"Jason Liu's one-star modern Chinese on the Bund, where a three-month dry-aged chicken soup leads. Book it for a memorable birthday."
The chicken soup arrives clear as tea, built from a Tangshan black-footed bird dry-aged for three months and finished with Yunnan wild matsutake. It is the dish that tells you what Ling Long is doing: Chinese cooking pulled apart and rebuilt with a fine-dining grammar. Chef Jason Liu brought the concept from Beijing to the Bund, where it occupies a heritage room inside the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai and serves one seasonal set menu a night.
Jason Liu, born in Taiwan, opened the original Ling Long in Beijing in 2019 and earned a Michelin star and a Young Chef Award before he turned thirty. The Shanghai menu is built around the idea of xian, the Chinese word for umami, and changes with the season across themes of tradition, locality and memory. The signature dry-aged chicken soup with matsutake leads a single set menu priced at ¥1,680 plus a 15 percent service charge.
The room sits inside the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, along Zhongshan Dong Yi Road. See it among the best Chinese restaurants worldwide, browse the full Shanghai dining guide, read our ten best restaurants in Shanghai, or place it against the World's 50 Best 2026.
The setting is a low-lit heritage room on the Bund, intimate and hushed, built around a counter and a handful of tables so the kitchen can pace one menu for the whole room. Sound stays quiet; the service is formal and closely choreographed. Dress smart. Seating is small, which is part of why a table is hard to secure, and the evening unfolds slowly over many courses.
Book Ling Long for a birthday because a single, carefully paced set menu on the Bund makes the night feel like an occasion from the first course. The dry-aged chicken soup is a centrepiece worth building an evening around, and the quiet room suits a celebration that wants to feel special rather than loud. For more milestone tables, see our best restaurants for a birthday guide.
Not for a quick bite or a tight budget. Dinner is a single set menu at ¥1,680 plus 15 percent service, paced across a long evening.
Is Ling Long worth it?
Yes, for diners who want modern Chinese fine dining with a clear point of view. Jason Liu reworks familiar flavours with real technique, the room is intimate, and the seasonal set menu has earned a Michelin star. At ¥1,680 plus service it is a serious outlay, so it suits a special evening rather than a casual dinner. Go for the dry-aged chicken soup and the pacing of a single menu.
How hard is it to book Ling Long?
Hard. The room is small and serves one set menu a night, so book well in advance, especially for weekends and holidays. Reserve through the restaurant or the hotel. Solo diners and couples have an easier time than large groups, since seats are limited. If your dates are fixed, secure the table as early as you can rather than leaving it to chance.
What is the dress code at Ling Long?
Smart is expected. The room is a refined, low-lit fine-dining setting on the Bund, and most guests dress for the occasion. There is no strict jacket rule, but a jacket or a tailored outfit fits the mood and the price point. Avoid anything too casual; this is a destination dinner, not a drop-in, and the setting rewards a little effort.
What should I order at Ling Long?
There is no à la carte to navigate: Ling Long serves a single seasonal set menu at ¥1,680, so the choice is really about the wine or tea pairing. Within that menu, the dry-aged Tangshan chicken soup with Yunnan matsutake is the dish to anticipate. Tell the team about any dietary needs when you book, since the menu is fixed and paced for the whole room.
Came for a birthday and the single set menu made it feel like an event from the first course. The aged chicken soup is extraordinary, deep and clean at once. The room is small and quiet. Pricey, but a real occasion.
Sat at the counter as a solo diner and it was the best way to experience it. You watch the pacing up close and the team looks after you. Modern Chinese cooking with genuine ideas. Worth planning a trip around.
Reserve well ahead through the restaurant or the Waldorf Astoria. The room is small and serves one set menu a night.
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