This November, Shanghai is serving up a diverse line-up of food festivals celebrating flavors from around the world. Visitors can sample international cuisines, savor traditional desserts, and discover a tempting array of artisanal breads, rice dishes, specialty sauces, and cheese treats.

CIIE Gourmet Festival

• When: Nov 6–10
• Where: R-L301, 16-meter level, National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), No 333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu district
• Admission: A valid CIIE badge is required.

The 1,500-square-meters CIIE Gourmet Festival offers a culinary journey, with vendors serving specialties from around the world. Visitors can sample American burgers, Canadian poutine, Brazilian barbecue, South American steaks, Mexican drinks, Italian pizza, Mediterranean-style pasta, Turkish kebabs, South Korean bibimbap, and Thai boat noodles.

Each day of the festival will focus on a different theme, such as European cuisine, food from the Americas, Asian cuisine, fusion cuisine, or Chinese cuisine. Live cooking shows will feature two vendors presenting their specialties in each session.

Sweet Chill Dessert Fest

• When: Nov 6–8
• Where: Side road along Hengshan Road, Xujiahui shopping area (near Neo Young 6, No 932 Hengshan Road, Xuhui district)

With dozens of dessert brands, the festival offers traditional Cantonese desserts, Chaoshan-style sweet soups, contemporary Chinese-style desserts, and creative frozen treats.

It also offers an enticing selection of savory options, including Guiyang sticky rice and Yunnan-style fried pork ribs.

Bread Culture Festival

• When: Nov 13–15
• Where: Baike Road pedestrian street, L+City, No 1600 Zhongke Road, Pudong New Area

The festival showcases European-style bread, sweet bread, sourdough, and coffee.

Participating bakeries include Hangzhou-based MSMZ, known for its signature matcha rice bread; Nanjing's TaKEJYUYA, which specializes in rich, bitter matcha desserts; and Shanghai-based LittleRoLi, a long-established bakery renowned for its proprietary sourdough starter and celebrated for its salami focaccia and osmanthus rice bread.

Breadful Days

• When: Nov 13–15
• Where: Waitanyuan, No 33 East Zhongshan Road Number One, Huangpu district
• Admission: Tickets are required.

Breadful Days brings together bakeries from across China, presenting a selection of breads, pastries, and other delectable treats, including German pretzels, French croissants, salt bread, and dacquoise.

Participating brands include Ningbo's Salty Bakery, Harbin's Hill, Wuhan's Gaga, Chongqing's Kanure, Macao's Square Bakery, and Dali's Firefine. From Shanghai, participating bakeries include Grain Rain, FuXing Bakery, and SOSO.

The market offers a variety of products to pair with bread, such as fresh farm produce, French organic butter and olive oil, single-origin chocolate, handmade jams, and ice cream. Visitors can also explore vintage household items, handmade accessories, stationery, and illustrations.

Sauce Lifestyle Festival

• When: Nov 13–15
• Where: Wuyi MIX320, No 304 Alley 320, Wuyi Road, Changning district

Centered on sauces, this festival features handmade sauces, pickled specialties, prepared foods, and light meals. Visitors can explore different flavors through a selection of creative snacks and drinks.

YOMI Rich Day

• When: Nov 14–15 and Nov 21–22
• Where: Weekend Market @ BFC, Bund Finance Center, No 600 East Zhongshan Road Number Two, Huangpu district

Held over two consecutive weekends, the event celebrates the many ways to enjoy rice, with a range of specialty rice dishes, rice-based snacks, rice wine, and rice desserts.

Monster Cheese Festival

• When: Nov 20–22
• Where: Wanda Plaza, No 77 Songhu Road, Yangpu district

The Monster Cheese Festival features a delightful selection of dishes centered around stretchy melted cheese, creative cheese snacks, and desserts. Highlights include thick-cut cheese dishes, baked specialties, and other cheese-based bites.

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce