Guests attend the launch ceremony of Global Taste in Shanghai 2026 at Xintiandi Dongtaili in Huangpu district on Jan 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Shanghai's citywide Global Taste 2026 festival commenced on Friday, launching a year of international culinary promotion with a dedicated "European Flavors Season". The opening event was held at Xintiandi Dongtaili in Huangpu district.
The annual program is designed to attract more tourists to the city by positioning world-class dining as a central pillar of Shanghai's appeal. To mark the start of the European season, the online retail platform Meituan released a special food guide featuring 338 highly-rated restaurants (4.0/5.0 and above) that serve food from Italy, Spain, France and Germany.
Aligning with the inaugural "Italian Food Month", the guide highlights 173 curated Italian establishments. It also proposes 10 curated dining routes through Shanghai's distinctive neighborhoods, using cuisine as a pathway to explore the city.
Consumers participate in the European Flavors Season market at Xintiandi Dongtaili on Jan 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
More than 200 of the guide's listed restaurants are now offering premium meal deals. To date, over 50 European-style venues have introduced nearly 100 special promotions. During the event, customers can access discounts of 40 percent or more via the Dianping app or in-store.
The European season is supported by cross-industry partnerships with entities like Jinjiang Group, Global Harbor, China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai UnionPay, all of which are rolling out diversified "food+" experiences to enrich the city's culinary landscape.
As part of the launch weekend, Xintiandi Dongtaili is hosting a European Flavors Season market, creating a cultural exchange space where visitors can stroll, sample authentic dishes and engage with European food culture. Organizers say that these collaborative efforts aim to solidify Shanghai's reputation as a premier global destination for culinary tourism.
Li Junfeng contributed to this story.
