Dinner With a Local Family in Shanghai

Quick facts

What it is

Dinner inside a local family's home, cooked by them

Price

¥300–¥390 per person in Shanghai

Duration

About 2 hours — usually longer, because people keep talking

Group size

1–6 guests, depending on host

Host families

11 in Shanghai (16 across China)

Neighbourhoods

Xuhui, Jiading, Pudong, Putuo, Songjiang, Changning

Languages

Most hosts speak fluent English; languages listed per host

Booking

Online, paid in advance

Address

Shared once your booking is confirmed

Dietary needs

Accommodated with 48 hours' notice

The Shanghai host families

Shanghai host families, their neighbourhood, cooking style and price per person. Each links to a full profile with menus, photos and reviews.

Travelling alone or on business, Grace Tong lived in the United States for over a decade and hosts 1–4 guests. For traditional Shanghainese cooking, Jiading Ayi is from Jiading Old Town — the birthplace of xiaolongbao — and has been an Airbnb Superhost since 2016. For something you won't find in Shanghai restaurants, Chuan cooks Guangxi and Southeast Asian dishes.

What happens at a Shanghai family dinner?

You arrive at your host's home, eat a home-cooked meal together over about two hours, and talk.

You arrive at a normal residential building

Your host meets you at the door or at the building entrance. This is an ordinary Shanghai apartment block or lane house in a neighbourhood most travellers never see — not a venue. Most guests say the walk in is the moment it stops feeling like a booking and starts feeling like a visit.

Tea first, while the last dishes finish

Most hosts sit you down with tea before anything else. You'll notice family photos, a balcony view, whatever's drying on the rack. This is where the evening turns from a transaction into an actual visit, and it's usually where the first real conversation happens — how the family came to Shanghai, what the neighbourhood used to be.

Dishes arrive one at a time

A home dinner in China isn't coursed like a Western meal. Dishes land on the table as they come out of the wok and everyone shares from the middle. Your host explains each one — where it's from, why they cook it that way, what their family does differently. A soup turns out to be seasonal. A vegetable dish turns out to be what your host ate as a child.

You stay longer than you planned

Most dinners run past two hours. Conversation goes from food to travel to work to family, and hosts are as curious about you as you are about them. Several of our hosts lived abroad for years and specifically wanted a reason to keep speaking English.

Guests worry beforehand that it will be awkward. They almost always report the opposite problem.

You leave with recommendations, and usually leftovers

Almost every guest leaves with a list — the noodle shop the host actually goes to, the market worth a morning, the dish to order that isn't on the English menu. Declining a second helping generally doesn't work.

Who books a Shanghai family dinner?

Solo travellers: Eating alone gets old fast in a city where most dishes are meant to be shared. Grace Tong hosts 1–4 guests and specialises in solo and business travellers; Chuan hosts 1–2 for something quieter.

Couples: An evening you'll still be talking about, instead of another restaurant you'll struggle to name later.

Families with children: Children get to see how a Chinese family actually lives and eats.

Business travellers: A better use of a free evening than the hotel restaurant.

Food lovers: Regional home cooking that doesn't appear on restaurant menus.

Guest reviews

Every story below is from a guest who completed a booking. We ask people to write about their evening rather than score it out of five.

We had the most marvellous time! Eaty was really friendly, she designed a whole vegan menu, and had all the ingredients ready and a few things prepares to show us when we arrived how she prepares each dish while we chat about our lives. She also invited a friend and her cousin. So we had a lively conversation and most delicious and varied dinner. My parents were really happy too. My mother told her to come visit to Buenos Aires

Went to a home dinner hosted by Steven and Norika @plus1chopsticks . They started these dinners so that foreigners traveling or working in China can get a little taste of the “real touch” — what local people actually make, eat, and talk about at home. None of us knew each other before, but we ended up talking for 3+ hours — from travel adventures, to surviving workplace “PUA” in China 😂, to the weirdest comments we’ve encountered on social media There’s a saying in Chinese that I really love: 人间烟火气，最抚凡人心 it’s the warmth of ordinary life that comforts the human heart the most. Here’s to another Sunday night with heartwarming food, laughter, and strangers who don’t feel like strangers at all :)

The best restaurant in Shanghai that isn't a restaurant. This is real home cooking — where the wok has been seasoned by use for decades, homegrown ingredients come straight from the garden, and the interactions are genuine. An experience that lets you connect with local culture on a deeper, more meaningful level.

First time in China and this was one of the highlights of the trip. The food was incredible and the conversation made it feel like we were visiting old friends. Chuan and her family were so warm and welcoming — it was the kind of authentic experience you just can't get at a restaurant. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Shanghai.

