With roots dating to 1922, Gong De Lin, a.k.a. Godly Vegetarian, is Shanghai’s oldest meat-free Buddhist restaurant—the place you go when you don’t want to explain for the millionth time that, no, subbing lamb for beef does not make a dish vegetarian. The restaurant is quite inviting, with huge glass windows and ornate mahogany furniture. The staff is used to seeing Westerner diners and will wait patiently as you comb through the biblically thick menu (which includes loose English translations). The restorative soup seen on display here pairs slivers of custardy tofu with mustard greens and a broth with the love-it-or-loathe-it consistency of egg drop soup. It’s a decent starter. For visitors with more carnivorous inclinations, the menu offers an array of mock meats—everything from barbecued “duck” to fried “shrimp” to faux chicken feet. Good for vegheads, not so good for the gluten-free crowd.

445 West Nanjing Rd., Jingan, Shanghai, China; +86-21-6327-0218.