HOTELS: I'd pass on the Sheraton for sure (terrible location). IIRC, the Intercontinental is also pretty inconvenient (Pudong Road, right?). The Hilton is a bit run down, but sometimes they offer very good prices on suites. The Hyatt is certainly the most impressive hotel in Shanghai, but having to rely on that silly tunnel can be a real drag (I live in Lujiazui, myself). Basically, the PORTMAN (at Shanghai Center) is still the nicest hotel in Shanghai right now and I'd certainly stay there if you can get a decent rate -- they run specials all the time. If you want to save $, you might consider the Peace Hotel (right on the Bund), the RuiJin Hotel (probably the hippest hotel in Shanghai right now -- great location in Ruijin Park), or maybe the Sofitel or 4 Seasons. I don't have a good handle on the sub $50/night market right now, but would be happy to do a little digging if you're interested.

FOOD
As for food, I don't like Chinese food so you'll have to get those recs elsewhere, but I do consider myself an expert on other culinary options in SH. My favorite dining experience here is the Sunday brunch at the Portman for Y400 -- free flowing Moet, caviar, fresh oysters, crepes, souflets, filet mingon, you name it. (All the hotels have brunches, but this one's the best.)

At Xiantiandi (very touristy and yuppified, but you have to go there), lunch at Paulaner is good (great beer), as are burgers at Kabb and Cuban grub at Che. It's hard to really go wrong at Xiantiandi -- just check the menu before deciding because some of those places are a bit pricy.

Nearby, you might want to check out Park 97, where you'll find sister restaurants to some of the more popular places in Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong, including the very-popular California Club and Tokio Joe's. There's also a nice Italian place nearby called Di Marco -- reasonable prices.

Moving west, you'll come to Ruijin Park (see Ruijin Hotel above), which is between Ruijin 2 Rd. and Mao Ming S. Rd. The buildings there are pretty cool, and a lot of people like the Thai restaurant (La Na Thai) there and of course FACE, which is probably the most popular bar in SH these days.

Continuing west, there are lots of good eateries near the Shanxi Road subway station, including Tandoor (expensive Indian), Hai Zhi Xing (cheap sushi, all you can eat/drink), Just Be It (fondue), Sasha's (steaks++, nice atmosphere), Bali Laguna (Indonesian food in Jing An Park; great ambiance), plus lots of Brasilian BBQs.

In Pudong, you'll have to check out the Hyatt (Jin Mao Biulding) of course. I suggest cloud 9 (the appetizer platter is pretty good) for the view or the Itialian restaurant on the 54th floor (a very good value considering what you get). I'm also a big fan of the SunTory Lounge (Japanese), which is close by.

I suppose that's enough for one post. Feel free to email if you have any more questions.

Oops! I just realized this thread is over a year old.

[This message has been edited by moondog (edited 11-06-2002).]