Washoku Guide
← Shanghai
Shanghai · 居酒屋

Authentic Izakaya
in Shanghai.

Japanese taverns: small plates, charcoal grills, sake and shochu. The room matters as much as the food.

01
Burase 鱼医生 — authentic japanese restaurant in Shanghai, Changning / Gubei

Burase 鱼医生

¥¥¥
Changning / Gubei · Izakaya · a la carte
JapaneseIzakayaSashimiSeafoodLate Night

Burase (鱼医生, Dr. Fish) is a late-night Japanese seafood izakaya on Gubei's Xianxia Road strip, open from 17:30 until 3:00am. The kitchen specialises in toushimozukuri sashimi — fish briefly blanched then plunged into ice water for a unique warm-cold texture — and live-flame eel rice cooked tableside.

View restaurant →
03
Motoya 别邸 — authentic japanese restaurant in Shanghai, Minhang

Motoya 别邸

¥¥¥
Minhang · Izakaya · a la carte
JapaneseSukiyakiWagyuShabu-shabuKanto-style

Motoya is a Japanese sukiyaki specialist in Minhang that has been serving Kanto-style hot-pot dining since 2012. The sukiyaki set for two (¥588) includes four grades of Australian wagyu — A3 through A6 — with vegetables, egg fried rice or udon, and dessert, earning its reputation as Shanghai's best value quality sukiyaki.

View restaurant →
05
Akatsuki 晓あかつき海鲜居酒屋 — authentic japanese restaurant in Shanghai, Changning / Gubei

Akatsuki 晓あかつき海鲜居酒屋

¥¥
Changning / Gubei · Izakaya · a la carte
JapaneseIzakayaSeafoodSashimiYakitori

Akatsuki is a seafood-focused izakaya on Xingyi Road that operates with the casual authenticity of a Tokyo neighborhood drinking den: menus in Japanese and Chinese only, walls lined with scrawled dedications and fish fins, and a clientele of Japanese businessmen settling in with Suntory highballs. Seafood including chu-toro, sea urchin, and peony shrimp arrives by air from Japan.

View restaurant →
06
Merase 布良瀬 — authentic japanese restaurant in Shanghai, Changning

Merase 布良瀬

¥¥
Changning · Izakaya · a la carte
JapaneseIzakayaSashimiLive SeafoodJapanese Expat

Merase is a discreet Japanese izakaya on Xianxia Road that sets itself apart through daily air-freight of live fish and shellfish from Japan, maintained in in-house tanks and prepared by experienced Japanese-speaking chefs. The clean, welcoming interior has earned it a devoted following among Japanese expatriates as a taste of home in Shanghai.

View restaurant →
Other Japanese cuisines in Shanghai
Kaiseki in ShanghaiSushi in ShanghaiTeppanyaki in ShanghaiYakitori in ShanghaiRamen in ShanghaiDonburi in Shanghai
Authentic izakaya in other cities →All authentic Japanese in Shanghai →
FAQ

Questions, answered.

What makes izakaya in Shanghai authentic?
Japanese taverns: small plates, charcoal grills, sake and shochu. The room matters as much as the food. In Shanghai, we apply the same standard: chefs trained in the discipline, ingredients and technique consistent with Japanese practice, and a focused izakaya-first format rather than a mixed menu.
How do you define authenticity?
Washoku Guide defines authenticity by the kitchen's grounding in Japanese culinary tradition: trained chefs (often in Japan), techniques and ingredients consistent with Japanese practice, a focused menu rather than a pan-Asian one, and a coherent dining format (sushi-ya, ramen-ya, izakaya, kaiseki, etc.). We weigh these signals together — no single factor decides.
Do you require Japanese ownership?
No. Japanese ownership is one positive signal, but it is not required. We also recognise restaurants with Japanese-led kitchens or non-Japanese chefs who have trained extensively in Japan and apply traditional techniques with discipline. What matters is the cooking, not the passport.
How are restaurants selected?
Each entry is researched and chosen by Washoku Guide editors — not voted in, not paid for, and not algorithmically ranked. We read kitchen biographies, study menus, talk to people in the industry, and visit when possible. Restaurants pay nothing to be listed.
Are the listings ranked?
No. Washoku Guide is a curated guide, not a ranking. Order on a city page is editorial and may change as the guide evolves; it does not imply that #1 is better than #5. Every listed restaurant has met our authenticity bar.
Are these the only authentic izakaya restaurants in Shanghai?
These are the ones Washoku Guide has researched and stands behind today. The guide grows over time; if you know an authentic izakaya restaurant in Shanghai we should consider, please get in touch.