Australian food and bars in Shanghai: the short list

Short answer: Shanghai doesn't have an Aussie pub strip or a pie shop on every corner. It has a handful of places with a real Australian connection, and we've only listed the ones we could confirm are open in 2026.

The short version

Shanghai's Australian food scene is small. We checked a longer list and dropped most of it because venues had closed or we couldn't confirm they were still trading.
Something, on Wukang Road, is part of Australian chef Craig Willis's group and hosted the community's Anzac Day drinks in April 2026 [4][5].
Parlay, a sports bar in Jing'an, was the official Shanghai venue for the 2026 AFL Grand Final watch party [1][2].
The Camel, the bar many Aussies used for the footy, closed with the rest of its group in December 2024 [7].
For everything else (Tim Tams, Vegemite, a decent lamb roast), you'll lean on import shops, your suitcase and the community.

Why the list is short

Shanghai's Australian crowd is busy but spread out, and its food scene moves fast. Restaurants open, rebrand and close within a couple of years, and many local businesses run on WeChat rather than websites, which makes them hard to verify from outside.

So we've done what we promised: every venue below was confirmed as trading in 2026, and anything we couldn't confirm is left out. That cost us a few names you may have heard of, including an Australian-run bistro on Fumin Road and the original Mr Willis on Anfu Road, which we could not confirm as open in 2026. If you've eaten at either this year, tell us in the group and we'll recheck.

For the wider community (the chamber, the Shanghai Tigers footy club and the cricket league), see our guide to Aussie life in Shanghai.

Restaurants with an Australian chef

Something

Area: Wukang Road, Xuhui (former French Concession)

Craig Willis started his career in Sydney kitchens, came to Shanghai in 2000 to work at M on the Bund, and opened Mr Willis in 2009 [4]. He's been one of the city's best-known Australian chefs ever since, and his group includes Something, Somewhere, La Strada, Bang! and BOR [4].

Something is the one we could pin down for 2026. It sits on the second floor of 98 Wukang Road and hosted the Anzac Day drinks for the Australian and New Zealand community on 24 April 2026, run by AustCham Shanghai with the New Zealand Business Roundtable and Kea New Zealand [5][6].

Why Australians go: it's run by one of our own, the Wukang Road setting is lovely for a long lunch, and if the community chose it for Anzac Day, it's clearly a room Aussies feel at home in.

What to order: the menu leans modern European with Asian touches rather than meat-and-three-veg. Charred octopus, smoked burrata and braised beef cheek pappardelle have all featured. Menus change, so ask what's good that week.

The venue doesn't appear to have its own website; book through the usual Shanghai apps or ask in our group for a WeChat contact.

Bars for the footy

Parlay

Area: Shangkangli, Jing'an

Parlay is a sports bar and restaurant in the Shangkangli complex off Shaanxi North Road. It opened in 2024 in the old Bubba's space under Matty Waters, known for Smoke KCQ and for menus at The Smokehouse x The Camel [2]. Expect pool tables, darts, plenty of screens and barbecue from outdoor smokers when the weather's warm [2][3].

Why Australians go: it was listed by the AFL as the Shanghai watch party venue for the 2026 Grand Final, with a 12:30pm bounce local time [1]. When the AFL itself sends expats to a bar, that's your bar.

What to order: smoked meats and pub grub. Ask the bar or the group before big games, because screens and sound go to whichever sport draws the biggest crowd.

The Camel (closed)

A note for anyone with old recommendations: The Camel sports bar was the long-time home of AFL broadcasts in Shanghai. The Camel Group shut all its restaurants, including The Camel and The Bull & Claw, in early December 2024 [7]. Don't send visiting mates there.

Where the community drinks

Australian community nights in Shanghai often happen in venues that aren't Australian at all. In 2026, AustCham Shanghai held its Spring Aussie Drinks at Morton's steakhouse in the IFC Mall in Lujiazui, with "Aussie-inspired drinks" and a lucky draw [8]. These nights are usually the best place to ask where to find a decent flat white, who's importing Australian wine this year and which bar is showing the State of Origin.

Australian food and products

There's no dedicated Australian grocer we could verify, so here's how Aussies actually do it:

Use the import supermarkets and grocery apps. Australian beef, cheese and wine are common; Vegemite and Tim Tams come and go.
Pack staples on every trip home. Most people bring back the things they can't live without.
Ask the group. Stock changes month to month, and someone always knows who's got Arnott's this week.

Our cost of living guide covers what imported food actually costs.

All venues at a glance

Venue	Type	Area
Something	Restaurant and bar, Australian chef-owned group	Wukang Road, Xuhui
Parlay	Sports bar and barbecue	Shangkangli, Jing'an

Where to watch the big games

AFL: Parlay hosted the 2026 Grand Final watch party [1]. Melbourne afternoon games land around lunchtime in Shanghai.
NRL and State of Origin: we couldn't confirm a regular venue for 2026. Several Shanghai sports bars show rugby and international sport [3]; ring ahead and ask.
Cricket: for live cricket, the Shanghai Cricket Club is your best bet (see Aussie life in Shanghai).

Before any big game, post in Cooee China, our Facebook group for Australians in China (join here). Someone will know which screen has the sound on.

Australian restaurants, cafés and bars in Shanghai: a short list, honestly