Authentic Izakaya
in Shanghai.

The world's first Michelin-starred yakiniku restaurant (2016): Kanpai Classic on the Bund captivates with top-grade Australian wagyu grilled tableside over charcoal, and holds Michelin Selected status in 2026.

Ri He is a premium sukiyaki specialist in Arch Walk Gubei, following strict Kansai tradition with A5 wagyu and a tableside-cooking server. The menu — available only in Chinese and Japanese — centres on meticulously sourced cuts of marbled beef.

Aburi-En (炙苑) has been Pudong's go-to yakiniku destination since opening in 2021 inside Kerry Center. Australian wagyu is grilled over binchō-tan charcoal in a Japanese tasting menu format, with the flagship ¥1,688 set covering six premium cuts, sashimi, and wagyu rice.

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.

An authentic Japanese izakaya from owners Iwata and Oji in Shanghai's Gubei neighbourhood — refined dishes, a hand-picked sake selection, and late-night service until 2 a.m.

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.

Takumi (匠) has been introducing Shanghai to authentic robatayaki since 2011, using binchō-tan charcoal and a traditional wooden paddle to serve grilled seafood and meats at its IFC Mall and Kerry Centre locations. The name means 'Masterpiece' — a standard the kitchen consistently meets.

Modern Japanese izakaya by Kobe chef Jun Nishio and co-founder Sam Norris — relaxed comfort food with a Japanese soul in the heart of Shanghai.

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.

Ginpei is a well-established Japanese izakaya on Xianxia Road offering daily air-flown sashimi from Japan, multiple private rooms fitted with traditional digging kotatsu, and a sake and shochu list that regularly draws Japanese businesspeople. At ¥¥ pricing it represents one of the best value authentic Japanese dining options in the Gubei corridor.

Ikkou (一幸) is a multi-location Japanese-run izakaya operating across Changning, Gubei, and Pudong, popular with Shanghai's Japanese expat community for its broad, authentic menu: sushi rolls, sukiyaki, unagi rice, yakitori, grilled seafood, and tatami private dining rooms.

Inadatadashi is a consistently popular, affordable Japanese izakaya on the Gubei dining strip at New Century Plaza, known for generous Western-style Japanese set meals and honest home cooking. It draws a loyal following from the surrounding Japanese expatriate community.

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.

Named after its Japanese owner Nagao Kanji, No. 9 is an intimate izakaya on Anlong Road bringing Kagawa Prefecture flavors to Shanghai's Gubei expat hub. Sea bream rice and wood-grilled chicken are the house specialties.

Sanchome (三町目) is a Japanese-run sushi bar and izakaya on tree-lined Julu Road, consistently favoured by Japanese expats and businessmen. A la carte nigiri starts from ¥12, with a broad izakaya menu of sashimi, yakitori, and sukiyaki rounding out the evening.

SAOYA is a warmly welcoming Japanese izakaya on Xianxia Road, brought to Shanghai by the Japanese owner Mr. Saoyama after establishing five successful restaurants in Kagoshima. The menu centers on Kyushu regional specialties including hakata beef intestine hotpot, with an atmosphere shaped by Mr. Saoyama's famous convivial personality.

Toramaru (虎丸) enforces a remove-shoes-upon-entry policy and outfits every table with coal-powered flat-top grills — grill plates are swapped regularly to ensure each cut gets the freshest possible sear. Multiple Gubei food guides consistently recommend it as one of the neighbourhood's most authentic Japanese BBQ destinations.

Japan's cult budget yakitori chain Torikizoku made its Shanghai debut in February 2025 — authentic yakitori skewers at a flat price of 18 RMB per item.

Wanhuo (万火, 'Ten Thousand Fires') is a long-running Gubei izakaya where the Osaka-born owner personally tends the charcoal grill every evening, producing marinated skewers, miso steak, grilled onigiri with homemade pickles, and charred chicken alongside a curated sake and highball menu.

Ikkou (一幸) is one of Gubei's most beloved casual Japanese izakayas, tucked into a residential lane on Ronghua West Road. With a compact counter facing the sushi station and private tatami rooms in the back, the broad menu spans fresh sashimi, enormous sushi rolls, eel rice, yakitori, and sukiyaki — all at accessible ¥¥ prices.