Shanghai Cafe Reviews

The food came out fast, the prices were very reasonable, but the interior looked tired & dingy. Hot & sour soup was very good. Pan fried noodle dish was served in what appeared to be Grandma's glass pie dish.

Four adults and a toddler: four racks of XLB plus stir fried rice cake with cabbage and shrimps, plus fried rice plus green onion pancake and the bill came out to about sixty dollars. And more importantly the XLBs were delicious. We had to wait to get in and wait at the table a long time for the XLB. It was worthy every minute of it. The servers were very accommodating. The English name is cafe not dumpling as on the signage.

Great, fun place! Just make sure you bring cash as that is all that is accepted! Tried a variety of dishes one of which was the best chicken lo mein I have ever had. Staff was direct, quick, and efficient. They do not want you to linger so they do bring you your check promptly and expect you to leave so they can continue to wait on customers...there was a wait when were were there.

My son has spent time in China and speaks Mandarin. He recommended the Shanghai Cafe, especially for its dumplings. The place was pretty full for dinner, but we were quickly seated in a booth. We began with a massive bowl of the best Hot and Sour Soup that I have eaten. So much flavor! Then came Scallion Pancakes. Interesting texture and good flavor. Dumplings, sometimes called simply buns, came next. they were steamed in a stacked steamer basket. We had three kinds: Pork, Pork & Crab Meat, and Vegetable. These were of a kind referred to as "soup dumplings." Each one is prepared with a small amount of congealed and chilled soup. I used a technique of biting off the "cap" of the dumpling and then eating it with my soup spoon. We had a second round of the Pork and Pork and Crab Meat. We finished with Red Bean Baos - these are more like bread with a sweet red bean paste inside. Delicious!

This place, now labeled Shanghai Dumplings, has excellent food. We sampled several dumplings, including the fantastic soup dumplings. The Szechuan dumplings were sublime as was the fried rice and the won ton soup. The service was exceptionally poor and the main reason it is not 5 stars.

On a brief trip to NYC we received a recommendation that if we wanted authentic Chinese food, Shanghai Cafe was the place to go. We ordered off of the dim sum menu and received a TON of food for $21.00. We couldn't even finish half of it! The won ton soup and spring rolls were tasty, and the soup dumplings and Shanghai fried rice were amazing as well. Awesome food. We'll be back!

The place was packed with locals and we were lucky to get a shared table. Service and turnover of diners is rapid, so not a place for a relaxing meal but ideal for a quick lunch. We stuck to a selection of dumplings and wonton, which were very good. If you want a taste of authentic NYC Chinatown this is it.

The dumplings are incredible. The food is deeelicious! The restaurant is small, noisy and in a bit of disrepair. When we went, there was a grade B in the window, which nearly put us off. I'm happy to report, none of us had any issues or ill effects. This was our best meal in NY.

Arrived on a busy Saturday night for some dinner. They managed to squeeze me in real quick with no hassle, was given time to browse the menu then my order was take soon after. Food arrived a short time later and was delicious. Cheap as well so can’t fault the place. Will be back.

Holy soup dumplings. Every table gets at least 1 order and for damn good reason. They are top notch, dough might be a little on the thick side if I'm being foodsnobbish, but it's still awesome. Check out the shanghai fried rice(it's appearance will make you curse my name but one bite will change your mind). The number of menu items is mind boggling!

Yes, in spite of a diverse menu, it's all about the soup dumplings which are prepared in full view at the front of the no frills, compact restaurant. The dumplings were outstanding and the rest of the meal wasn't bad either. TIP: Don't put the whole dumpling in your mouth or you'll boil your taste buds. First step is to poke a hole in the top, let it cool and then sip the soup from the hole . No idea if this is proper soup dumpling etiquette but it seemed to work. Service is fast (translation: they are busy so don't slow 'em down). Good value and I highly recommend.

We love the Shaomai( good price and taste). There is long waiting line and it is really NOISY. the Only thing is the waiter brought you your bill even before you finished your meal( is it not polite or normal there?)!

I love Chinese food and coming to Chinatown this was mentioned to me. Food taste was great. Lots of variety. Place was packed and service was ok but I prefer more attention. Prices are ok and you will be full.

We asked the Concierge in our hotel about good Chinese food and he recommended the place. The place was busy, but tables did turn over. The food was good, but I would not go there for a quite un-rushed meal. They have several large groups of 6-7 twentyish people together. Food is very reasonable and good. Their Dumplings are fresh and excellent.

The food is delicious and some of the best dumplings you can buy in the city. The atmosphere is crowded and chaotic. Not the place for romance, pick eaters, or a liesurly meal. But if you want some delicious Chinese food in Chinatown this is the place to go. Finding the correct address can be a challenge, make sure you are at 100 Mott Street. Don't be fooled by imitators, this is the real deal.

We have been searching for years for an excellent Chinese restaurant and found it at Shanghai Cafe. Every dish we ordered was tasty, service excellent and a very clean restaurant. Very reasonably priced too.

We went to Shanghai Dumplings this week for the first time, and really enjoyed it. First of all, it was very clean, and the staff was warm and friendly. They also were very accommodating when we asked for forks and knives instead of chopsticks. We were a group of 4, so 2 servings of the soup pork dumplings were enough for all, and they were delicious. We ordered scallion pancakes, which were light and very good. 1 serving of those is enough for 4 people, as 1 serving comes with 4 pancakes. We also ordered chicken, shrimp, and pork lo mein, and sesame chicken both of which were excellent, and pork fried rice which was good but a little greasy. The meal comes with delicious tea as well. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and will return!

This restaurant was on Mott street in ChinaTown. It was excellent. We were told by someone to try the steamed dumplings filled with pork and soup and they were sooo good! I got the Kun Pao Chicken and loved it. Very crowded but worth the wait!

A friends recommended and we approved! We fancied some Chinese food and were delighted with the choice of food (there was so much on the menu!). We decided to split the meals and just tuck in to everyone’s else’s. As I’m a vegetarian we got a few veggies options and they all tasted great (especially the tofu!!!). The food was cheap and the service was fast and efficient! Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the city 😊

Dumplings were delicious and definitely get the red bean pancakes for dessert. Tea was poured in plastic water cups which was weird but I don't even care because the food is so good.

We thing so. This place is cash only so be wary. They made the XLB's fresh to order in their front window. Other dumplings here aren't as good, so we start our dumpling crawl at 100 Mott Streen and move on to other places for better food. Worth a stop for sure for their XLB's, (soup dumplings).

the food was really good and was on our table just 5 mins after we ordered. but I would not rate this place high because after we paid and left the tips the administrator girl has almost forced us to leave some extra tips for the waiter. yes, the food was good, but all that guy did - just brought the dishes and that's it, nothing extraordinary to make pressure on me and ask for more money for nothing. Don't go there unless you like do charity;)

When we visited my friend in NYC, literally the only thing on my to-do list was to eat Chinese Soup Dumplings. Theirs were piping hot, tender, and DELICIOUS! Also a seriously cheap meal for the city. Had to go back once more before we left town!

We'd never been to Chinatown before, so we weren't sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised! The food was great, we got it fast and the staff was very friendly!

When looking for a place to eat in china town, luck was on our side. Do not let the noise and crowding of this restaurant put you off. What this place lacks in glamour it makes up with the food. It was very hard to make a choice, but we decided on a selection of the dumplings and fried wontons for two, four dishes in total that tasted amazing. Being a common theme in most restaurants the portions were huge, eight being the most common number of dumplings that came out. Whilst this fed a very hungry 2 each dish would easily feed 4 or more if you have kids. If we had the chance we would not hesitate in returning here again.

