What to Eat First in Shanghai if You Do Not Speak Chinese

刚到上海，你的精力应该花在适应环境上，而不是在点菜上挣扎。以下三类地方是最安全的第一顿选择。

• 商场餐厅：上海各大商场里的餐厅通常有图片菜单，部分有英文标注。服务员习惯了接待各种顾客，沟通压力小。静安、新天地、陆家嘴的商场尤其友好。
• 连锁餐厅：鼎泰丰、海底捞、新元素、Wagas 这类连锁品牌有标准化的菜单和服务流程，很多有英文菜单。你知道会得到什么，不会有意外。
• 咖啡馆：法租界和静安区有很多外国人开的咖啡馆，菜单英文齐全，环境舒适，是倒时差和调整节奏的好去处。

When you first arrive in Shanghai, your energy should go toward adjusting to the environment, not struggling with ordering food. These three categories are the safest first-meal choices.

• Mall restaurants: Restaurants in Shanghai's major malls usually have picture menus, and some have English labels. Staff are used to serving all kinds of customers, so there is less communication pressure. Malls in Jing'an, Xintiandi, and Lujiazui are especially foreigner-friendly.
• Chain restaurants: Brands like Din Tai Fung, Haidilao, Element Fresh, and Wagas have standardized menus and service processes. Many provide English menus. You know what you are getting, with no surprises.
• Cafés: The French Concession and Jing'an district have many cafés run by foreigners, with full English menus and a comfortable atmosphere. They are a great place to recover from jet lag and find your rhythm.

很多人觉得旅行就该马上体验最地道的东西。但在上海，如果你一句中文都不会，直接冲进一家没有英文菜单的小馆子，体验可能很差。

• 你可能看不懂菜单，也不知道怎么点菜，最后随便指一个，拿到的东西可能完全不是你想要的。
• 如果你不知道怎么用扫码点餐，整个流程会让你很沮丧。
• 第一家店的糟糕体验可能影响你对上海美食的整体印象。
• 先在简单的环境里学会基本流程——扫码、看图、结账——再去挑战本地店会轻松得多。

上海的本地美食绝对值得探索，但不需要在第一天就全部搞定。给自己几天时间适应。

Many people think travel means diving into the most authentic experience right away. But in Shanghai, if you do not speak any Chinese and walk into a small local shop with no English menu, the experience can be rough.

• You may not be able to read the menu or know how to order. Pointing at random often gets you something you did not want.
• If you do not know how to use the QR code ordering system, the whole process can be frustrating.
• A bad first experience can color your impression of Shanghai's food scene overall.
• Learning the basic flow in an easier setting — scanning QR codes, reading pictures, paying the bill — makes local shops much less intimidating later.

Shanghai's local food is absolutely worth exploring, but you do not need to conquer it all on day one. Give yourself a few days to adjust.

即使在没有英文菜单的餐厅，也有几种方法可以让你顺利点菜。

• 看图片：很多餐厅的菜单或墙上都有菜品图片。挑图片里看起来好吃的，基本不会太离谱。
• 用翻译 App：打开手机相机的翻译功能，对着菜单拍一张，能大致翻译出菜名和食材。
• 扫码点餐：上海大部分餐厅用扫码点餐。扫桌上的二维码进入点餐页面，很多系统支持切换英文。
• 问推荐：跟服务员说 "recommend" 或者指指隔壁桌的菜，大部分服务员能理解你的意思。

不用每道菜都搞明白是什么。大胆尝试，大多数上海菜都不会太辣太怪，适应性很强。

Even in restaurants without English menus, there are several ways to order successfully.

• Look at pictures: Many restaurants have dish pictures on the menu or on the wall. Pick what looks good in the photos and you will usually be fine.
• Use a translation app: Open your phone camera's translate feature and point it at the menu. It can roughly translate dish names and ingredients.
• QR code ordering: Most restaurants in Shanghai use QR code ordering. Scan the code at your table to open the ordering page, and many systems support switching to English.
• Ask for a recommendation: Say "recommend" to the server or point at a dish at the next table. Most servers will understand what you mean.

You do not need to know exactly what every dish is. Be adventurous. Most Shanghai food is not too spicy or too strange, and it is very approachable.

等你在商场和连锁店吃过几顿、熟悉了扫码点餐和基本沟通方式之后，就可以开始探索上海真正的美食了。

• 先去人多的本地面馆或饺子馆。这类店菜单简单，选择不多，不容易出错。
• 学会几个关键词：面（面条）、饭（米饭）、鸡（鸡肉）、猪（猪肉）、辣（辣的）、不要辣（不辣）。
• 午餐时间去，很多本地店午餐有套餐，价格实惠，选择明确。
• 跟着大众点评或者小红书上外国人推荐的本地店去，这些店通常对游客比较友好。

上海的本地美食是这座城市最大的惊喜之一。给自己一点时间，你会找到属于自己的最爱。

Once you have eaten a few meals at malls and chains, and you are familiar with QR code ordering and basic communication, you can start exploring Shanghai's real food scene.

• Start with busy local noodle shops or dumpling houses. These places have simple menus with limited choices, making it hard to go wrong.
• Learn a few key words: mian (noodles), fan (rice), ji (chicken), zhu (pork), la (spicy), buyao la (not spicy).
• Go at lunch time. Many local shops have lunch sets that are affordable and come with clear choices.
• Follow recommendations from Dianping or Xiaohongshu for foreigner-friendly local shops. These tend to be more welcoming to visitors.

Shanghai's local food is one of the city's biggest surprises. Give yourself some time and you will find your own favorites.

吃饭这件事，准备越充分体验越好。

The more prepared you are for dining, the better the experience.