RAC Coffee Shanghai sits at the junction of Anfu Road and Wukang Road, and on a weekend morning you’ll almost certainly walk past a queue. That queue leads to a French café and crêperie that has been quietly doing things right since 2017. No gimmicks, no fusion twists, just honest French food executed with care — and in a city where restaurants come and go at dizzying speed, a spot that’s been packing them in for nearly a decade is worth paying attention to.
What Is RAC Coffee Shanghai?
RAC Coffee is a French café specialising in galettes (savoury buckwheat crêpes) and sweet crêpes, alongside a solid brunch menu and excellent coffee. It sits at one of the former French Concession’s most photographed intersections, which means it draws a steady mix of locals, expats, and tourists — yet somehow never feels like a tourist trap. The food is the reason people keep coming back.
What to Order at RAC
The galettes are the main event. They’re made with buckwheat flour, giving them that slightly nutty, earthy flavour that sets a proper galette apart from an ordinary crêpe. My usual is the Complète — Parisian ham, egg, and cheese — though I often swap the ham for smoked salmon, which you can do for an extra ¥15. It’s a small upgrade worth making.
The Nantaise (¥98) is worth trying if you’re feeling adventurous: blue cheese, caramelised apple, and Serrano ham is an unusual combination that works surprisingly well. For something more indulgent, the Far West (¥108) layers pancetta, egg, cheese, mushrooms, and cream into one very satisfying galette.
Beyond galettes, the Prawns & Avocado salad (¥80) is generous and well-dressed — a good lighter option if you’re not in the mood for something heavier. The brunch combo (RAC Combo, ¥98) is solid value: two eggs your style with two sides, served with sourdough and Beillevaire salted butter. The coffee is consistently good, and RAC also has a decent wine selection — worth knowing if you’re visiting later in the day when the crowds have thinned out.
For sweet crêpes, the Salted Caramel (¥45) and Caramelised Apples (¥48) are both excellent. Simple, properly made, and not overly sweet.
What to Expect
RAC is busy. At weekends it fills up fast, and by mid-morning there’s usually a wait. My advice: go early. The café opens at 8am and the first hour is noticeably calmer — you get a seat straight away and the food comes out at its best. It’s worth noting that RAC is not really a laptop-and-linger kind of place — it’s a proper café with a kitchen that takes its food seriously, and turnover is brisk. Come to eat well, then head out to explore the neighbourhood. You’re in the heart of the former French Concession.
The setting is relaxed and unfussy — open frontage onto the street, a counter running along one side, simple wooden chairs. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t need to try hard because the food does the work.
Practical Information
Address: 322 Anfu Road, Xuhui District (at the junction with Wukang Road)
Opening Hours: 8am – 10.30pm daily
Price Guide: Around ¥125–140 per person for a galette and a drink
Best for: Brunch, solo dining, casual catch-ups, early morning breakfast
Tip: Go before 9am at weekends to avoid the queue
Looking for more places to eat in the former French Concession? Check out our Shanghai Food & Drink guide for more recommendations across the city.
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Where to Eat in Shanghai | Things to Do in Shanghai | Former French Concession