. Although the train journey is long, getting there is intuitive: Alight at the Disney Resort station and the theme park's main entrance is a short walk away with clear directional signs along the path.
There are several types of tickets, including early bird tickets, packages with dining vouchers, premium passes and so on. We got the early bird tickets this time around, which came with a 60RMB discount, as long as the tickets were purchased 10 days before the date of visit. Do note that this ticket type is neither refundable nor exchangeable. Tickets can be bought online via the official website, on Klook, and also through local mobile apps like Meituan. Foreigners will have to key in their passport numbers at purchase, and remember to bring along the physical passports for ticket verification at the park entrance.
One useful tip is that upon arriving at Disney Resort station, you should consider purchasing their return metro tickets at the station first, so that you can avoid being stuck queuing for a train ticket purchase back to the city later since everyone is likely to leave the park at the same time as you.
Even though the bag check can be rather strict, the process will be fairly smooth if arriving around noon time (after the peak entry timings) and if it is not raining. To enjoy more time in the park, we also saw visitors dressing light and not bringing a bag so that they can swiftly enter via a separate line.
To receive firsthand updates of wait time, meet-and-greets, and showtimes, it could be useful to download the dedicated app. There is also an interactive map to guide visitors through all 963 acres of the park. During our visit, wait times for rides averaged around 40-60 mins. Meet-and-greets generally had a short wait time of 10 mins (except for Linabell, Shanghai Disney Resort’s “celebrity”, clocking an estimated wait time of close to 4 hours).
Being Disney’s first-ever Zootopia-inspired area, Zootopia at Shanghai Disney Resort lived up to the hype with its loud colors and vivid details. As Zootopia is the newest addition to the park, it is expectedly one of the most densely-packed areas. Be prepared to set aside some time to wait in line for the family-friendly star attraction, 'Hot Pursuit'.
As night fell, visitors started to gather around 'Gardens of Imagination', in hopes of securing the most ideal position to watch the performance of fireworks, light and music show. At the main viewing area, visitors will be mandated to sit on the ground to ensure the best viewing experience for spectators behind them.
Crowds started to file in about an hour prior to the start of the show. Depending on the season and weather conditions, the exact timing of the show could change. Visitors are encouraged to refer to the app for the most up-to-date schedule.
Christmas at Disney Resort adds another layer of wonder to the happiest place on earth. Apart from thematic installations, other seasonal specials such as artificial snowfall and Christmas tree lighting ceremony are also available during then. For anyone who enjoys Disney, this will indeed be a great time to visit.
Activity: Christkindlmarkt Shanghai at The Bund
Rating 8.1/10
Christkindlmarkt, organized by German Events organization, is an annual German Christmas Market held at the intersection of Yuanmingyuan Road and Beijing East Road at The Bund. Entry tickets are priced at 30 RMB if you purchase in advance, and 40 RMB for on-the-spot purchases. As a measure of crowd control, ticket sales might close prematurely on the day, hence do get them beforehand to guarantee a spot.
Festive spirit was palpable once we stepped into the market. Every detail from setup, lighting, to music was exquisitely executed. Little wooden cottages lined the street, selling traditional German delicacies including German sausages, mulled wine, as well as treats from different parts of the world. If you’re looking to do some Christmas shopping, ornaments and other trinkets are available for sale too. For families with little ones, there is also a carousel set up within the compound.
While the atmosphere was perfect, it is unlikely to spend anything more than two hours inside as there are not much activities or live events lined up. Perhaps the experience would be richer if the scale of the market was enlarged. Nonetheless, we think it is a picture-worthy Christmas market that is high up on a must-do list for travelers at this time of the year.
Having visited Shanghai during the lunar New Year and now Christmas too, this city has surprised us with its vibrancy. There are no lack of new things to experience. If you find yourselves visiting during a similar period, you can expect numerous seasonal activities to explore, and take the good clear weather as icing on the cake.
