[Weekend Escape] Shenzhen's Top 5 Must-Visit F&B Destinations

Now both a hotspot for the Chinese mainland and a weekend getaway destination for Hong Kongers, Shenzhen has got it going on for all things F&B these days. With top chefs opening new venue concepts alongside trendy cocktail bars, coupled with shopping galore, it's hard to find a reason not to visit Shenzhen. It really has transformed into a beautiful city to boot. Here's a list of our favorite F&B outlets in Shenzhen these days:

Fumée

Founded by the visionary David Pan in 2022, Fumée is a modern Chinese-French restaurant that aims to integrate traditional Chinese cooking with predominantly French and other global techniques, a goal expertly executed under the guidance of head chef and Shanghainese native chef Reina Chen. Standing for fusion, ultimate, modern, elegance and ecological, Fumée is also a direct translation of the word for "smoke" or "steam" in French, one of the many cooking techniques employed in Fumée's kitchen.

Chef Reina Chen

Fumée

Chef Reina Chen is the driving force behind Fumée's pioneering menu, bringing her worldly perspective (coupled with a deep understanding of Chinese culinary heritage) to the frontline of the dining experience. With her experience at San Sebastian's Mugaritz, where she refined her skills in avant-garde cuisine, Reina approaches food with an artistic sensibility. Her training as a Kunqu Opera singer has also contributed to her exceptional plating and presentation skills, allowing her dishes to tell a story as visually captivating as they are delicious.

Fumée

A stuffed, 10-day aged duck with prawn mousse piped below the puckering skin made to resemble a layer of glossy fat.

Chef Reina's culinary philosophy centers on the concept of "Glocal" – a seamless fusion of global and local influences that defines her dishes. Her "Glocal" New Chinese Cuisine is a hybrid style untethered from any single region, shaped instead by the cross-pollination of indigenous ingredients and local recipes carried across borders through centuries of migration. This dynamic interplay is brought to life in the restaurant's ever-evolving, seasonally inspired menu.

Dongbei glutinous rice with jamon iberico and Jinhua ham topped with sea urchin.

Fumée

The menu unfolds as a carefully curated 11-course experience, paired with four cocktails. Think a marriage of unexpected summer flavors with a quenelle of Chaoshan sweet olive ice cream astride pickled nectarine, green apple foam, and a perfectly plump French oyster; stuffed 10-day aged duck with prawn mousse piped below the puckering skin resembling a layer of glossy fat, and Dongbei (Northeast China) glutinous rice with jamon iberico and Jinhua ham dolloped with a generous serving of unctuous Dalian sea urchin.

Average price: 1,680 yuan/US$233.8 per person

Address: 303-1, Hanjing Financial Center, 9968 Shennan Ave, Nanshan District, Shenzhen

Ensue

Seasoned chef and Beijing native Jeff Wu – formerly of Refer in Beijing – took the helm at Ensue last year, introducing a series of seasonal menus. Showcasing rare Guangdong ingredients in inventive forms, his creations build on a Cantonese foundation enlivened with contemporary techniques and playful touches, stripping away the formality often associated with white-tablecloth fine dining.

Ensue

Instead of chasing luxury for its own sake, Chef Wu champions the humble bounty of his surroundings, spotlighting the region's remarkable biodiversity. All seafood, for instance, comes from Shenzhen's nearby ports, just kilometers from the restaurant's door. In Wu's hands, these unassuming ingredients are elevated through painstaking, labor-intensive techniques – sometimes even transformed into literal works of art painted directly onto the plate. His philosophy is clear: Fine dining is defined not by extravagant price tags or rarefied imports, but by the dedication, craft and imagination poured into every bite.

Ensue

Dishes are overall unconventional, "poking fun" at on-trend plates customarily found at many competing venues, like uni toast, which Chef Wu reimagines in the form of deep-fried Puning tofu crowned with a crab oil mousse meant to mimic the look and feel of sea urchin.

Preserved radish puff shaped like a carrot, "harvested" from soil of fermented Chaoshan turnip and Yunnan matsutake crumble.

Ensue

Blue lobster marinated with osmanthus cicada – a local insect prized for its delicate, pear-like aroma – served with pumpkin, cicada sauce and grilled cordyceps.

Other memorable plates include a preserved radish puff fashioned to look like a carrot that diners can "harvest" out of the "soil" made from fermented Chaoshan turnip and Yunnan matsutake crumble; blue lobster marinated with osmanthus cicada (a local bug that emits a juicy pear-like smell) plated with a pumpkin and cicada sauce and grilled cordyceps; and a TCM-forward Buddha's hand chocolate and nut bar for a sweet (yet health-conscious) finish.

Average price: 2,218 yuan per person

Address: 40/F, Futian Shangri-La Hotel, 4088 Yitian Rd, Futian District

The Bay by Chef Fei

The famed Cantonese Chef Fei, holder of two Michelin stars, serves up Cantonese fare – from traditional dim sum to contemporary renditions of classic Cantonese plates – utilizing only the freshest and most in-season ingredients at The Bay by Chef Fei.