Simply ok, very fast. They gave us the check just after we finished the last dumpling 😂 Clean, nice waiters 👍🏻

This our 3rd visit when in New York. This place only takes CASH. They are always busy and crowded. If you are a couple, you might need to share a table. They do have a couple of booths and couple of tables, but your wait could be longer. The food is great, priced right and have excellent dumplings. Go for the fun experience. This is not a 5 Star dining experience, so if that is what your looking for, go somewhere else. Four can eat a lot for under $60 including tip.

Excellent selection of delicious food. Everything was served family style. It was a great place to go for lunch with friends!

It may not look like much from outside, but the long lines at all hours of the day tell you this place is something special. Don't mind the yelling and very likely being placed at a communal table, you're not here for 5 star service, you're here for the best darn soup dumplings around. Number 1 or Number 2 (pork or crab) are the way to go here, but the main course food is very good as well (I like the whole fish in brown ginger sauce). But we usually just make a meal out of the xiaolingbao (soup dumplings). After a short wait, they come in a bamboo steamer, just ready to nibble, sip, and eat. Be careful...the soup inside is hot! The thinnest, most dainty wrapper has this incredible broth and dumpling meat inside, it really is a pleasure to eat. And it's a bargain for lunch....ate here with 4 people for under $30 (in Manhattan!!!). Joe's is a good alternative for soup dumplings, but there is a reason Shanghai Cafe is always hopping, it's the best and that is the reason we've been coming back for over 10 years.

Loved our food and it was so inexpensive. I decided to try things I never have before because it was so inexpensive to do it. I loved the dumplings, the kids loved their lo mein, husband loved his beef and brocolli, Ioved it too.

After reading reviews on multiple sites, we chose Shanghai Cafe to meet up for dinner with a friend who previously lived in NYC. Drawn by the descriptions of the noodles and Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings we couldn't wait! We were having flashbacks to fresh, wonderful dinners in San Francisco's Chinatown and Vancouver's... We ordered soup dumplings, seafood pan fried noodles, and Pork Dong. The food was OK; the seafood dish was the least appetizing, surprisingly. Additional different dumplings we ordered had not appeared 30 min. later, nor had our waitress...turns out "she sick" and went home! No one else helped out despite 3-4 all talking together the whole time. We cancelled the dumplings and paid the check...the change, which was quite a bit, was never delivered! It was clear the intention was not to deliver the balance. THEN the coup de grace - the waitress (who had done nothing) told us the tip was "not enough" (10% despite terrible service). In fact it was too much, since we literally had no service, and dumplings and change not delivered,.. and no apology. There is also a lot of loud yelling by the wait staff across the whole restaurant, which might go with the territory but is not pleasant. Given the totality of this experience, i would keep lookin' for that great restaurant in Chinatown! We didn't find it this time.

On recommendation of our daughter who is a new resident of NYC, we came here on a busy Sunday afternoon. After waiting about 10 minutes we were seated in our own booth (there was a chance we'd need to share a table which would also have been ok). After ordering the food came very quickly. The food here is very good - I'd say probably one of the best meals we've had in Chinatown & we've been coming here from NJ to eat quite regularly for the last 40 years. We did order the soup dumplings - both vegetable and pork & they did not disappoint. Each "tray" comes with 8 dumplings so if you are ordering other dishes, make sure you don't over-order because that's a meal in itself. The hot & sour soup was one of the best I've ever had - not too spicy or sour. The only thing I did not like was the dipping sauce which they serve to go with the soup dumplings - I found it too vinegary - although you really don't need a dipping sauce at all. I found the wait-staff rude - they bark at each other loudly and also bark at their customers. They shove people out of the way, which I found impolite, even in this busy restaurant. Would I return? Absolutely - the food was really worth it & it's not expensive! Next time I'd come at a quieter time. As we were leaving (close to 2pm) there was no one waiting & quite a few empty tables, which was quite a difference from when we came which was closer to 12:45pm. We had no problem paying cash because the food is inexpensive. I thought this was an awesome find in NYC's Chinatown!

We were part of a small wedding in NYC and went to this fine establishment for an amazing lunch after the ceremony. Everything from their pork & crab dumplings to their amazing selection of entrees, appetizers, bok choy, etc. was fresh and amazing. The owner & servers created a most pleasant experience. It's worth your time the next time you're in Chinatown, NYC.

Very small inside. Line the entire time. Great variety. Get a few things and share! Tried dumpling, fried wontons, lomein and mixed vegetables. $32 for three to eat!!

Off the plane from Florida and checked into the hotel, and the next thing we do is head for this restaurant for superb Chinese food. The menus now say Shanghai Dumpling and the staff say they changed the restaurant's name, but Trip advisor still lists it as Shanghai Cafe. Small and as crowded as Times Square on New Year's Eve with locals, sometimes it's best to share a table to get seated faster (we did this time). Appetizers, soup, and entree can come all at once or in random order, so be prepared for surprises. We had pork and crabmeat soup dumplings (unreal!), wanton soup (I didn't like their wanton soup. That's the only gig on them), shrimp lo mein (ohhhh!), and chicken with broccoli (ahhh!). All this food for around $40! You have to try this place if you are around Chinatown. We look forward to visiting NYC knowing we will eat here.

We had dinner here on Christmas day, after seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. What a great way to end a terrific day and spend the holiday!

We enjoyed this restaurant so much we ate here 2 times during our short stay in New York! The steamed pork dumplings are a must! We also had the braised noodles, fried rice and a rice cake dish. All were very good. The portions are huge, so sharing is recommended.

This restaurant has the best steamed shanghai soup dumpling. You have to try these if you haven't yet. The line was long but me & my son got seated within 10 minutes but we has to share the round table with 6 people. If you have a party of 4 or 6 maybe you won't share the table. The place was loud because of some groups celebrating something. But i learned to block the noise. We also ordered shrimp fried rice and the chicken fried pan noodle. My son and I shared these orders and we still had left over. Try also the Taro milkshake, we had this shake to go.

Great food that taste great. We were there for dinner and had the pork dumplings and veggie fried noodles. There were a lot of people that evening...It's loud and crazy! I liked it! The prices are low and we paid 20 dollars for a whole lot of food. We even got leftovers.

Our friends had read about this restaurant being highly rated for Dimsum so we tried it. Our server was very helpful in helping us chose several dimsum dishes. We enjoyed some more than others but all had good flavor. Cost was reasonable . We would go be back. We ate dinner early so no space or waiting problem.

The soup dumplings at Shanghai Cafe Deluxe will change your life and you'll be a better person for having eaten them. The broth inside the dumplings is incredibly rich and flavorful, perfectly complementing the the pork stuffed inside. Had we not ordered other dishes, I would've kept ordering dumplings until I couldn't move. Outside of the soup dumplings, the crispy duck is great, the fried green beans are delicious and the fried rice is tasty. The scallion pancakes and baby bok choy with mushrooms are worthy side dishes to any delicious meal. If anybody complains about the service at Shanghai Cafe Deluxe, they've already entered the restaurant with the wrong expectations. This place isn't going to coddle you and doesn't care if you feel welcomed by anything other than their food. Come ready to eat and you'll be happy. If you come thinking your server will coddle you, you're going to be disappointed.

Shanghai Cafe was recommended to me by a friend who's from New York so my expectations of the food were already high. As so many reviews say, you come here for the food, not the service or even the atmosphere as everything is very fast paced - the staff are there simple to take your order and bring you your food. The dumplings are a must, but the fried rice and sweet & sour chicken were also amazing! Far better than any sweet & sour dish i've had in the UK (and that's a lot!). If you're looking for a place to visit in Chinatown, this is your pick!

We ordered soup dumplings and steamed dumplings and 3 other main dishes. Two minutes after ordering out popped our noodle dish. When we got a waiters attention and asked to have the dumplings first and then the other dishes, we were told "no" that is not the way they do it here. The food was pretty good. The ambiance is rushed and the evening we were there, extremely loud. The food is plopped on the table. With so many great Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, and some we have returned to many times, we will not return to this one.

