Must-see restaurants in Xinjiang

  • Altun Orda

    Kashgar

    Easily Kashgar's most memorable and atmospheric restaurant, Altun Orda is a sumptuously decorated place famous for its roast mutton, sweet pumpkin…

  • Miss Chen's Pizza House

    Xinjiang

    A young and friendly English-speaking team run this pizza joint, in perhaps the least likely culinary find in Hāmì. The pizzas (on an English-language…

  • Ōu'ěr Dáxīkè Night Market

    Kashgar

    Across from the Id Kah Mosque, this photogenic night market is a great place to sample local fare. Among the goodies are fried fish, chickpeas, kebabs,…

  • Uchar Darvaza Bazaar

    Xinjiang

    The best place in Kuga for Uyghur food is this street at the junction of Tianshan Zhonglu and Youyi Lu. Kebabs, noodles and samsas (baked mutton pies) are…

  • Marco’s Dream Cafe

    Xinjiang

    This Malaysian-run place serves a very welcome range of Western and Asian dishes, including delicious curried chicken and steaks, while the friendly…

  • Huāzhī Lín

    Ürümqi

    This bright and stylish place, with plush booths, private nooks and city views is the place for a Taiwanese feast, though you'll struggle if you don't…

  • Amin Perlau

    Xinjiang

    This unassuming place at the end of a long strip of restaurants on Aqiale Donglu is generally held by locals to be the best in town. Choose between a…

  • Eden Cafe

    Kashgar

    This lavishly decorated restaurant inside the Eden Hotel is one of Kashgar's best, and it oozes atmosphere and is always full of locals. The menu is…

  • Uyghur Night Market

    Xinjiang

    Recently moved to its own purpose-built area about 1km due south of the main square, Hotan's night market is one of the liveliest and busiest in Xīnjiāng…

  • Tous Les Jours

    Ürümqi

    This excellent bakery serves up an impressive selection of baked goods, including croissants, fresh bread and cakes, and does real coffee, fresh juice and…

  • Rendezvous

    Ürümqi

    Well worth travelling out a little way for, this American-run cafe offers a welcome change of pace from Ürümqi's other dining options, with pizza,…

  • Nuran

    Kashgar

    This gorgeously decorated 2nd-floor restaurant is hugely popular with Uyghur diners who tend to come in large family groups to feast on traditional dishes…

  • Aroma

    Ürümqi

    One of the best places to eat foreign cuisine in Xīnjiāng, Aroma showcases delicious pizzas, pastas, seafood and risottos in its warm bistro environment…

  • Yingbin Jie Night Market

    Kashgar

    This large and relatively untouristed night market has food stalls running alongside Yingbin Jie just north of the river. There's a fantastic selection of…

  • Marco Dream Cafe Bakery

    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…

  • Xīqí

    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…

  • Gaochang Lu Night Market

    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;…

  • Zǐxiānggě Coffee Club

    Xinjiang

    Within the grounds of the enormous Yīlí Bīnguǎn, this surprisingly lavish multiroom restaurant specialises in coffee and tea, but also has a small Western…

  • Turkan

    Xinjiang

    It's easy to spot this excellent place: look for the large 'Tea Coffee' sign in English on the awning. Inside it's a well-appointed place with white…

  • Tiānfǔ Zhēngcài

    Ürümqi

    A cosy and friendly neighbourhood place just northwest of the Hóngshān Intersection, featuring tasty eastern Chinese dishes and enjoying a tea house feel…

  • Altun Jam

    Kashgar

    This popular Uyghur restaurant may well be a little far out, but its striking appearance and good food make it well worth a trip. The ornate bar is quite…

  • Elkut

    Xinjiang

    This friendly and clean Uyghur restaurant is about the best you can hope for in a town like Cherchen. The photo menu takes in all the Uyghur classics, as…

  • Yàlì Náng Kēngròu

    Xinjiang

    It's all about meat at this Han Chinese place in Kuqa's new city, where nevertheless a very Uyghur style of cooking is served up (complete with beer!)…

  • Quánjùdé

    Kashgar

    Part of a China-wide chain of Peking duck restaurants, this is a good place to eat Chinese food (and to drink beer). The cost of the duck includes the…

  • Eversun Coffee

    Xinjiang

    Head upstairs to find this upmarket place, where well-heeled locals sip cappuccinos and order from both a Western and Chinese menu (both are in English)…

  • Kurban Home

    Turpan

    The large homestead of the Kurban family in the traditional Uyghur village of Tuyoq is a great place for a lunch of noodles (and you can watch the noodles…

  • Xiǎohǎi

    Xinjiang

    Xiǎohǎi makes for a welcome change to the rigours of eating lamb kebab day in, day out, though as no English is spoken you may struggle here without a…

  • Bu'erjin Night Market

    Xinjiang

    Specialising in grilled fish, fresh yoghurt and kvas (a yeasty brew popular in Russia), this riverside night market makes for very atmospheric dining,…

  • Emin

    Ürümqi

    This is a great spot to try Uyghur food if you fancy something more formal than a street kebab stand. There's a pictorial menu to help you decide between…

  • Hanzada Restaurant

    Turpan

    Popular with locals for its diner-style booths and ornate Central Asian decor (think painted alabaster and chintzy chandeliers). The picture menu helps…

  • Polochi

    Xinjiang

    Sit outside on the pleasant patio rather than the furiously stuffy dining room, and enjoy a plate of pollo (slow roasted lamb on a bed of greasy rice and…

  • Xīntián Cafe

    Xinjiang

    This bakery is a great breakfast option, and offers a range of pastries, cakes and sandwiches, as well as good coffee. Upstairs there's a cosy seating…

  • Kadinas Taamliri

    Turpan

    This excellent Uyghur place is popular with local families coming for a feast, and has a large photo menu that runs the gamut of Uyghur cooking, from…

  • Chóngqìng Lǎotàipó Tāntān Miàn

    Xinjiang

    This cheap and cheerful noodle bar serves up a range of simple dishes in the Chóngqìng style (read: very spicy). It has a pictorial menu, friendly staff…

  • Shirin Cake

    Kashgar

    This Old Town Uyghur bakery has a wide selection of pastries, cakes and other delicious baked goods, which in combination can form a tasty (if rather…

  • Aili

    Xinjiang

    This popular and centrally located bakery has a great pastry selection from which you can build a good breakfast or a lunch on the go. Give the coffee a…

  • Wǔyī Night Market

    Ürümqi

    This formerly animated Uyghur night market has now been closed for several years as part of the government's campaign against terrorism. It was well known…

  • Carrefour

    Ürümqi

    This French supermarket chain offers good produce and has excellent-value cafeterias. There's another branch located at Èrdàoqiáo Market.

More destinations you need to see