WE’VE eaten a lot of carbs lately. Not just any carbs though; arguably the best kind — noodles. Here’s our A to Z list covering some of our favorite pasta finds around Shanghai lately. And no... this isn’t exclusively an Italian list!

Alimentari Grande

The largest of all nine Shanghai Alimentari locations, Alimentari Grande is a Donghu Road institution serving up everyone’s favorite unpretentious, fast-casual Italian, ideal for everyday dining. Available at all four Alimentari Grande locations in China (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Beijing) the name of the season is fresh, fresh, fresh — featured through ingredients to cooking techniques, from plating to accoutrement.

Velvety basil pesto cream sticks to each bucatini noodle of the Pesto & Chicken (80 yuan), the hollow cylindrical strands soaking up the excess sauce. Cherry tomatoes, torn basil leaves, pine nuts and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan crumble make it the ultimate bite of reminiscent of spring.

Address: 20 Donghu Rd

Bambino

Chef Lucky Lasagna’s 30-seater neighborhood trattoria, Bambino, is a bastion to all things comforting and good in this world. Chef Lucky’s bold use of ingredients and unapologetically soulful style are the through line that connects all aspects at Bambino, with the restaurant’s tagline “cucina furiosa”.

He is the literal embodiment of the establishment’s spirit animal, nonna and mascot, as he’s not afraid to share his home flavors as food that feeds both the stomach and the heart.

The dish worth rearranging your schedule for is the Spaghetti alla Chitarra (88 yuan). Elastic, handmade egg and olive oil pasta “alla chitarra” is the base of this dish — a square-shaped noodle made by pressing the pasta dough through a wooden box with metal strings similar in appearance to a guitar, hence the name chitarra, Italian for “guitar”.

Adorned with aglio e olio-poached prawns — but with butter instead of oil — briny capers, black olives and anchovies, plus a nip of chili and grated lemon skin, the summery parsley sauce brings the whole moreish mouthful together.

Address: 600 Shaanxi Rd N.

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

An extension of the three-Michelin-starred venue (of the same name) in Hong Kong, executive chef Nicoló Rotella has recreated the same fine dining affair on the North Bund at two-Michelin-starred venue 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana.

Hailing from Italy’s Liguria region comes the humble trofie — an artisanal twisted pasta, short and thin, conventionally tossed in an herbaceous pesto Genovese. Aligning with that same ethos, but elevating it a step further, the expertly al dente pasta is coated in a slick basil oil, clam water and Qingdao tomato juice sauce that creates a shiny veneer on each individually rolled spindle.

Address: 6-7/F, 169 Yuanmingyuan Rd

Bella Vita

If you’ve lived in Shanghai for more than a week, you’ve probably heard of neighborhood Italian establishment Bella Vita. Well, that’s because the group has nine China outposts in total, spanning fast casual Bella Vita, upscale Bella Vita Bistro, café Buonissimo, and more. Owner and Italian native Samuele Rossi (previously chef de cuisine at Grand Hyatt Beijing and executive sous chef at MGM Macau) is all about the imported, high-end ingredients, homemade everything (pretty much a requirement for opening a successful Italian restaurant in Shanghai these days), and a lofty wine list.

And, while the rest of Shanghai seems to be riding the fusion train, Bella Vita digs deep into hyper-traditional, genuine pan-Italian recipes.

The Linguina in Salsa di Pomodorini (99 yuan) is a classic combo of the most archetypal of Italian flavor pairings: tart cherry tomatoes, supple burrata and an earthy lashing of basil oil — one that has stood the test of time.

The string tying it all together is Barilla linguine, each springy strand slathered in the tastes of the season.

Address: 555 Haifang Rd

Bottega

Since Bottega landed in the old Beef & Liberty spot in the K. Wah Center on Xiangyang Road, it has been consistently packed to the brim, as is the case with their second Jing’an location.

Maybe it’s because they have a happening location.

Maybe it’s because they have won — like — every pizza award in the history of awards.

Maybe it’s because the team has created a winning formula since opening the first Bottega in Beijing in 2014.

Or maybe it’s just because they indisputably make Shanghai’s best Napoli-style pizza, and consistently deliver that same level of quality across the entire menu, as well as service, presentation and atmosphere.

Just spitballing here, what do we know? We aren’t restaurant owners.

But whatever it is, they nail it, and we have never left Bottega not immediately craving... more Bottega.

Famed as one of the “Big 4” pastas of Rome, the Amatriciana (99 yuan) earns its place in this quartet as the brightest of the bunch, with pipe-like rigatoni pasta smothered in a tart vine-ripened tomato sauce.

