French Concession
Full of well-heeled diners come weekend mornings, this cafe in Ferguson Lane is a pleasant spot for coffee. Sit on the patio in the courtyard out the…
Must-see restaurants in China
Hangzhou
Near the China National Tea Museum, this restaurant serves traditional Hangzhou cuisine in a beautiful setting overlooking a pond and surrounded by tea…
Kunming
Authentic Yunnan cuisine, including well-regarded 'across-the-bridge noodles', that won't break the bank and is available around the clock. There's a lot…
Lamma
Chef Carlos' new restaurant offers affordable and delicious Spanish tapas. Residents and visitors have been flocking to Candela for the roasted pork,…
Xiamen
If Xiamen starts to wear you down, hide out in this atmospheric Taiwanese coffee shop in an old house near Zhongshan Park. The coffee is brewed with…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Addicts of the Sichuanese peppercorn flock to this guileless little shop for that tingling and numbing 'ma la' taste, which only happens when the…
Macau
This blue-tiled retro cafe makes ethereal sugar-sprinkled puff doughnuts (MOP$5) and hearty egg-and-barbecue-pork sandwiches (MOP$20). Regulars sit…
Hubei
At Xiling Gorge (西陵峡; Xīlíng Xiá), 13km north of Yichang, is a peculiar restaurant perched precariously against a cliff. Claimed to be the ninth 'cave…
Hongkou & North Shanghai
The place to come for steak in Shanghai, Wolfgang has succulent cuts of USA prime and dry-aged steak (matured in Wolfgang Zweiner's own ageing room). The…
French Concession
Top Paris-style bistro with red Chesterfield sofas and dark wood tables, serving classic dishes to perfection. Order beef tartare, beef fillet, chicken à…
Yazhuang Vietnamese Restaurant
Guangxi
This popular spot whips up tasty Vietnamese classics such as stir-fried beef with mango (芒果炒牛肉, mángguŏ chăoniúròu), squid baked in coconut (椰香局黑鱼,…
Shanghai
Awesomely executed American dishes from big breakfasts with all the trimmings (eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and toast) to pancakes, as well as clam…
French Concession
Atmospheric European-style cafe that could have been plucked from a side street in Holland. It gets busy during weekend brunch, but every day the handmade…
Kunming
Despite the giant vats on show, this place is much more of a restaurant than a bar. Expect a mixed menu of western and Chinese food – burgers and brats…
Nanjing
The best bakery in Nanjing, Real Bread Cafe serves its sandwiches in suitably crusty bread and its coffee (¥25) delightfully strong. Delicate and crispy…
Shanghai Old City
One of Shanghai's go-to addresses for fine dining, Napa plates up beautifully presented gastronomic dishes in an elegant Bund setting. The food combines…
Suzhou
Crowds pay and gather near the entrance to wait for the steaming fresh xǐaolóng bāo (小龙包; soup dumplings) to come out of the kitchen. If you don’t want to…
Xinjiang
This outlet of Marco's Dream Cafe is a bakery where you can get fresh bread, pastries and pizza. It's hidden away off the main road in a courtyard – you…
Nanjing
This small wood-themed restaurant with Japanese lanterns hanging inside does some excellent sets served with miso soup and a small salad. The curry shrimp…
Sichuan
A local classic, this hole-in-the-wall place right in the town centre draws crowds of locals for its house special: ma’gē miàn (麻哥面) – noodles topped with…
Fuzhou
Near the corner of ‘Seven Alleys', on the edge of the canal, 30ml is almost too cool for Fuzhou. Here you’ll find delicious coffee (¥28 to ¥32), cake,…
Beijing
A shoebox of a trattoria teleported to a Beijing hutong, Mercante is a delightfully incongruous outpost of Italian cooking. The boss hails from Bologna,…
Lijiang
The name doesn’t do justice to the very authentic selection of Naxi cuisine on offer at this calm courtyard restaurant. There are fantastic mushroom…
Ürümqi
This fantastic place in the heart of the city is busy with hungry diners all day and night. The fare is simple but delicious: choose from a variety of…
Aberdeen & South Hong Kong Island
The Horizon Plaza shopping mall has a hundred shops, so if you’re feeling peckish after a shopping spree, why not rest your legs in this eco-chic cafe…
Shanghai
A short walk from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower brings you to a string of restaurants, including the city’s best sesame-seed-and-spring-onion-coated fried…
French Concession
Fuss-free joint serving filling and delicious New York–style pizzas. Choose from a selection of toppings to go on enormous greasy slices, or go for a…
Dali
Now so popular that you can expect to queue for a table, this place is set around a cosy and cute courtyard. The dishes are an interpretation of Bai…
Macau
This branch of a 70-year-old dessert specialist makes the much-loved sweet almond soup with egg white and the coconut milk with taro. It also does an…
Turpan
Come dusk, dozens of stalls set up shop by the fountains to the west of the main central square. Grab a cold beer and choose from fried fish, shāguō (沙果;…
Tianjin
Occupying a long swathe of the southeast corner of Minyuan Plaza, this cavernous, chandelier-filled, Western-style Chinese coffee chain does freshly…
Harbin
The 'Old Chef's House', 2km southeast of Zhongyang Dajie, is an excellent place to sample northeastern cuisine. There can be queues on weekends for good…
Shanghai
Ever popular Element Fresh serves a mean salad. The laffa bread – with goat cheese, herbs and house-made miso dressing – will keep you coming back again…
Harbin
The 2nd-floor terrace overlooking Zhongyang Dajie is the main reason to swing by this friendly Chinese bakery. Downstairs is a self-serve takeaway where…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Decked out like a seaside town in Brittany, this quaint little crêperie whips up sumptuous savoury galettes with hearty fillings such as Reblochon cheese…
New Territories
People flock to this neighbourhood restaurant for its silken rice-flour rolls, which are steamed to translucence with meat or seafood, or simply drizzled…
French Concession
Ace spot with just a few tables, perfect for those chilly winter days when a bowl of satisfying chicken and barley soup and French bread will warm you…
French Concession
Funky laid-back brunch spot with exposed pipes on the ceiling, bare concrete walls, communal benches and retro cameras. Fresh dishes include eggs Benedict…
Macau
‘The Sailboat’ is listed in every guidebook. One reason for its popularity is that it’s within walking distance of the A-Ma Temple. If you go not…
Yunnan
Your options here are small, medium, or large: there's only one dish on the menu at Weishan's most highly recommended restaurant for ĕrsī (饵丝) rice…