Great restaurant in china town real good food quick full of flavour and good value vast selection and great service very helpful too

Service is unrespectful.Not clean.There are two kinds of price list.One is cheaper and written in Chinese.The other is expensive and written in English.After all that we did not stay for the dinner and we left the restaurant.Actually it is zero.

They have a good variety of dumplings and noodles in soup and fried. Just in the middle of China Town. It was a very nice lunch and for less than 10 dollars each.

As soon as we were seated we were given tall glasses of what was either hot water or the weakest tea any of us have ever had!! We finally agreed it was weak tea. Fortunately the food more than made up for our intro to this restaurant. Every dish was simply cooked to perfection and delicious. The noodle dish with the rice cakes was simply to die for! We all agreed it was just fantastic - what flavor and those rice cakes were the best thing I have tasted in a long time. We had several other noodle dishes plus crab meat in a sauce with bok choy or cabbage ( can't recall the veggie). Many came with beef that was thin sliced and very tender. Also had pork and cabbage dumplings that were wonderful. Biggest surprise was that the total bill only came to $45!! Well worth the trip to Mott St.

Great place, great staff and absolutely amazing food! Pork soup dumplings is something you have to try at this place! Don't leave if you sees big line in front of you, you will be seated in less than 20 min

We had dinner at Shanghai Cafe on July 3, 2016. We shared table with other groups. The dim sum was good. The shrimp dish was excellent. The service was OK.

This location on Mott Street provided outstanding late Saturday dinner, As refugees from the Festival of Saint Gennaro in neighboring Little Italy, we savored delicious and piping hot xiao long bao (soup dumplings), spicy sauteed fish fillet, and kong xin cai a seasonal green vegetable. All were cooked to perfection. This is inexpensive, but no frills; there appeared to be many groups and couples coming over for the same reason . And for good reason. Service is rather hurried, but does the job. Excellent meal all in all.

A very unpretentious restaurant in Chinatown, as good on recent return visit as on first visit a few years ago. The porksoup dumpling was as fresh and tasty as remembered. The additional Hot and Sour soup and Shanghai braised noodles more than satisfied two hungry tourists. Exceptional value.

The pork soup dumplings were amazing. We have tried the dumplings in Singapore at Din Tai Fung and these are very comparable. Other dishes: hong kong noodles and Bok Choi were also very good. The ambiance is average at best.

Visited on Saturday 27 With my mum for dinner. The place was bustling, there was a queue out the door but tables came fast and the service was excellent and polite. We had sweet and sour chicken, chicken with broccoli and shrimp fried rice. It was all absolutely delicious. I would definitely recommend. The dumplings looked fab but as I don't eat red meat there was a limited amount for me in this area.

This by far was the most disappointing stop on our Trip to NYC. I had heard great things about Mott street, but this restaurant was absolutely terrible. We ended up having to send back a dish because of hair in the food, which is just simply unacceptable to me. Our food came out staggered, so no one was able to enjoy their meal together. When the dish was sent back the service change quickly, it felt like us (the customer) had done something wrong. It felt like we were being quickly rushed out of the restaurant.

Other reviewers have stated it here, but I need to throw my hat in the ring as well: make a stop here and order the delicious pork soup dumplings. They are inexpensive, filling, and delicious. My server was very polite as well. Be aware that they accept cash only.

epic meal. i loved it. it made me miss hong kong a lot for some reason. :) most authentic meal i had since i was in china.

Our group of family and friends (9) went here on a late Saturday afternoon in early May for dinner. We had no problem getting a table for our large party since we were before the dinner hour. The restaurant at first seemed loud and a bit chaotic but when you sit down, your focus goes to the large menu with multiple appetizers, soups entrees and special dishes that appear almost endless. Our server was pleasant and attentive. But the hectic pace of the restaurant and quick turnover of the tables did require some effort at times to get their attention. That being said we ordered several appetizers, dumplings and entrees. The food came out as it was cooked with the entrees being delivered right after our appetizers. This seemed a bit unorganized since we pretty much had all of our food on our table at once with no break. Bottom line, you need to look past all of these issues since the food is excellent. It tasted fresh and the flavors were what you would expect for each dish ordered. I highly recommend the dumplings. And we could not argue with the price of our meal. It is one of the best bargains in NYC. We would definitely go back again.

Maybe better than the ones I had in Taiwan and Shanghai. Dough is just the right amount of thickness and perfect dough/meat/soup ratio.

This place was recommended to us by a friend who we trusted had good judgment in the quality of XLB (being originally from Shanghai herself). Didn't have time to go there for a proper lunch or dinner but since all we wanted to find out was what the XLB was like got there around 5 pm in time for a snack. Not crowded being early on a weekday but there were enough customers so it's not empty. Doesn't look like much from the outside, inside is simply decorated with a pleasant ambience, overall reddish lighting, black top tables, some booth seating. We got a couple orders of XLB and a cold chopped leafy vegetable with dried beancurd (malantou). The latter was finely chopped and tasty although quite a bit on the salty side, but the XLBS was very good, and a real bargain at $4.95 for a basket of 8. The dough skin was thin enough and lots of clear soup inside, not the least bit greasy. The menu's quite extensive with just about all the Shanghainese favorites you can name. Will definitely go back next time to try the other dishes. One note, it's cash only, no credit cards.

We had lunch on a Wednesday afternoon with no waiting for a table. Three of us ate in a comfortable booth and were pleasantly surprised to find it nicely air-conditioned (weather was in the 90's). The wait staff was very pleasant and attentive, they refilled our water glasses quickly no issues. We ordered tiny crab & pork buns, steamed pork dumplings, and scallion pancakes. The food was very filling and satisfying for the total cost of $20 (which included tip). The restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere, we never felt rushed to eat and get out.

Much less crowded; quick service and good dumplings and noodles. Quick snack or full meals are just as satisfying! Check put the local grocery stores and local shops!

When a place is always busy and you keep coming back it has to be good. Especially in the heart of Chinatown. We stumbled over this place several years ago looking for a special wok or something. Non-Asians are way outnumbered. I believe they still only take cash, but when you can feed four for $30, who cares. I could live on the dumplings alone. Especially #2.

If it is busy at this restaurant you may be seated at a community table, not a problem, just a Chinatown experience. As soon as you sit down they will serve you a nice tasting hot tea. I had an order of Shanghai Pork Soup Dumplings (8). I don't recall how they refer to them on the menu but just ask for them by that complete name and they will know what you want. They were very good juicy dumplings that were better than the ones at Joe's Shanghai. A benefit of going to the Shanghai Cafe is its easy walking distance to The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory with flavors such as Leche, Almond Cookie and Coconut.

Every time I go to the Shanghai Cafe Deluxe I am reminded of the Soup Nazi in the Seinfeld TV show. It is this insanely crowded, cramped, steamy, loud, rundown place in the heart of Chinatown that serves the best dumplings on earth with a rapid efficiency that will leave your head spinning and your belly full. There is always a line, and it's the locals, not tourists. As you wait in line, you will marvel at how fast they process the diners. The staff is bringing food constantly as others remove the dirty dishes and seat a new group. It's very much like a loud and endlessly amusing conveyor belt. You sit down and your waitress is there immediately. She takes your order. The food arrives in less than five minutes, no matter what you order. The second you finish, your table is being cleared and you are handed your check. The message is clear: "It's time for you to leave now." Over the years, I have sampled many of their often spicy entrees and I have never been disappointed. I may not always know what I am eating, but it doesn't really matter because it's all good. But the Shanghai Cafe Deluxe is known for their dumplings. They are simply the best. They come in various meat or vegetarian varieties and they are all out of this world, arriving in a steaming wicker basket. You bite off the top to cool them down, dip them in the special sauce, and then you're transported to a food dimension rarely visited. Entrees will cost you about $12 and the dumplings are $5 for about 8. So, you can easily get the best lunch you have ever eaten for about $20. They also serve beer, sodas, and teas. When you finish your meal, explore the wild and crazy shops along Mott Street. It will leave you shaking your head in wonder and delight. Plus, you can get some really good deals on every product under the sun, including knock-off designer bags and watches. For more travel tips, please check out my popular travel blog.

