Bao Luo | Anting Villa Hotel | Hengshan Road restaurant | Chi Spa

Anting Villa Hotel, inexpensive to moderate, 011-86-21-6433-1188. Mere blocks from Yao's childhood home, this boutique hotel is a great base for those planning to explore the French Concession area on foot. It has its shortcomings; the staff's English and the facilities are both limited. But it's a surprisingly quiet and inexpensive retreat, considering that it's only two blocks from the subway, Hengshan Road restaurant, and the bar district.

The Pudong Shangri-La, expensive to very expensive, 011-86-21-6882-8888, www.shangri-la.com. The "Shang" is an ideal sanctuary, with unparalleled Bund views as well as the Riverside Promenade out its back door; oversized, thoughtfully designed rooms; the sybaritic Chi Spa; and restaurants that reinvent the hotel buffet (Yi Café) and hip drinks (Jade on 36 Bar).


Dining

Bao Luo, inexpensive, 011-86-21-5403-7239. If street food scares you, go to Bao Luo. It's smoky and loud and packed with locals until two a.m. - but those are all reassuring signs that you've found the right spot for authentic Shanghai cuisine. Try the stewed pork knuckle and the sautéed eggplant served with pancakes.

Simply Thai, inexpensive, 011-86-21-6445-9551, www.simplylife-sh.com/simplythai. Yao's old neighborhood in the French Concession is now packed with restaurants. Simply Thai is among the district's, and the city's, best. Get a table on the patio, sip a glass of chilled Australian Riesling, and feast away on yellow curry, savory beef masaman, and fried prawns in spicy sauce.


Attractions