Isaac 
Grand Shanghai, on Havelock Road, is the closest thing Singapore has to a 1930s Shanghai supper club: art deco interiors, a live band playing oriental jazz standards nightly, and a menu built around whole-fish and whole-duck centrepieces rather than dumpling-house small plates. It has been running for roughly two decades and relaunched with a full refresh of its interiors and menu in 2020, which is the detail most listicles covering it leave out entirely.
Quick answer: Grand Shanghai is at Level 1, King’s Centre, 390 Havelock Road, a 4-minute walk from Havelock MRT (TE16). It’s rated 4.8/5 on Tripadvisor, among the top 1% of restaurants in Singapore. Rough per-person spend runs from about $40++ at lunch to $70+ for a full dinner; exact set-menu prices aren’t published, so confirm current rates when booking. It’s known for its art deco “old Shanghai” theme, live band, and centrepiece dishes like the Light and Shadow crispy duck and drunken chicken.
Is Grand Shanghai still open, and what makes it different?
Yes, it’s open and actively trading, with reviews as recent as December 2025 praising the live band and atmosphere. What sets it apart from most Chinese restaurants covering the “best Shanghainese” searches is the theme: Grand Shanghai recreates 1930s Shanghai, the “Paris of the East” era, through art deco motifs, crystal chandeliers, mirrored ceilings, and a live band performing oriental jazz standards every dinner service from Tuesday to Sunday. It has operated for about 20 years and went through a full interior and menu relaunch in January 2020, so the version currently trading is a modernised take on the original concept, not an unchanged two-decade-old room.
One historical detail worth knowing even though it’s no longer running: in December 2019, Grand Shanghai hosted a three-night collaboration dinner with Canton 8, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Shanghai, with a guest chef helming an 8-course tasting menu. It’s not an ongoing partnership, but it signals the level the kitchen was aiming at going into its 2020 relaunch.
What should you order at Grand Shanghai?
The dish worth ordering specifically for the occasion is the “Light and Shadow” crispy duck, thin slices of crispy duck served with deep-fried lotus root suspended from a spun-sugar structure, which is the restaurant’s visual centrepiece and the dish most independent reviews single out. Beyond that, the menu leans into whole-fish and whole-animal preparations rather than a dumpling-house repertoire: deep-fried yellow croaker with roselle sauce, braised fish maw with abalone sauce served on a hot stone, and a whole Hokkaido sea cucumber stuffed and deep-fried in oyster sauce.
Drunken chicken with Chinese wine jelly and fresh sliced abalone with pomelo vinegar and sake jelly are the two cold starters most worth ordering ahead of the mains. For dessert, the osmanthus pudding with gold leaf and wolfberry is the one that shows up repeatedly in reviews. If you came expecting xiao long bao as the main event, this isn’t that kind of Shanghainese restaurant, see the comparison below for where to go instead.
How much does Grand Shanghai actually cost?
The Peak Magazine’s coverage of Grand Shanghai lists real a la carte prices: Xiao Long Bao at $6, Braised Tofu at $28, Smoked Crispy Duck at $32 (from $36 for a half portion elsewhere), Crispy Rice Lobster Soup at $18, Egg White Soufflé Balls at $12, and Whole Chicken in Claypot at $48. That puts a two- or three-dish meal for two comfortably in the $60-$90 range before drinks, more in line with the ~$40++ lunch and ~$70+ dinner per-person figures cited by review aggregators. Wedding and banquet packages start from $1,488++ per table (a 5-course package), scaling up to $1,988++ for the top package, with full banquets more broadly quoted from around $20,000 for 20-28 tables. Corkage for the banquet menus is $50++ per bottle for sealed wine and $80++ for sealed hard liquor; a la carte corkage isn’t separately published, so confirm when booking.
| Xiao Long Bao (4 pcs) | $6 |
| Egg White Soufflé Balls | $12 |
| Crispy Rice Lobster Soup | $18 |
| Braised Tofu | $28 |
| Smoked Crispy Duck (half) | from $36 |
| Whole Chicken in Claypot | $48 |
| Wedding banquet package (per table, from) | $1,488++ |
| Typical lunch, per person | ~$40++ |
| Typical dinner, per person | ~$70+ |
| Wedding/banquet package (per table, from) | $1,488++ |
| Full banquet (20-28 tables, from) | ~$20,000 |
Prices above are drawn from published third-party coverage and Grand Shanghai’s own banquet package PDF; menus can change, so confirm current pricing directly with the restaurant (6836 6866) or via their TableCheck booking page before a special-occasion visit.