This is what you need after a day in the city: good food and an authentic setting. Felt as if we were in China itself.

This was my second time here and I just love this place. No fancy stuff, just real down to earth and the best dumplings I have had outside of China (and maybe one place in Sydney). We went in way over our head and ordered 9-10 different dumpling dishes, as well as General Tso's Chicken. Thought we were gonna divide it amongst three, but turned out to be more amongst two as our third guy found his own dish. Should have been way too much, but these are so good that I continued eating long after I was full...

When my wife & I return to NYC to visit (we retired down to Florida like good New Yorkers do) we first settle into our hotel & then hop the subway to Chinatown to go eat dinner at Shanghai Cafe. Oh the dumplings! In the Tampa Bay area we can't find good Chinese food like this! Be aware that it is small and loud, & you may have to share a table with others. The food comes all at once, so your limited table space will be crammed with dumplings, wonton soup, & your entree & drinks (& NY water, the best in the land) all at once. But it is all worth it. Don't expect fortune cookies; this is a real place!

We were wandering through Chinatown, and we asked a local for a good place to get Chinese food. He sent us here, to the Shanghai Cafe. It was a Sunday so it was pretty busy, but they seated us very quickly because we said it was okay if we shared a table. We got the pork fried dumplings, the chicken fried rice, and the beef lo mein. I honestly can't say which one I liked best because they were all delicious! It was also big portions for a totally reasonable price. I'm from Houston where we are spoiled with dozens of amazing chinese food restaurants, but Shanghai Cafe is definitely in my top 5 favorite chinese food places I've ever eaten. Can't wait to go back!

Having a thousand choices in the area my business associate and I relied on tripadvisor and our hotel concierge. It had great dim sum and food without the long wait. Great dumplings in a simple unpretentious environment. Go here!

I felt in China in this restaurant. The food, the atmosphere... With a large choice of chinese dishes. You can taste many of them for a reasonnable price for NY. You can share your rond table with other people if you are a small group, but it is nice.

I live on the LES and have made my way with my hubby around Chinatown testing out all the soup dumplings to be had and I come back time and time again to Shanghai Cafe. It's not a fine dining experience, the service can be gruff but you won't wait long to sit and you definitely won't wait long to get some dumplings. Like the title of this review states Bring Cash! Last time I was there a tourist from Ohio was complaining that they don't take cards but there are signs EVERYWHERE in this place that says Cash Only. The Pork soup dumplings are $5.00, theres not many items on the menu that are pricey.

I don't make a habit of reviewing restaurants but this place is so awful I have to warn my fellow diners. First, I was seated next to a wall and a foul cigar/cigarette stench was coming from the vent next to me. The only good thing I can say is that the soup dumplings were merely ok. I also ordered pan-fried tofu with vegetables and they brought a few slabs of tofu on a plate covered in a weird brown sauce that was so difficult to identify that the people at the table next to me thought it was a plate of ribs. No sign of vegetables. I sent it back for them to correct the error and they brought it back with some COLD steamed baby bok choy on the side. I grew up in an Asian household and have made pan fried tofu for decades. The tofu they served was so undercooked that the batter had formed a gooey gelatin on top of the tofu, underneath the revolting brown sauce. First I pointed out to them that the bok choy was cold and the server tried to convince me that it was supposed to be cold. When I said that the tofu was undercooked and tasted bad they said that they already remade the dish for me once, forcing me to point out again that they screwed up by bringing me the wrong dish the first time. Then 3 more staff members started arguing with me about the same things and one of them offered to bring me a different tofu dish with mushrooms! I told them I didn't want any of their tofu, I was afraid it would make me sick, and to just leave me alone during my lunch and if they insist on charging me for the bad food, then fine. They brought the check and only charged me for the dumplings. P.S. The people at the table next to me also disliked their food and said they wouldn't go back - they said the place next door is better. BEWARE this place was like an early Halloween nightmare.

This super busy place with the manager screaming orders is a true taste of Hong Kong. Have the alow cooked pork Dong superb. Soup filled dim sum perfect

You come here for the dumplings. Not the friendly staff or fancy restaurant! It is cheap and the food is lovely and for this reason I've been here several times. The restaurant is basic and aged and the staff pretty pushy to get you through your meal and out the door. My favourites have been the tiny pork and crab buns (dumplings), bok choy with garlic and Szechuan dumplings

This place is a hole in the wall, with awesome Shanghai Dumplings (with soup in the middle of the dumpling), dumplings and Chinese food. I love the Shanghai noodles. Great food and wonderful atmosphere.

This meal was one of our most delicious meals in NYC on our recent trip. Very reasonably priced and food portions were HUGE!! The best part were the pork dumplings. Everything was tasty, fast and affordable. The place was packed with locals and not tourists so we knew this was where we needed to eat. A local lady on the street recommended it. She said her husband always eats there and says, "that is real chinese" She was right!!

The portions and food were great! I had the pork and vegetable dumplings which were very good. I also had the general tso chicken which was a definite recommend.

We have been to another Shanghainese place and thought we'd try this one based on somegood reviews. It was OK but nothing special so we will look around for a "go to" in Chinatown. The soup dumplings were fine but a bit heavy and doughy. The best dish was baby bok choy with garlic and soy: fresh little heads that were still crispy and flavorful unlike the usual oversteamed stuff you often get. We also got a noodle dish that was not bursting with flavor, with a few nuggets of tough pork and some veg to round it out. Service was about what you would expect in Chinatown. I have no real problemwith the place,but it was uninspiring and that'snot why we go out to restaurants.

Together with girlfriend we went there specifically after we saw the show "Food, I love you". It is common Chinese venue with slow service, no fancy furniture etc. But! I felt in love with their dumplings. They were awesome!!! Actually, I have already missed them. Btw, Tsingtao beer was also tasty.

Did a family Dim Sum brunch of 4 kinds of dumplings (soup, steamed pork, fried pork & leek & pork). The leek & pork were the winner for us. Their cold sesame noodles are a great base for piling on other dishes. Mushu, Kung Pao, Shredded beef with garlic broccoli are all good. Get there before 1 or you will be waiting.

Wonderful lunch of various dim sum selections and do not miss the scallion pancakes ! Mostly "locals" so we knew it would be good - staff helpful and friendly

Had a superb lunch here. Dumplings and veg noodles was amazing. I highly recommend anyone to come and visit. Amazing and will come again.

The staff at this restaurant are so rude and service was so bad that it almost made it good. We were totally amazed and amused at how the customers are treated. I saw one waitress stop two men at the door to complain about the tip she had received. The customers were very polite but she just kept at them. The food was good.