The experience was great, and exactly what we were expecting and looking for. The absolute standout was the food… flavours exactly as I remembered eating as a child in Shanghai. The company and conversation was fantastic as well. It was good to talk about Shanghai as I remembered it, and as it is now. My friend got a lot out of it too; he really enjoyed the home-cooked meal after two weeks of eating street snacks and at restaurants. We really appreciate the quick and clear communication, from you as well as Auntie Shen and her daughter. It made the process smooth and painless. Also appreciate getting picked up and dropped off at the metro station.

What we liked: • The easiness of communication with Echo • She picked us up directly by foot at the subway station — we didn't have to worry about finding the place • The chatting was fluent and easy in English • Her family was perfect; they all speak English • The Chinese food was prepared with love (she told us the recipes of everything). She showed us pictures of the vegetables we didn't know • We prepared the wontons at the end. Her husband taught my son. It was nice to watch • We all had a real, friendly meal together • They were all very caring • The dog was nice What we didn't like: • Leaving Echo and her family after the meal It is difficult to give points of improvement. I try to find some but I can't. Just giving a very big thumbs up, a big A+ and all my gratitude for this moment.

Grace was very friendly and welcoming and cooked delicious food that was very different to the Chinese food that I had previously tried in restaurants and from street food vendors. I get to learn more about Shanghai from someone who lives there. I can recommend this experience to anyone who visits China!

Grace was nice. Very good English. Felt like I was visiting old friends from San Francisco. As a solo traveller was refreshing to have some companionship over dinner.

Read all guest reviews on individual host profiles →

What you'll eat

There's no fixed menu. Hosts shop at their local market the morning of your dinner and cook what's good that day, so the meal changes with the season.

Recent dishes from Shanghai hosts: Braised beef brisket with daikon radish (萝卜炖牛腩), Spinach in supreme broth with century egg (上汤菠菜), Yan Du Xian — salt pork and bamboo shoot soup, Foil-baked whole fish with lemongrass, Guangxi sour-spicy tomato noodles with Thai basil, Hand-folded xiaolongbao, Sizzling clay pot chicken, Cantonese style, Steamed yellow croaker. Most dinners run to six or seven dishes plus rice and soup.

How we choose our host families

Every host completes three steps before they appear on this site: an in-depth interview, a test dinner we attend in person, and an English introduction video they record themselves. No host is listed until all three are done.

1. An in-depth interview

We sit down with every applicant before anything else. We're looking for people who genuinely want the company — hosts who treat it purely as income don't last, and it shows at the table. We'd rather have 16 hosts we'd personally eat with than 60 who signed up.

2. A test dinner, in their home

Every host cooks a full meal for our team in the home where they'd host guests. We see the kitchen, the table, the building and the neighbourhood. If it isn't somewhere we'd happily send a guest, it doesn't go live. This is also how we write their menus accurately — every dish listed on a host profile is one we've eaten.

3. An English introduction video

Every host records a short introduction in English, and it's published on their profile. This is the part guests tell us matters most: you don't have to take our word for anyone's language ability or warmth. You watch them talk and decide for yourself before you book.

It's also why our language descriptions are honest. Jiading Ayi speaks Mandarin with basic English and we say so plainly, because you'll see it in her video anyway.

After a host joins

We read every review, pass feedback to hosts directly, and remove hosts who stop meeting the standard. Your booking is paid through the platform rather than cash at the door, and you have your host's contact details before the meal.

What to bring

Nothing is required, but a small gift is normal and always appreciated. Fruit, a box of pastries, or something from your own country all work well. Don't bring alcohol unless you've checked; not every household drinks.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a local family dinner in Shanghai cost?

Between ¥300 and ¥390 per person in Shanghai, depending on the host. That covers the full multi-course meal — usually six or seven dishes plus rice and soup — with no service charge or extras.

Where does the dinner take place?

In your host family's own home, in a normal residential neighbourhood. The exact address is shared once your booking is confirmed.

Do the host families speak English?

Most +1 Chopsticks hosts speak fluent English, and every host profile lists their languages. Jiading Ayi speaks Mandarin with basic English.

Can I see the host before I book?

Yes. Every host records a short introduction video in English, published on their profile.

Is it safe to eat dinner in a stranger's home in China?

Every host completes an in-depth interview, cooks a test dinner for our team, and records an English introduction video before being listed. Payment goes through the platform rather than cash at the door.

Can hosts accommodate vegetarian, halal or allergy requirements?

Yes, with at least 48 hours' notice.

How many people can come?

Between 1 and 6 guests depending on the host.

Is this suitable for children?

Yes, and several hosts have children of their own.

How far in advance should I book?

Book at least three days ahead, and a week or more in peak season.

What if I don't speak Chinese and it gets awkward?

This is the most common worry and almost never a real problem. Hosts do this because they enjoy meeting travellers.

Is this a cooking class?

No. Your host cooks and you eat.