Can you book Grand Shanghai online, and is it halal?
Yes, online booking is available directly through Grand Shanghai’s TableCheck page (bookings hold a table for 2 hours with a 15-minute grace period), or by phone on 6836 6866. It is not listed on Chope, so don’t expect to find it there.
No, Grand Shanghai is not halal-certified. Its own banquet menu includes pork dishes (crispy suckling pig, braised pork belly) and wine/liquor service, which rules out MUIS halal certification. Diners who need halal dining should look elsewhere.
King’s Centre has an on-site car park, but Grand Shanghai doesn’t publish a general validated-parking benefit for regular diners, complimentary parking is only confirmed as part of its wedding/banquet packages. Budget for standard building carpark rates unless you’re booking a banquet.
What recent diners actually say: a Tripadvisor reviewer in April 2026 specifically called out a staff member (Carina Leong) by name for attentive, well-informed service, the kind of concrete detail that’s more useful than generic star ratings. It’s not uniformly glowing, though: a March 2026 wedding-guest review noted the food fell short and the floor felt understaffed on the night, and one independent review flagged the xiao long bao skin as slightly thick despite generous broth. Worth knowing before you book for an occasion that matters.
Which Shanghainese restaurant in Singapore should you actually pick?
It depends what you’re going for, Grand Shanghai isn’t the right pick for every Shanghainese craving.
| Restaurant | Best for | Entry Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Shanghai | Occasion dining, banquets, live-band atmosphere, whole-fish/duck centrepieces | ~$40++ lunch |
| Paradise Dynasty | Casual, family-friendly, famous 8-colour xiao long bao | Mid-range a la carte |
| Pu Dong Kitchen | Old-school, unpretentious, shengjianbao and home-style comfort food | Budget-friendly |
If the point of the meal is xiao long bao and casual dumpling-house energy, Paradise Dynasty is the better fit. If you want an unpretentious, long-running neighbourhood spot for shengjianbao and home-style Shanghainese cooking, Pu Dong Kitchen on Bukit Timah Road is the one to know. Grand Shanghai is the pick when the occasion itself matters, a banquet, an anniversary, or anyone who wants the live band and art deco room as part of the experience.
What do you need to know before booking?
- Location: Level 1, King’s Centre, 390 Havelock Road, Singapore 169662, a 4-minute walk from Havelock MRT (TE16)
- Hours: Lunch Tue-Fri & Sun 11:30am-2:30pm; dinner Tue-Sun 6-10pm; closed Mondays
- Live band: performs oriental jazz standards nightly, 7:15-9:45pm (Tue-Sun)
- Best for: banquets, business dinners, and occasions where atmosphere matters as much as the food
- Not the pick for: xiao long bao or casual dumpling-house dining, see Paradise Dynasty or Pu Dong Kitchen instead
- No confirmed Michelin Guide or Tatler recognition, its reputation rests on a strong Tripadvisor track record (4.8/5) rather than critics’ guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grand Shanghai only for hotel guests at Grand Copthorne Waterfront?
No. It’s a standalone, publicly bookable restaurant on Havelock Road. It sits near the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel, but you don’t need to be a hotel guest to dine there.
Does Grand Shanghai serve xiao long bao?
It’s not the restaurant’s focus. The menu is built around whole-fish and whole-duck centrepiece dishes rather than a dumpling-house repertoire. For xiao long bao specifically, Paradise Dynasty is the better-known specialist in Singapore.
How much should I budget for dinner at Grand Shanghai?
Plan on roughly $70 or more per person for a full dinner based on aggregator averages; exact set-menu prices aren’t published, so confirm current rates when you book.
Is Grand Shanghai good for large groups or weddings?
Yes, this is one of its core strengths. Wedding and banquet packages start from $1,488++ per table, and it regularly hosts banquets of 20-28 tables.
Can I reserve a table at Grand Shanghai online?
Yes, via TableCheck (linked from the restaurant’s own website) or by calling 6836 6866. It isn’t on Chope, Quandoo or Oddle.
Is Grand Shanghai halal-certified?
No. Its menu includes pork and alcohol service, so it is not MUIS halal-certified.