First time for myself, wife, and young kids (from England) in New York - and this evening, in Chinatown. All our eating experiences till this evening for the past 2 weeks had been great, and a positive experience. We visited the area this afternoon / evening to look around, and dine in somewhere for Asian food. We had not previously researched this restaurant in detail - like we had all previous - but did a quick mobile search on this site which gave it a good rating. From the moment we walked in, not having booked, we saw its was extremely busy which typically is a good sign, so were comfortable in our choice. It took a while to be seated, but there is 5 of us, so we weren't phased by this. What struck us immediately was the lack of personable attention by the staff - just plain faced and indifferent towards us, and others for that matter. I put this down to a cultural thing, or how busy the place was. We placed our order for seafood noodles, pork dumplings, half duck, and spring rolls...not too much to start with so we could sample the quality before committing too much. But when the food arrived there was a few problems: the duck was not tender, and overcooked; the dumpling were cooked heavily one side, but not at all the other; half the noodles were crunchy as they were not cooked; and most of the seafood was cold, when other food around it was hot. Generally what was there lacked flavour and seasoning, leading us to use sauces and condiments to make it palatable. Now perhaps the condition of what was served is normal or even intended in this region, however, in all the countries we've eaten asian food (except China) we have not experienced it being like this. Being the type of family we are we ate as much as we could despite not enjoying it, and the focus being to pay and leave at the soonest respectable time. For these reasons the Food score is Terrible. Its worth mentioning at this point that during our meal we were not visited by the staff to see if we needed anything, apart from being placed at a table, and the food and drinks arriving. So eventually the table was cleared as we had finished, and we were not asked if we wished for any more food - probably as they needed more tables. So we were promptly presented with the bill. Now in our own country under our own laws we have the right to pay what we feel the meal is worth, IF we are not satisfied with the food and/or service. On this occasion being in another country we felt the we would just pay the full cost of the bill to avoid an embarrassing encounter, but not pay any tip...to compensate for our dissatisfaction with our meal. So I rounded up what was owed (~80 cents over) and passed it to the waitress. This is where another problem started! The waitress checked the money twice, and started getting cross with us about the missing tip. We tried to explain discretely and politely that we were dissatisfied (for the reasons described above), but this failed to be understood or appreciated. She then proceeded to bring forward another member of staff, who then followed on from her line of complaint. At this time we were all standing and around many diners. It was extremely embarrassing, and we felt as though we were being bullied into paying more. In an attempt to discontinue the disturbance to fellow diners, and to resolve this dispute in a dignified manner, I ushered everyone to the front desk of the shop, which we did. After a couple more minutes of being verbally hounded for a tip, it was clear they did not appreciate and respect our opinions and took it as a given that a tip should be given so in the end we just had to ignore the staff and walk out. For this reason the Service receives a Terrible rather than Average. Sadly this was the first and only place we visited in Chinatown, leaving the area for midtown immediately after as we felt so upset by the whole ordeal. We don't want to write the whole area off as we're sure there's great places to eat close by there, but it’s made it difficult to consider going back to possibly waste more precious time we have left in NY before returning home.

Hugely impressed with the efficiency of the staff in a bustling high occupancy restaurant. Great menu and delicious food served by happy and caring staff. The food and drink were more than reasonably priced. Have to say it was the culinary highlight of our visit to the Big Apple.

We went here w/ our local friends. They were SHOCKED how busy it was & came to conclusion the secret is out on this place. This was our first time having the amazing Pork soup dumplings & OMG! Best thing we ate on our NYC trip! The fried rice was even amazing & my tangerine chicken was great too! Not a bad thing that we had!. It is CRAZY busy here but for good reason! They are renovating right now from my understanding. We will def hit up this place again & again! It is in China Town. We only waited 10 minutes in a pretty big line so do not freak out if you see a line to get in. They only have canned soda here or specialty drinks as well.

If you are a solo gourmet tourist you will love this place because you can skip the row by asking them to put you in a shared table. Otherwise you will have to wait in the line. Service is in a permanent state of rush so you need to be bold and fast to order. Otherwise you will be skipped or ignored. Menu is complicated if you are new to Dim Sum or Chinese food. Good thing about it is that it works by numbers so for first timers #1 is a must (crab and fish steamed dumplings aka 'Dim Sum') Bring Cash as they don't take cards.

Came on a very quiet Thursday night, only one other table besides us. We quickly ordered the Soup Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes and Shanghai Pan Fried Noodles. The dumplings had more soup inside than most places that makes them even more delicious....the pancakes were very good, very crispy....the pan fried noodles were probably the best I have ever had, crispy and the sauce made it great when combined, the texture was fantastic. The service was quick, attentive, the restaurant was very clean but keep in mind, this place only accepts cash, no other forms of payment. Try this place for all that I mentioned but you will return for the soup dumplings most....

We ordered Dim Sum. Can't miss with Dumpling Soup ("steamed tiny buns") on the menu. Got menu advice & eating technique from a diner sitting next to us. He's an Aussie living in London & said he eats here at every time he's in NYC. Hold the dumpling on spoon with chopsticks, nibble a small hole in the dumpling and suck out the soup. Then devour the rest of the dumpling. What delicious fun.

I thought this place had some pretty good xiao long bao (#1 and #2 on the menu). To compare to Ding Tai Fung on the west coast, these ones had more soup and more meat inside, though the skin was thicker as well. All the dumplings held well so no soup was leaked :) I wasn't a big fan of the pork steamed dumplings though (#5) - I feel like it lacked a lot of flavor and it relied on dipping it in vinegar (didn't like the particular type of vinegar for this either) to give it any taste at all. I wasn't the one that ordered this for the table (and would normally not order this) so I can't punish them too hard. The pig ears were decent, and the wine chicken was pretty good as well. All in all, I would say it is reasonably authentic ("this is the food of my peoples") and fairly priced. The 2-person tables are small though. If you order the dumplings and one other dish, all the real estate will be taken up.

We just love this place. It is always busy but the line moves quickly. The manager is a fireball and constantly yells at customer to get moving - she is friendly when you get to know her. Their dumplings are the best we have ever had in New York - try those filled with pork and soup. The Duong Po pork is better than anything Jean Georg can produce. Incredibly cheap prices, brilliant food. A must.

My family and I randomly went to Chinatown to have dinner and found this place on TA. We had the steamed dumplings (the round ones) that were excellent. The pork juice filled the dumpling so make sure you eat it with the spoon so you don't spill the juice. The regular dumplings were only so-so. The fried rice was good as is but much better with a hint of the dumpling sauce they give you. We also ordered rice noodles with vegetables off the menu and that was excellent also. Make sure you ask for the spicy oil- makes everything that much better. Had 5 dishes for about $30. Will definitely go back if we're in the area again.

Xiao Long Bao (XLB), also known as juicy pork dumplings, soup dumplings and a few other things, are one of the great dishes of the world. And in spite of their seeming simplicity, they are quite complex. The perfect XLB is a flavorful meatball of pork in a flavorful pork broth contained in a dumpling wrapper that is neither too thick nor too thin, pliant without being rubbery, holds together well enough to contain the hot soup, and of a size that once the soup inside begins to cool a bit you can pop the whole thing into your mouth for a burst of juicy fantasticness. The ones here are not quite that, but they are the closest I have found - having tried about 15 different places in NYC as well as eaten them in many places in Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Los Angeles - all places where superior XLB can be found - so far in NYC. The filling is impeccable, the broth and meat are superb. The wrappers are a bit too thick and the overall size a bit too large. But otherwise they are excellent and a great value. The other dishes I have tried have also been very good to excellent. An appetizer of ground hard tofu with "wild vegetable" - which I think is preserved mustard green - is excellent. The simple pea shoots cooked with garlic are a perfect accompaniment. The sheng jian bao (pan fried pork buns) are only okay - the ratio of bun to pork leans far too heavily on the bun side and the pork inside isn't as juicy as it ought to be. I have seen, but not tried, other dishes and they all look good, hot, freshly made and people seem very happy eating them. In all, I would say this is a very good simple Chinese restaurant should you find yourself in the vicinity.

