Restaurants in Sìchuān
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A
Chén Mápó Dòufu
This plush branch of the famous chain is a great place to sample mápó dòufu (small/large Y12/20) – soft, fresh bean curd with a fiery sauce of garlic, minced beef, salted soybean, chilli oil and Sìchuān pepper. It's one of Sìchuān's most famous dishes and this restaurant's speciality. Photo menu.
reviewed
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Grandma's Kitchen & Deli
Grandma's has burgers, steaks and salads, but it's the desserts that stand out the most. Shakes and smoothies are also popular and on Sundays this place is packed with families and young children. The deli here also has plenty of fans.
reviewed
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Xiǎohuí Dòuhuā
Specialising in tofu and noodle snacks in more combinations than you'd ever think possible, eating at this cosy neighbourhood eatery is a sensory thrill. Try the crispy beef beancurd (牛肉豆花; niúròu dòuhuā) and steamed beef with rice powder (牛肉粉蒸; fěnzhēng niúròu), and don't miss the thick, succulent and spicy sweet noodles (甜水面; tiánshuǐ miàn).
Note to allergy sufferers: more than half the dishes here are served with some kind of peanut ingredient. The cooks will make them without peanuts, however, if you ask.
reviewed
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Peter's Tex-Mex
More than just the best Tex-Mex food in the city, the food served here is among the best you'll have anywhere. Once you've given the chimichangas (deep-fried burritos) a pass (it's the only dish they haven't quite pulled off), you can't go wrong no matter what you order. Try the strawberry margaritas - slightly tart, they taste like fresh berries. Service is flawless and this place attracts everyone from businessmen to Chinese families and students from nearby Sichuan University.
reviewed
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Āré Zàngcān
Right across the street from Wuhou Temple, this Tibetan restaurant looks fussy on the outside, but the 3rd floor dining room is actually bright and relaxed with small, simple tables. There's an English menu from which you can choose something simple, such as veggie momos Tibetan dumplings, or something more elaborate, such as yak stew. Service is attentive and there's an adjoining outdoor terrace crowded with leafy green plants that's perfect for warm weather alfresco dining.
reviewed
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Lǎozihào
Two brothers run this noodle place and they've turned it into a neighbourhood institution. The modernisation steamroller has forced them to move several times in recent years, but they always find somewhere else in the area to set up - their customers trailing loyally behind them. Try their fiery tomato egg noodles (番茄煎蛋面; fānqié jiān dànmiàn) to see what all the fuss is about.
reviewed
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Bāguó Bùyī Fēngwèijiǔlóu
Now at a new location, the modern decoration has given this restaurant a slightly clubby vibe. Named after the traditional cotton clothing that was worn by peasants in the eastern part of the province, the Sìchuān food here is hugely popular. There's no English spoken, but the huge plank-like menu is full of glossy multicoloured pictures, so choosing won't be too hard.
reviewed
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Lóngchāoshǒu Cāntīng
This big, bustling cafeteria style eatery can be overwhelming, but it's a long-time favourite for sampling Chéngdū snacks. The cheapest option gives you a range of sweet and savoury items, with each price bracket giving you the same deal on a grander and more filling scale. Unfortunately, it hasn't much to offer vegetarians.
reviewed
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Highfly Café
Along with the Traffic Hotel, this place has been a backpacker mainstay since the '90s. The happy staff get overwhelmed with hipster Chinese at times, but it's a relaxing place with great food; try the delicious calorie-laden fudge brownies. Free internet access.
reviewed
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D
Yǒngjì Tāngyuán Miànguǎn
Steamy and bustling, this little place is right near the Tibetan neighbourhood and is a terrific place to come for monstrous-sized bowls of delicious dumplings.
reviewed
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Zìgòng Càiguǎn
You'll find all the usual Sichuanese favourites with the addition of some specialities from the southern town of Zìgòng, historically one of this region's three culinary centres (along with Chéngdū and Chóngqìng). Look for the characters for Zìgòng (自贡) written in brackets after dishes. Zìgōng food uses different types of chillies and peppers from standard Sìchuān fare, and often contains rabbit meat (兔肉; tùròu), fish (鱼肉; yúròu) or frog (田鸡; tiánjī). Dishes are spicy, as you'd expect, but not quite as blow-your-head-off spicy as in other parts of the province. There's a photo menu, but to get you started try Yùmǐ Nèntù (玉米嫩兔; Y25),…
reviewed
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Zhāngfēi Zhuāngyuán
The old town has plenty of noodle joints, but this large eatery with wooden tables and benches opens to the street. The ordinary beef noodles (牛肉面; niúròu miàn; Y5) are good, but you really should try the house special zhāngfēi niúròu (Y13 to Y15), which are delicious and come with side dishes of soup, cold beef slices and xiáncài, the local-speciality pickled vegetables.
