The main commercial street of the Old Town, Sipailou Road runs through the residential fabric connecting the Yuyuan Bazaar area to the quieter southern sections. The street has traditional Shanghai food shops — preserved vegetables, dried seafood, tea dealers, pastry shops — alongside newer restaurants serving both Shanghainese and pan-Chinese cooking.
The food on Sipailou and the surrounding lanes is more authentic and considerably cheaper than in the Yuyuan Bazaar. Xiaolongbao from the small shops around the temple area, scallion pancakes from street vendors, and red bean pastries from the traditional bakeries represent the Old Town's food culture better than the tourist-facing restaurants in the bazaar.