Before you go here, you must understand that this restaurant is not an elegant, fancy, expensive restaurant. Once you understand this you will be treated to a wonderful eating experience. We arrived during a busy time which resembled pandemonium but were still able to be seated within 15 minutes. If you don't order the Xaio Long Bao, you are wasting your time. We ordered pan fried noodles, Dow Mu (pea pod leaves), tofu soup, and several orders of the Xaio Long Bao. Our food arrived in less than 5 minutes and all were delicious. In general, items from the kitchen are served very rapidly, but the Xaio Long Bao are cooked in a batch in large steamers. Sometimes there is a wait as the batches are cooked. During our meal all of the servers were moving at top speed. If you need something you need to be somewhat aggressive, not rude, but aggressive. At different times we asked different passing servers for another menu dish, forks, water, and extra napkins. We wondered if they got the message as they didn't really stop but just nodded their heads, but everything arrived including the menu item within one or two minutes. The only time we saw one of them stop was to volunteer to take a picture of our group.

We had lobster and sweet & sour pork. We were expecting a lot more from a New York City Chinatown restaurant. We were a little disappointed that it was just mediocre. Maybe we didn't order their specialty dish. We did ask the server for their recommendations and she told us that everything is good. Well, definitely not their lobster and their stir fried A-choy. Their sweet & sour pork is pretty good. There are plenty of other better restaurants around here.

The buns were awesome! So fresh, so hot, so yummy! The place was packed. Crowded the entire time we were there. Busy, busy, busy!

Good, speedy Chonese with an engaged wait staff. My son speaks Chinese and the waitresses came by and chatted with him which made it more fun.

Food was very good what a shame the waitress was very rude, and they forgot my fried pork dumplings and tried to take them off the people next to me and give them to me, but they already ate one. Then got angry spoke some mandarin under her breath and got attitude about them eating it but someone placed them in front of the couple in the first place. Then made them feel uncomfortable as well as I. She then got the bill for me and I had to ask about the dumplings again, to get them to go. Asked if I wanted change out of my $20 ($5) no way I was giving her a $5 tip, guessing because I'm a foreigner she was trying to take advantage of it.

We were recommended to visit the Shanghai Café and I'm so glad that we went, brilliant food and amazing value. The soup and dumplings were great. Well worth a visit when you're in Chinatown.

we had the best tasting food ,the service was the pleasant . I highly recommend this place the price is cheap but the food is great ,they only take cash

This is our choice in Chinatown, New York. We've been here a few times over the years, most recently in June. Meat-eaters in our group rave about the soup dumplings; vegetarian dumplings were also good, as was shrimp and broccoli. You can eat here very inexpensively, sticking to the dumplings and soups, but when you wander from those dishes, it can get expensive. Shrimp and broccoli, while tasty, seemed quite overpriced at $18. You have to shout because there is nothing to absorb noise, and everyone around you is also shouting, but that is part of the charm. So is hardly understanding a word the service staff say, and not being sure exactly what you have ordered until it arrives at the table.

Food wasn’t great. Bad service and an okay atmosphere. Waiters and waitresses are aggressive and very unwelcoming. The waiter it was like he was mad at us ordering food

Came across this on Trip Advisor and thought we'd give it a try when in Chinatown. We went at 7pm on a Sunday and waited 10 minutes for a table which we thought a good sign! It was packed mostly full of New Yorkers. Some tourists. We shared a table with another couple as it was so busy which was fine. We ordered a range of dishes to share including noodles, chicken fried rice, roast duck, sweet and sour chicken and dumplings. All fantastic. Bill was $55 including tip which for four people must be a cheap record in NYC!

Very authentic Chinese food with the best dumpling in town...do not go there if you expect an elegant experience....

Saw this restaurant highly rated by a number of websites. Huge number of selections on menu. Looked like most diners were getting the dumplings. We however ordered the hot and sour soup and it was average. Also, ordered chicken and vegetables which had poor quality chicken. Noise level off the charts. Service was rushed and we felt like we were getting swept out as fast as the food was delivered. Portions large, so if you go plan to share or do the dim sum. All-in-all a big disappointment.

The only place to get xiao long bao in the city you need to know about. They're not fancy, sometimes they're downright rude, but it's all based on getting you in and out while filling up your stomach with Chinese goodness. There's a few other decent spots in the city for dumplings, but I keep returning for their consistency.

We came in on a rainy cold Sunday around 2pm. Seated quickly. While ordering from menu the server told me that I didn't want what I was ordering but pointed to some other items that she thought we should have (I think, as I don't speak Mandarin and she didn't speak English!). That was fine, we were up for trying anything! We had egg drop soup which my 7 yo loved. Asked a few times for hot tea before it was brought out (in tall plastic cups which was a surprise). We were unable to ever get refills of water. The steamed dumplings were ok, I kept thinking they were steamed over dirty water as they just tasted off. I think I would try another place next time.

Had the steamed and fried dumplings. All I have to say is WOW!! great food at an inexpensive price. This place knows how to do it right. I also tried the scallion pancakes and sesame chicken. Very fresh and not overdone. This place is a must if visiting Chinatown. You won't be disappointed. They get busy so be prepared.

Cash only, no credit card. Even water can not be provided/refilled. Waitress aggressively asked for tips. No more visit!!!

The food is amazing, you will find traditional Chinese dishes. The Dim Sum is a must (item #1 in the menu). The downside is the service, the servers are in a permanent rush state and don't give you the attention needed as they lack of any patience. Usually the place is super packed and you have to wait from 5 to 25 minutes unless you are willing to share a table (not recommended). Also be prepared to pay in cash as they don't accept any kind of electronic payment.

Let me first just say that everything we had here was excellent - you can't go wrong overall. But even better than the soup dumplings themselves and the spiced green beans were the fried pork dumplings which I could honestly eat everyday.

Truly the best soup dumplings we have ever had. This place is great - fast, cheap and the dumplings are the absolute best I've found. Don't let the lines scare you off - they are so quick and it's worth the wait. Everyone orders the soup dumplings and bok choy - two really great dishes, but plenty else to try as well.

This place shares the same name of a famous dim sum eatery back in Shanghai but that is about the only similarity. The food here is very "crude", more suitable for the "white trashes", if I may borrow the term from the now infamous dean from Yale. The taste is far from authentic and price is not that cheap as the quality is really lousy. To crown our disappointment, the waitress demanded that we pay 15% tip even though we did not like the food nor the service. So we added one more dollar so to avoid any ugly scenes to a place filled with noises because of poor designs and cheap furnitures. I am afraid there is no decent Chinese food in downtown Manhattan at all ...

Had a wonderful experience. Service was prompt and courteuos. It appeared to be a good spot for locals to dine. Very busy. The orders came out very quickly. And WOW they were delicious! The Soup Dumplings were definately delicious. A burst of hot flavorful broth and a pork filling. Shanghai Noodle Soup had a tasty broth and what appeared to be homemade fresh noodles. Lo Mein had great flavor and used the same large noodles as the soup. But the dishes were not overwhelmed by the choice of larger noodle. Cashew chicken though not an authentic dish was the absolute best I ever had. And the Double Sauced Pork and rice dish had great flavor. All dishes were delicious and reasonably priced ($5-10). Would highly recommend this restaurant.

Shanghai cafe Mar 18 Visited this restaurant in New York Chinatown twice and it’s not bad for a quick meal. I had seafood pan fried noodles and they were nice. The second time I tried the seafood noodle soup and it was ok but not as good as the pan fried noodles. Lunchtime is very busy and noisy, and one may have to wait for a little bit. Tables are also tightly packed and there is little room to move, so it’s not really suited for young kids or babies in prams. Prices are quite reasonable for NY, and overall it’s probably one of the better Chinese restaurants in Chinatown for a quick meal.

Great soup dumplings and a seafood and noodle soup that I don't recall the name of. The food came too quickly and all at once. Consider ordering in stages.

