Good indicators:
- Getting on the Dianping "must eat" list (必吃榜). This matters more than any of their other indexes like the the "hot restaurant list" or the "sales volume list", which are more robotically driven by popularity. Last year, Dianping said they spent six months reviewing data and eliminating any places gaming their reviews before issuing the 必吃榜 for each city. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal at one.
There are just 160 places on Dianping's 2026 必吃榜 for Shanghai, out of an estimated 100k restaurants in the city. They are worth seeking out.
- Dianping "Black Pearls". This is their version of Michelin stars and they take it very seriously. I've only been to 1-pearl restaurants, but they've been really good. I don't know if I'd like 2-pearl or 3-pearl restaurants. They tend to be very expensive haute cuisine which isn't really for me. In 2026, there are 52 restaurants with one pearl, 6 restaurants with two, and just three restaurants with 3.
- Restaurants that don't offer ANY coupons or discounts. Of course there are many great restaurants offering coupons and discounts, but it takes a very confident restaurant to offer ZERO coupons on Dianping. They are *usually* confident for a good reason.
Images: "Must-Eat List" directory page on the left, Black Pearls directory page on the right.