We Went to That Viral Chinese Restaurant Filled With Mirrors

The Snapshot

Like walking into another dimension, No. 3 Warehouse (3号仓库) in Shanghai is a viral, highly immersive "futuristic" Chinese fusion restaurant that has taken the internet by storm over the last few months. After its first location opened in Qibao at the end of 2021, the concept has since spread to more than a dozen spaces across Shanghai and other Tier 1 cities. Known for its metallic spaceship-like, cyberpunk aesthetic, each distinct store delivers creative, photo-worthy modern Chinese dishes against a "dining in the year 2050" backdrop.

Riding on the coattails of seemingly every influencer's recent post, we high-tailed it to one of the busiest and most elaborate No. 3 Warehouse locations situated in the New World City Mall on Nanjing Road W. to see what it's actually all about.

The Vibe

While we usually start with the food and then move onto covering the atmosphere, in this case, it makes sense to – in the words of Missy Elliott – flip it and reverse it. Essentially, No. 3 Warehouse is more about the flash than flavor. And in the wanghong world of xiaohongshu this and Instagram reel that, is focusing almost entirely on the décor really that poor of a business choice? Nope.

With wait times pushing 3+ hours on any given day at numerous locations around town, No. 3 Warehouse is printing money. Mirrored ceilings, metallic décor, and flashing neon lighting create a "space-age" atmosphere that is bringing everyone – and we mean literally everyone – in for content creation. From tweens to your ayi's neighbor, from visiting expats to touring mainlanders, this restaurant is not defined by age, demographic, nor country of origin – it caters to everyone and anyone looking to boost their social media following.

The brand adheres to the design philosophy "one store, one style." This means you can visit a dozen No. 3 Warehouses and your experience will be entirely different at each one. Each venue features a unique theme and spatial narrative – from a concept of "Time Tunnel" at the spot we visited (a clash of the vintage charm of New World Amusement Park and metaverse futurism) to "Wandering Earth" to "Immersive Avatar" to "Contemporary Shanghai Shikumen" and everything in between.

The Food

If you're here to grow your TikTok account, you've come to the right place.

If you're here to eat more with your eyes than your stomach, you've also come to the right place.

If you prefer classically prepared cuisine without the pomp, maybe not so much.

When the restaurant décor becomes the destination, sometimes food loses focus, and that is somewhat the case here. While it's not unsavory or overly pricey (given the excessive trendiness of it all, it's actually quite pocket-friendly by Shanghai standards), there are tastier options for modern Chinese cuisine around town.

Let's get down to what we actually ate.

The Beijing Duck

First up, we went right for their take on Peking duck, available in two options: Red Wine Goose Liver Roast Duck (199 yuan) or Lychee Wood-Smoked Roast Duck (129 yuan) carved tableside as if you're in Beijing. The former comes in a set of three courses: first, the fat-lined skin sheathes red wine-marinated foie gras and a square of sweet melon, adorned with caviar. Next, the meat is added to a salad of mixed greens, ice lettuce, and tomatoes. Finally, the bones can either be boiled into a soup or fried and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Is this Michelin quality Beijing duck? By no means.

Is it still tasty roasted duck? A solid 6 out 10.

With nearly 100 dishes to choose from, expect whacky and wild plates like beef ribs underneath an exploding sand volcano, flaming tea ribs (that literally arrive tableside on fire), foie gras sushi served in a jewelry box (because why not?), black truffle and eel pizza (as every Italian nonna rolls in her grave), flaming spicy boiled intestines, durian and pickled cabbage fish, sizzling lobster, and oh-so-much more.

Expect the unexpected with courses like Sweet and Sour Yellow Croaker (109 yuan), a spin on squirrel fish, but sheathed by a floating cloud of bubblegum pink cotton candy. A sticky soy sauce is poured over the top, melting the sugary puff into the fried fish's flesh. Easily a week's worth of sugar consumption in one sitting. Here are a few other dishes we tried:

As you can see, in addition to some of the wilder options, there are some "safe bets" as well, all within affordable price points.

Desserts are equally "out there," like the Journey to the Starry Sky (59 yuan) a galaxy-painted white chocolate "Saturn" served with a hammer. Why? Because diners break it open to reveal that it's filled with sweet mayo-coated shrimp, fried youtiao pieces, melon balls, and salmon roe. Is that what you were expecting out of dessert?

Us neither.

But memorable it is nonetheless.

The Verdict

If you're here for the 'Gram rather than the grub, you're golden.

The Details

Arrive at your preferred location as early as possible (at least around 11am if you are hoping to enjoy lunch). From there, scan the WeChat QR code to receive a ticket number and an estimated wait time. Just a heads up, when a No. 3 Warehouse outlet opened in early 2025, lines were creeping their way up toward the five-hour wait marker, and an underground ticket reselling scheme cropped up soon after. Now there is very conspicuous signage forbidding the resell of tickets (but it's China, so you know there's a grey area workaround in there somewhere). Plates are designed for sharing, so it's best to bring friends… and a fully charged camera.
If you go...

No. 3 Warehouse, New World City Mall, #29, 4/F, 2-68 Nanjing Road W., 南京西路2-68号新世界城4楼A29

Reader Perks

CNS readers who visit the No. 3Warehouse branch in this article, can show their servers this article to receive a complimentary No. 3 Warehouse Yogurt Pudding for each guest.