Extremely noisy, very fast, service is not amazing, but you go there for the vibe. It actually feels like China, the atmosphere ia good, the food is nice and the prices are ridiculously low for New York. Very fun for young people.

First time back since they reopened. Food was good but in the past blew my socks off. Didn't get that feeling this time. Service was very fast and efficient and wait staff was very friendly and pleasant.

We were visiting my friend in NYC and she recommended getting Dim Sum at this place and it did not disappoint. There were four of us and we ordered two trays of Dim Sum dumplings, two ordered of pan friend dumplings, pork Lo mein and chicken fried rice. It was a feast and we all left totally stuffed. It was delicious and best of all only cost about $45 with tip...a bargain in NYC. Will definitely be back next time I'm in NYC. Oh yes, and the chicken fried rice was the VERY best chicken fried rice I've ever had.

There's a line, but it moves so very fast. I love the pan fried noodles so much. Best soup dumplings in NYC. Despite how busy it is at lunch and dinner and all the times in between the food is consistently good.

Fried dumplings did not taste so much and the sauce didnt taste anything either. It was totally dissapointing. Steamed dumplings with pork&crab meat were tasty and good but a bit too big. It was an OK lunch but I dont Think I go back

Terrific soup dumplings at an awesome price! Try to go at an off time and you will get a table quickly. Don't forget to take cash...no credit cards! Highly recommend if you are nearby.

We continue to try other places, and are convinced that Shanghai Café has the absolutely best soup dumplings to be found in NYC (actually on the menu I believe they are called "tiny dumplings." Don't be fooled, however, by other establishments calling themselves Shanghai something-or-another . . . ensure you are at 100 Mott Street, and enjoy!

While walking around Chinatown. We had Hot and Sour Soup, Veg Stemed Dumplings, Shanghi fried Rice, and Veg pan fried noodles. All were excellent. There were recognizable dishes that would be familiar to Americans as well as more traditional ones. We stopped in around 5 and there was a group working on a stack of fresh green beans around a table. While courteous, there was a vibe we were interrupting their fun.

We had a large group and didn't have to wait very long. They were very accommodating. We had a friend with us that ordered for us. The food was really good and the price was very reasonable. Had a fun time with the staff.

But nothing special. Good prices, cash only, fast service and about the same as most places in NYC's Chinatown. Seafood pan fried noodles were our main dish, was quite soupy (just wet) and the seafood had little flavor. Cold Sesame Noodles as an app were very good, Scallion Pancake was good

Full with locals, this place is awesome. You can get an authentic chinatown experience in this restaurant. The dumplings are tasty and the noodles are delicious. The quality/price ratio is very good!

was just passing by after a visit to the eye doctor right on mott street so I decided to try this place for dinner. I went with the pork soup dumplings. I must say they were delicious, priced right and a decent portion. I did not expect much- did not see any kind of reviews in the window but at least the health dept. gave them an A rating. I took to go pan fried noodle with pork and my son seemed to like them a lot. The service was good. nice roundtables for a big family. I would go back

This restaurant came recommended so we gave it a try. There was a long line to get in but thanks to the hostess, it moved quickly. She was very efficient at moving people in and out and was quite entertaining to watch. We tried several different types of dumplings and they were delicious. The entrees were huge and priced very reasonably. The service was fair but they were extremely busy so this could have attributed to the long wait before our order was taken. Overall I would recommend this as a must try when visiting Chinatown.

This restaurant was closed during our last visit to NYC, but has reopened seemingly with a new name - Shanghai Dumpling (at least that was the name on the menu). The food, though, is as good as ever. Soup dumplings - exquisite. Chicken with broccoli-heavenly. Shrimp lo mein - incredible. Cash only; bring your appetite, not your credit cards.

- Terrible food, one dish arrived very late, as we were ready to leave. - Rude staff, on asking one waitress where our rice was she was very argumentative. - After paying the bill, another waitress approached us to inform us we had to leave a tip. Due to the terrible service and terrible food we were not happy to leave a tip, which lead to her being aggressive and again insisting that we were to leave a tip. Having witnessed the staff harassing another lady for a tip (note cards are not accepted) we felt no desire to do so. Overall, a horrible experience a definitely one to avoid.

Great dumpling buns Meat or crab. Order these first as they take time to cook. They have great week day specials at bargain prices. Great service and quick order to your table. Recommend

Shanghai Cafe is a pretty amazing restaurant, one perfectly fit for the area. The environment is not necessarily all locals which proves that many come from other areas to come to this restaurant. The soup dumplings were excellent but a small bit lacking in soup, the vegetable dumplings I heard were delicious, the hot and sour soup was a little less spicy than wanted by myself, the scallion pancakes were great but more pancakey than scallion like and the duck was a large portion which I have to give credit for. The waiter and staff was wonderful, attentive, and our particular waiter was hilarious! The bathroom was a major con, smothered in graffiti. Other than that, it was a wonderful restaurant and I would definitely recommend. The tables can seat many people at a time so kudos to Shanghai Cafe!!!

I travel to Shanghai four to five times per year, and always go to the three or four best Xiao Long Bao places there... These are probably the closest XLB I've had in NY (and I've been to the best places in Flushing as well). This said, their sheng xian bao, are not nearly as good as 456 Mott St.

If you're a fan of dumplings, this is a great place. If you not, don't bother! Normally crowded with all types, so its popular with locals and tourists! One restroom for all their customers....because they can get away with it!! Good prices!

We had lunch here. We ate dumplings (recommended), Dim sum, pork and rice dish. The service was quick and efficient, complimentary tea and portions generous for a reasonable price. Note they only accept cash. Good place for a simple (not fancy) lunch.

We decided to stop at this location since it had great reviews for food. We were quickly greeted and seated. We asked to use the restrooms located at the bottom of the restaurant. The bathroom was disgusting Unfortunately the waitress we got with the eyeglasses was unwelcoming. . We ordered crab Rangoon, dumpling, shrimp in spicy tomato sauce and shrimp fried rice. She pretended to take our order. She came back with the shrimp fried rice. We had no utensils and no plates. We asked another waiter for the crab Rangoon and he politely said we don't sell those here. When we asked our waitress why would she pretended to take the order if they didn't have it and that she should have told us and that it. She walked away. We asked to bring the sugar 2 times. It seemed like we were bothering her. We didn't think she deserved a tip. We paid just for the food. She came back and told us we had to give her a 5 dollar tip for her horrible service. Wont be coming back.

Nice place to try their speciality, xlb or very good soup dumpling - thin dough, good broth and a bit too simple filling: all in, good execution but not not tasty enough, and quantity not matching the quality.

This place delivers on pretty much everything: incredibly fast service/food prep, cheap prices, and DELICIOUS food! Definitely get the pork soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, and hot and sour soup. It was crowded when we arrived around 7:30pm on a Saturday, but they seated us quickly (We shared a big round table with a few other people). Nothing fancy, but you absolutely cannot beat the price/quality. I'll definitely be back. P.s. it's cash only!

This little hot-spot is super hot for a really good reason, it is FANTASTIC! The food is insanely good. We were four and tried 10 dishes. Every one of them was "the best ever" of whatever dish we tried, really, that good. Service was super fast, and super cool, as in fun, friendly and attentive. Then the bill came...It blew us away how inexpensive it was. Seriously, if it was twice as much it would have been a deal. Everything was that good. Can't wait to go back!

Service was very slow. We ordered a round of steamed pork dumplings and a round of steamed vegetable dumplings. My wife and daughters liked it; however, I thought they were rather bland. No need to rush here to eat.

The Food is outstanding and so is the service. We ordered many dishes and shared them. General Taos Chicken, shrimp and scallops, steamed dumplings, wonton soup, fried rice - everything delicious!

Went to the Shanghai Cafe with my family and in laws based on a recommendation from a co-worker. The restaurant reminded me of lunch places we have visited in China with prompt service and Dim-Sum ready in minutes. The food was very good and the prices are reasonable. The only thing to keep in mind is that this is not a place to go for great service. The focus is on good food and speed to turnover tables. Go early for lunch since it gets busy.

We visited the Shanghai Cafe "Deluxe" at 100 Mott Street for lunch while visiting China Town on a weekday. The service was fast and the food was very good. We had chicken & corn soup, dumplings and Shanghai noodles with hot tea. It turned out to be more than we could (or wanted) to eat. If we were to do it again, I'd go for a couple orders of dumplings. They were excellent. Prices are very reasonable, but it's cash only.

Had grandkids with me and it was a nice place to get in, sit down, and cool off. Food was not great but good. The kids enjoyed the soup that is inside dumpling.

We were recommended this place but found it a bit run down. there were three of us and the best meal by far was Shanghai Pork Soup Dumplings. The other two were just ok.

the very best soup dumplings in Manhattan, second to a few no name locations in Flushing. Service is quick and borderline pushy, but that's what to expect here. Have been here many times and always enjoy it. Grab a couple orders of Xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and grab a Tsingtao beer and you're golden. Great foods on the menu as well. Bathrooms are a disaster so go elsewhere for that. And CASH ONLY! And when you walk in the restaurant just hold up a hand signal for the amount of people in your party, you'll be seated sooner and not seen as a rookie.

Recommended to me by a friend who is a frequent visitor, I was not disappointed. I had the scallion pancake and the sesame noodles. The pancake was great but, I have had better noodles. I plan to rvisit and try some of their other offerings.

Unbelievable good food. Well priced. Good service. I cannot overstate how good the food is. Just amazing.

Well, the service wasn't that great. They brought out the main course before the appetizer. Also, I received my main meal and later a bowl of rice. They didn't have items on the menu that I'm used to i.e. wanton soup, fried rice... I may return if I'm ever in that area again. It was clean and the food I did get was fresh.

Cash Only. Good for groups 3-9 in size. Grab your closest friends or family, as a meal here can't be enjoyed alone, and order your favorite Chinese restaurant dishes from the extensive menu. I like to order (group size of 3-4): XLBs ("Steamed Tiny Buns w/ Pork"), Four-Season String Beans ("Sautéed Dry String Bean" on the menu), along with a soup. Not everything on the menu is a hit, but these dishes hit the spot, personally. For me, Shanghai Cafe is a "must" when visiting family in NYC.

Had a wonderful time in this restaurant. We ate the chicken fried rice and the most wonderful pork steamed buns I have ever had. The service wasn't so good and the restaurant was a little too crowded, but overall the experience was good. I'd would definitely go back, specially for the little pieces of steamed heaven.

These little gems will keep you coming back over and over again. Hand made to order and only a few bucks for 10. We could eat these 3 days a week. The best.

When looking at value-for-dollar, this is one of the best restaurants I visited. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is nice and the food just excellent. And when you receive the bill, you almost can't believe that it costs only this much. No wonder there were people waiting for a table. And when we walked by the next day, there was a line outside. Very recommended!

I would guess this is the most authentic Chinese you can get other than China. I liked it. The soup dumplings were awesome. The General Tso's chicken was good but it tastes different than what I'm used to. Not good but not bad. Not sure if they use MSG. That's why I docked one star. My stomach acted like there was a little MSG ut they won't stop me from going back again!

I'm extremely picky eater. This place is very full and noisy and sometimes you have to share a table but is all worth it the food is great and pleased my chinese in-laws while at the same time being one of those places that I still enjoy. The price is great for the location.

Chinatown in New York is always a fave place to visit. Shanghai Cafe is by far my fave place to eat. The dumplings are a must when you come, you can get them steamed or pan fried. I usually order the usual, Sesame chicken and Mongolian chicken. Winners in my book. The service is fast, quick turnovers its alway a mad house in there.

What can I say, the food was mind blowing. We ordered a few things. Fried dumplings, chicken fried rice, sweet sour beef stew and of course the soup dumplings. Definitely go for the soup dumplings. Everything was served fast and was really really good. The waitress was really nice and overall this place has a nice flair. If you come to Mott street go to shanghai cafe! Only recommendation to the owners could be that the menu is a big too overloaded from my perspective but whatever if everything is that good :-)

Go here for the soup dumplings! Service is average - not very friendly but food comes out very quickly. I did not like beef tendons noodle soup at all but the spicy white fish my friend got was nice.

we were hungry after a long morning walk, so very happy to have only a 5 minute wait for places at a 'chatty' table. great advice to have the "steamed tiny buns" and how to eat them, releasing the steam slowly. Both varietires, crab meat and pork and pork only were very tasty. These with a noodle soup was sufficient for a late lunch-snack,.

Very rude staff, when we finished our dish they gave us the bill straight away, we did not ask for it. They actually kicked us out. And when we were trying to sort out how much "tip" we should give for the poor service, the woman came to our table telling us in a very rude manner we need to give them 6 dollars right now for the service.

Came here for the Xiao Long Bao. Restaurant decor was alright (but who cares). Staff were as friendly as you'd expect for a Chinese restaurant (which means basically not friendly). Both my friend and I got stomach aches after. Server carried sauce dishes to our table with one inside the other, meaning the bottom of one dish was IN the sauce below it. Yum. 99.9% it was reused (in the dish) for the next table. Why can't it be in bottles on the table like every other place? (Answer - to save money, because it can be reused this way) The Pork and Crab was not mixed well... Some tasted like just pork, some tasted super fishy. Would not be surprised if they only gave a few with crab in each order to save money. Would not return. Would try another place.

I'm not horribly picky about restaurants but this was not a good experience at all. We were seated at a table that was literally broken, with duck tape across it that was peeling back at the corners. We were given water right away which was nice. The waitress came over and asked for our food order. I ordered one thing, my fiance ordered two, and our friends ordered a total of 6 different dishes. She quickly left. I wanted to order a soda, but since she only asked for the food order, I assumed she would come back to take a drink order. She didnt. The food came out one dish at a time, rather than altogether, over a period of ten minutes. I was the first to receive my food. Every time a dish was brought to the table, it was by a different person. They would just set the dish at the end of the table and walk away without explaining what it was or asking who ordered it. We are not Chinese food experts, plus most of the items ordered were in dumplings, so how could we tell whose was whose? We were in a corner furthest from the kitchen, so it was impossible to flag anyone down. my friends had to just bite into everything to figure out what it was. There was one dish that no one had any idea what it was, and no one thought they ordered it. The ambiance was very 1980's with neon lights in the ceiling and super low ceilings. It was pretty chaotic in there and it made me feel a little stressed. The wait staff was practically running through the restaurant, were impatient when other tables stopped them, and were screaming at each other in the back. I am not a Chinese food fan to begin with but the experience will definitely be a deal breaker for me. With so many options in China Town, it is safe to say we won't be going back to this restaurant.

We liked our food so much we went back for a second meal! Important to know: They only accept cash! We went in the first time around 3:00 on a Saturday and it was packed. I narrowed down my selection to braised chicken noodles , but did not know if I wanted gravy or stir fried. Our waiter immediately said to do the stir fry. It was so good. It had noodles, small pieces of chicken, onions, cabbage, mushrooms and fried egg. It was truly delicious. It was a good sized portion. The pork dumplings were also very good. We went again around noon on a Wednesday, and although there was a steady business, not as packed as before! The good news, the food was just as good as the first time!

The soup dumplings are unique and delicious. If you go with anyone else, you'll want to order more than one tray. The dumpling is done just right-not soggy and the soup inside is very tasty. We also ordered the cold sesame noodles which are thick and tasty. In addition we had General Tso's Chicken which was average. I would go here just for the soup dumplings.