Instead of the customary pancetta, charred guanciale — caramelized pork cheek slivers — shine as the protagonist of this culinary performance; smoky and salty, the pork is only further amplified by the pecorino’s brazen salinity.

Address: 101B, 1/F, K. Wah Center, 108 Xiangyang Rd N,

Bella Vita Bistro

The predecessor to Bella Vita (mentioned above), Bella Vita Bistro opened on Tianping Road in October 2021, helmed by chef Andrea Botti, a man who — for Bella Vita — left the Maldives to move to Shanghai that same year.

If leaving one of the most beautiful places on Earth doesn’t demonstrate utter dedication to deliver the absolute best, we don’t know what does.

The pan-Italian menu aligns with Bella Vita’s motto, “enjoying Italian cuisine is more experiential, not intellectual”. Here, they want to keep it straightforward, giving their guests exactly what they expect — in a cozy, familiar setting fit for celebrating special occasions, going on a nice date or engaging in a business dinner.

Available for both lunch and dinner, and utilizing a signature Sardinian grain, the Crab Meat Fregola (199 yuan) sees a pungent dollop of whipped lemon cream placed in the center — meant to be evenly mixed amongst the spherical noodles.

The lemon cream is created by cooking an entire lemon and blending both the skin and pulp — lending equally sour and bitter notes to the plate, balanced by the crab and seafood bisque’s natural sweetness.

Address: 318 Tianping Rd

Calypso

Calypso Restaurant & Lounge at Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai, launches new seasonal menus each quarter, curated by chef de cuisine Tonino Giglio, with the most recent aptly dubbed “From Barcelona With Love”. Presenting equally colorful and fresh flavors of Mediterranean cuisines — including Italy, south of France, and a strong emphasis on authentic Spanish food — both sets offer diners a culinary-driven “vacation” to the Mediterranean Sea.

Italian-imported durum semolina pasta is the focus of the Linguine Pesto and Prawns (148 yuan), tossed in a heavy-handed (yet very welcome) ladleful of quintessential Genovese-style basil pesto, flanked by three grilled prawns — their pleasantly smoky char adding a tempered bitterness plus a snappy textural contrast.

Address: South Wing Plaza, Jing An Kerry Centre, 1218 Yan’an Rd M.

Chez JOJO

A French-style bistro and wine bar, Chez JOJO serves standard French fare, such as homemade foie gras, French oysters, cote de boeuf and cheese fondue along with a large selection of wines (up to 200 varietals) by glass and bottle.

With two locations around Shanghai, one on Yongjia Road and another on Fumin Road, both spaces are partially hidden from the street, with plenty of garden and terrace seating.

If you’re aiming for something lighter than pâte, foie gras or terrine, the Grilled Salmon Steak with Pesto Tagliatele (178 yuan) just may be calling your name.

With scorched edges but a succulent center that flakes away with the mere nudge of a fork, the salmon is adeptly seared, plated atop swirling noodles thick with luscious pesto cream.

Address: 3/F, A Mansion, 291 Fumin Rd

Commune Reserve

Followers of Stone Brewing and fellow craft beer lovers alike flock to Commune Reserve along Yuyuan Road for more than just their extensive 30 beer tap list.

The menu is an eclectic list of global comfort food favorites — chicken wings, sticky ribs, pasta dishes and burgers. Bites that pair well with — no surprise here — a frothy mug of the good stuff.

Case in point, a recipe that tastes like it’s been passed down through generations of Italian nonnas, the Beef Cheek Ragu Pasta (108 yuan) sees thin spaghetti noodles tossed in a pancetta and braised beef cheek San Marzano tomato sauce, finished with a tableside hit of Parmigiano Reggiano. Each juicy confit tomato bursts under the slightest pressure, adding a refreshing brightness to the otherwise rich pasta sauce, making it all the more enjoyable year-round.

Address: 1107 Yuyuan Rd

High Yaki The Sea

Chef Carlos Sotomayor (previously of elEFANTE and UP Shanghai) is the man behind the menu at owner Justin Xu’s High Yaki The Sea. Showcasing a blend of Western cooking techniques with splashes of Japanese, Thai and wider Southeast Asian flavors, smoke and fire are a predominant component of every dish — running the gamut of global fire power, the restaurant boasts both a Combi oven and Salamander broiler, plus a Japanese binchotan charcoal-grill.

Unbridled in its excess, the Uni Noodles (288 yuan) are a tidal wave of sea urchin in two forms — a Japanese dried sea urchin butter and a baker’s dozen of fresh Dalian sea urchin. Equal parts lux and lush, together the two form a “uni Alfredo” of sorts, unctuously coating each saucy thread of udon.

Address: Unit 113, Bldg 5, 8 Hengshan Rd