Restaurants are opening by the day in this city, making it hard to keep up The past five years have seen an explosion of international and fusion restaurants, while local chefs are becoming increasingly exploratory with Shanghai and regional cuisines. The following list is simply a starter: ask around, consult listings magazines, or simply follow your nose. M on the Bund 7/F, 20 Guangdong Road, The Bund 63509988 Tue-Sun 11.30 am-2.30pm, Daily 6pm-10.30pm. All cards Founded in 1999, M on the Bund has achieved iconic status, having single-handedly set the tone for everything that has followed since. Its views of the Bund and the bristling skyscrapers across the river in Pudong, combined with the Mediterranean-meets-Middle-East-menu, remain unbeatable to this day. Whampoa Club 5/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, The Bund 63213737 Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-11pm. All cards Home to Jereme Leung, a winner of World's Best Chef from the American Academy of Hospitality Science, the Whampoa Club serves interpretations of classic Chinese regional dishes. It has earned the reputation as the place to eat Shanghainese in Shanghai. Jean-Georges 4/F, No 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road (near Guangdong Road) 63217733. Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-11pm. All cards Jean-Georges Vongerichten, celebrity chef (sometimes 'super-chef') from New York, has brought his culinary innovations to Shanghai in a setting that famously includes eel-skin sofas and pony-leather sofas. Think 1930s Shanghai gentlemen's club. Laris 6/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road The Bund 63219922 Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm. All cards The third of the 'Three on the Bund' triumvirate, Laris is skippered by Australian-Greek David Laris, who came to Shanghai from Terrence Conran's renowned Soho Restaurant, Mezzo. Bao Luo 271 Fumin Road, by Changle Road 54037239 24 hours daily. No cards Locals like to brag that Bao Luo has been open 24 hours a day since the moment it opened, although a section here and there - it's a warren in there - has been closed for renovations. It is the kind of place that is best described as an experience, and has a special place in the hearts of many Shanghai long-timers. Like most Chinese diners, it is best suited to groups of four and more, but it can accommodate couples. Be prepared to wait for a table though. Sasha's House11, 9 Dongping Road on the corner of Hengshan Road 64746628 Daily, 11am-2am. All cards Sasha's is equally well known as a first-rate bar, but it is worth calling in here for the innovative continental-style lunches and dinners. Once the residence of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and China's first lady Soong May-ling, its is the kind of venue that only Shanghai could have come up with. Hengshan Cafe 308 Hengshan Road, near Wuxing Road 64717127 10.30am to 3.30am, daily. All cards. English/Chinese menu The Hengshan Cafe bills itself as serving Cantonese cuisine, and while it does, it also serves a host of perennial Chinese favourites. The attraction is the atmosphere, which is fast-paced and crowded - the way the Chinese love it. Look for the roast ducks and the chefs at work behind the windows at ground level. Ashanti Dome 16 Gaolan Road (by Sinan Road, near Fuxing Park) 53066777 Open daily, 6pm-10.30pm; brunch: 11.30am-2.30pm Sat-Sun. All cards. English/French/Chinese menu Ashanti is perhaps the world's only restaurant housed in a Russian Orthodox Church. It also has a fabulous array of wines, including prize winners from its own South African vineyard, and a wide-ranging French menu that touches all the classic dishes. It even makes concessions for vegetarians.