The Bay by Chef Fei

Hailing from Chaoshan, Chef Fei kickstarted his culinary career at the ripe age of 16, and has since led culinary teams in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jakarta, Beijing, Singapore and Bangkok. Now, with more than 30 years of experience under his belt, Chef Fei continues to the lead the charge in modern Cantonese- and Teochow-style cooking.

Crispy shrimp rice rolls

Crab roe dumplings

Everyday operations at The Bay be Chef Fei are run by Chef Huang Jinghui, who worked at Chef Fei's most critically-acclaimed restaurant, the two Michelin-starred Jiang by Chef Fei in Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou. His menu bridges Lingnan and Chaoshan gastronomic traditions with dishes like crispy eel with osmanthus honey, roasted crispy chicken fried in flax and sesame seeds, and double-boiled fish maw soup.

The Bay by Chef Fei

BBQ pork buns

Roasted crispy chicken fried in flax and sesame seeds

Dim sum lunch is another main draw, including all the favorites, like steamed BBQ pork buns, crispy shrimp rice rolls, and crab roe dumplings.

Average price: 700 yuan per person

Address: 1/F, Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen, 5001 Huanggang Rd, Futian District

MO Shenzhen Bar

Perched high above the bustling cityscape of Shenzhen on the 79th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, MO Bar Shenzhen is pouring a liquid tribute to Chinese cultural heritage. Via nods to the 24 solar terms, Chinese dynastic costume colors and ancient printing techniques, the aptly dubbed menu, Colours of China, follows the ethos of the 24 solar terms (节气) – a calendar divided into 24 periods used to mark the changes in microseasons, climate and phenology that's commonly associated with traditional Chinese medicine. The 16 handcrafted cocktails are correspondingly split between spring, summer, winter and autumn.

MO Shenzhen Bar

The menu is a visual and tactile experience, featuring interactive acrylic pages. Guests can take in ingredient details alongside the stories that begot them, such as the Lutinus – a savory, tomato-forward sipper beckoning the arrival of spring with housemade tomato vodka and smoky whiskey.

MO Bar's ethos extends beyond exceptional drinks; it embodies a dedication to self-reinvention and collaboration within the industry. The bar team, led by the accomplished Tiger Chang, continuously pays homage to China's five-millennia history while embracing the dynamic spirit of contemporary Shenzhen. This commitment is reflected in their seasonal menu rotations, ensuring that guests are always treated to fresh narratives with every visit.

MO Shenzhen Bar

With accolades including DRiNK Award's Best Hotel Bar on the Chinese mainland in 2024 and Spirit Award Top 10 International Hotel Bar in Asia Pacific 2025, MO Bar stands at the forefront of Shenzhen's cocktail scene, inviting both connoisseurs and curious minds alike to indulge in imaginative techniques – like tea distillation, clarified juices and edible color foams – shaken with a dash of cultural exploration and historical relevance.

Price: 100-140 yuan per cocktail

Address: 79/F, Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen, 5001 Huanggang Rd, Futian District

SanYou

SanYou is a standout cocktail destination in Shenzhen that combines the deep-rooted tradition of one of the oldest spirits in the world, baijiu (Chinese distilled spirit), with modern cocktail culture. Co-owned by Bastien Ciocca and the most recently named Bartender's Bartender of the Year by Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025, Andrew Ho – the duo behind China's top-rated bar group Hope & Sesame – SanYou brings a contemporary flair to cocktail culture while honoring the rich heritage of Chinese spirits.

SanYou

The bar's name is a combination of the Chinese characters for "三" and "酉" to form a character that represents "酒" which means alcohol in Chinese. It's key focus – baijiu – sees over 400 bottles on offer, spotlighting the diversity of the most consumed alcohol by volume in the world. Since opening in the end of 2022, the bar has garnered a steadfast following, and its friendly, knowledgeable staff – many of whom speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese and more to be able to connect with a global mix of guests – create a welcoming environment for both locals and foreign visitors.

SanYou

SanYou's core tenet revolves around the concept of "All Made in China," emphasizing the use of 100-percent locally-sourced ingredients. This commitment not only extends to baijiu but also includes yellow rice wine ( huangjiu 黄酒), rice wine ( mijiu 米酒), and a growing selection of Chinese gins and whiskies. The cocktail menu is an exploration of the southern China, showcasing the region's culinary diversity and cultural richness, with the most recent iteration focused Chaoshan recipes and flavors.

SanYou

The bar's design and ambiance – with live music every week and a rotating food menu that reflects the current drink menu's theme – perfectly complement its innovative cocktail creations, making it a favorite spot for after-work relaxation or a night out.

SanYou

SanYou Bar stands as a testament to the evolution of cocktail culture in China, where the past and present converge. With a focus on craftsmanship and a dedication to showcasing local flavors, SanYou is a celebration of Chinese spirit culture that invites guests to experience the depth and intricacy of China's varied beverage landscape.

Price: about 115 yuan per cocktail

Address: No. 110, 1/F, 4001 Shennan Ave, Futin District, Shenzhen

Source: City News Service