Family area guide: Old Xuhui

Charming tree-lined streets make Old Xuhui perfect for leisurely strolls on summer days – here's where to stop to chill, play, shop and eat along the way

Photograph: Time Out
Charming tree-lined streets make Old Xuhui perfect for leisurely strolls and bike rides on sunny summer days – here's where to stop to chill, play, shop and eat along the way.

Chill

Moka Bros

Having already earned pretty solid healthy food and lifestyle fame in Beijing, restaurateurs Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina brought their ‘eating well and feeling good’ hip Latin-vibe cafe to Shanghai, and it’s being met with rave reception. Moka Bros has a designated menu for kids between ten months and eight years that includes sandwiches, pasta and a babyccino with milk foam and cocoa powder.

Read more
108 Xiangyang Bei Lu

Egg

There’s fresh blood in the kitchen at the small-but-mighty Xiangyang Bei Lu café. Egg has trundled along quite blithely with its avocado toast and coconut cold brew, but owner Camden Hauge has brought in Jamie Pea to head up the café’s kitchen. First order of business? A refresh of the ...

Read more
12 Xiangyang Bei Lu

Spoooon!

DIY yogurt bar on Yongkang Lu offering up bowls of Greek, frozen and regular style yogurts with an awesome array of toppings.

Read more
59 Yongkang Lu

Eat

Thought for Food

Nestled inside health and wellness space Octave, Thought for Food is a triple threat: great service, a Zen atmosphere and a menu with natural and organic ingredients. On Saturdays and Sundays between midday and 2pm, a play area is open for kids to enjoy with supervision onsite so parents can sit back and relax over brunch.

Read more
357 Jianguo Xi RoadOnline booking

Cuivre

A relaxed and quirky French restaurant that somehow manages to remain affordable. A set kids’ menu during brunch costs 88RMB and makes it a suitable option for families with small tots. Although small, the restaurant has a designated play area with colouring materials, puzzles and toys. Pro tip: T for Thai, a restaurant from the same group and located on the second floor, also offers access to this kids’ play area.

Read more
1502 Huaihai Zhong Lu
Online booking

Diner

Diner may be a nod to the classic American diner, but with Bloody Marys and espresso tonics, it’s clear that this is a cosmopolitan version that’s all grown up. Still kids will enjoy fluffy pancakes and eggs cooked to order. With flattened patties crisped up to perfection, the restaurant’s burgers are sure to be a hit with diners of all ages, too.

Read more
145 Wuyuan Lu

RAC Coffee

What a flour scandal can do in this country. After allegations of using expired flour, Farine’s sudden shuttering in 2017 was a sharp blow to the city’s collective gut. Even more so, when the whole of its empire toppled in the following weeks. RAC rising from the ashes, with a bounty of cheesy ...

Read more
322 Anfu Lu

Al's Baking Co.

From the team behind Al's Diner, this American-style bakery serves up generous portions of everything from s'mores cupcakes and key lime pie to cinnamon sticky buns and red velvet cake, with a full range of coffee drinks and ice cream from Gracie's for an extra sweet kick.

Read more
174 Xiangyang Nan Lu

Play

Fuxing Park

Fuxing Park’s location right in the middle of town makes it a blissful green escape in the heart of the city. A small kids’ area has tame rides like a gentle roller coaster and bumper cars. Other highlights of the park, which youngsters may or may not appreciate, are the frequent musical performances by members of the public provide including Peking Opera and even drummers banging along to their favourite classic tunes.

Read more
115 Yandang Lu

Shop

PICKABOO

If you want cheap , then there are plenty of options for children’s clothing in Shanghai. But look for something quality for tots and you’ll struggle. Shanghai has its handful of local designers making kidswear but brick-and-mortar boutiques for children are still a rarity. PICKABOO is changing that. 

The selection of brands curated by Lu and Li is one you won’t find elsewhere in Shanghai. There’s fresh kids’ brand nobodinoz from Barcelona, with funky printed bedding and home accessories like a child’s teepee, and Danish baby and children’s furniture company Leander and New Yorkbased Oeuf with their gorgeous, streamlined cribs. 

Read more
Surpass Court, No 570 Yongjia Lu

Culture Matters, Wulumuqi Lu

Stock up on classic Shanghai sneakers in sizes for the whole family at the Wulumuqi branch of Culture Matters where Feiyues here start at a slight markup (grab them on Taobao for less).

Read more
206 Wulumuqi Zhong Lu

Chou Chou Chic

French-Chinese chain Chou Chou Chic combines Eastern minimalism with classy European designs to create fashionable, one-of-a-kind children’s items. Check out its qipao collection – beautifully made, traditional Chinese dresses designed specifically for little girls.

Read more
No 164 Shaanxi Nan Lu

IAPM Mall

Opened on Huaihai Lu, IAPM mall proves to be a luxury one-stop shop, with an endless list of fashion’s biggest names all taking, including Stella McCartney, the two Alexanders - McQueen and Wang, Chloé, Maje, Balmain and Michael Kors. The first two floors are a high end haven, with two-floor ...

Read more
999 Huaihai Lu

Sido

Angled as a 'lifestyle corner store' following the slogan 'we sell simple useful things', Yongkang Lu boutique Sido (士多) - the Cantonese for 'store' - is the passion project of Hong Kong-born designer Oway Lau. The small, understated store houses a charming mishmash collection of locally ...

Read more
60 Yongkang Lu

Comments