Nowhere's more fitting for a spot of high tea than the former British Consulate. Enjoy cucumber sandwiches, scones and English breakfast tea overlooking magnificent gardens with a Pudong skyline backdrop. The three-tiered platters are loaded with gourmet cakes and finger sandwiches, served with antique silver cutlery and teapots. Reserve a day or two in advance to get a garden table.

Afterwards stroll the gardens to admire the architecture. Waitanyuan, an exclusive club, is also a restaurant that serves dim sum for lunch.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Former British Consulate

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2. Yuanmingyuan Road

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Like a smaller, more condensed version of the Bund, the pedestrianised, cobblestone Yuanmingyuan Rd is lined with a mishmash of colonial architecture…

3. Huangpu Park

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China’s first ever public park (1886) achieved lasting notoriety for its apocryphal ‘No Dogs or Chinese allowed’ sign. The park today is blighted by the…

4. Levant Art

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In the Rockbund district, this commercial gallery is devoted to contemporary sculpture by Chinese and overseas artists.

5. Banque de l'Indochine Building

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6. Rockbund Art Museum

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Housed in the magnificent former Royal Asiatic Society building (1932) – once Shanghai's first museum – this world-class gallery behind the Bund focuses…

7. Glen Line Steamship Co.

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8. Art + Shanghai

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This riverside gallery shows mainly local artists and is a good place to get a feel for the contemporary Chinese art scene.