reviewed
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Yùlín Chuànchuàn Xiāng
This lively open-fronted branch of the popular Yùlín chain is packed in the evenings with a hungry student crowd from nearby Sìchuān University. Choose your own skewers from a side room then cook them yourself in the boiling, spicy broth on your table. Staff will count up how many skewers you've eaten at the end of your meal. The garlic and chilli dipping sauce is Y3 extra. There's another, slightly smaller branch near Traffic Inn youth hostel.
reviewed
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E
Yángyáng Cānguǎn
Good-quality, inexpensive Sichuanese food with terrace seating, fast service and an English menu. Note, the English menu doesn't have prices, so you might want to ask for the Chinese menu (zhōngwén càidān) too.
reviewed
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Xīnjiāng Hóng Mǔdān Mùsīlín Kuàicān
This extremely popular Xīnjiāng restaurant beside Sìchuān University is a great place to sample the Uighur speciality dàpánjī (literally 'big plate chicken') – a massive portion of chicken, potatoes and peppers stewed in a savoury, spicy sauce. Even the 'small' plate (Y30) will serve two or three. When you're part-way through the meal, staff dump a pile of handmade noodles into your dish, perfect for sopping up the sauce. Lamb skewers (羊肉串; yángròu chuàn; Y1) and grilled naan bread (烤馕; kǎo náng; Y4) are good accompaniments. If you're eating solo, the dīngdīng miàn (丁丁面; Y6 to Y8) is a noodle dish worth sampling.
reviewed
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Wǎnglǎo Wǔ
Across the street from Zháxī Zhuōkāng Backpackers Hostel, this decent 2nd-floor Sichuanese restaurant rustles up all the usual Sìchuān favourites plus some excellent cured-pork dishes. Try the cured pork with green chillies (腊肉青椒; làròu qīngjiāo; Y25) or the mushrooms with pork slices (木耳肉片; mù'ěr ròupiàn; Y15). If you can't afford the shí bāzi (石巴子; Y240 per jīn), try the ordinary braised river fish (红烧鱼; hóngshāo yú; Y30 to Y40 per jīn). No English menu.
reviewed
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Tibetan Restaurant
This wonderfully decorated teahouse/restaurant, just across from the bus station, is run by a local nun and is the main Tibetan hang-out in town. Sip butter tea, tuck into hearty plates of yak meat and get your hands covered in dough as you attempt to mix your own tsampa. English menu.
reviewed
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Tibetan Culture Dew
Hang out with the yak-butter-tea-sipping locals at this lovely teahouse/restaurant with a rustic stone-and-wood interior decorated with colourful Tibetan prayer flags. There are all sorts of tea if you don't like the yak-butter variety, plus coffee and beer. The English menu is limited, but includes tsampa, Tibetan yoghurt, a few yak-meat dishes and some delicious dumplings.
reviewed
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Tiāntiān Restaurant
The ever-friendly, English-speaking, ace chef Mr Zheng has moved his popular travellers' haven across the road to a larger location. Look for the Lonely Planet logo. The same good food – a mix of Chinese, Tibetan and Western – is on offer, as is the excellent fresh coffee and reliable travel advice. English menu. Turn left out of the bus station and it's on the left.
reviewed
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Tiāntiān Fàndiàn
Specialises in duck dishes and stews, but has the whole range of classic Sichuanese dishes including a particularly delicious clay-pot mushroom dish (干锅茶树菇; gānguō cháshùgū; Y28). No English, but has a good photo menu.
reviewed
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Sultan
Friendly, easygoing Middle Eastern restaurant with lamb kebabs, hummus, warm naan and homemade yoghurt. You could linger over dark Turkish coffee (there's free wi-fi), sit outside on the sunny patio, or lounge in a private room piled with cushions and puff on a fruit-flavoured sheesha pipe (Y50). The entrance is on a side road just east of Yulin Nanjie.
reviewed
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Snow Mountain Restaurant
For more-authentic Tibetan food, try this simple place with English menu. It's between the bus station and Tiāntiān Restaurant.
reviewed
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Qǐngzhān Gānsù Líntán Fàndiàn
This popular Muslim restaurant run by a friendly guy from Gānsù province makes a nice change from Sichuanese or Tibetan. No menu, but noodle dishes on offer include beef noodle squares (牛肉面片; niúròu miànpiàn; Y8) and glass noodles with beef (牛肉粉条; niúròu fěntiáo; Y8). The shǒuzhuā yángròu (手抓羊肉; Y35 per jīn) is the restaurant's speciality lamb dish. One jīn is enough for one person. Located at the town crossroads.
reviewed
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Nathan's Cafe
With a small outdoor seating area on lively 'Food Street', this place does Western breakfasts, simple noodle dishes and all the Sìchuān classics. Some English spoken.
reviewed
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Móunì Tibetan Restaurant
The English menu is limited but the location, in a lovely garden by the river, is worth the visit. By Mín River off Shunjiang Nanlu.
reviewed