KūnmíngRestaurants

Restaurants in Kūnmíng

  1. A

    Yùquánzhāi Vegetarian Restaurant

    Popular with locals, monks and expats, head here for dishes that look and taste like meat but aren't. We like the Endless Buddha Force (assorted veggies and tofu), but all the dishes here are worth sampling.

    reviewed

  2. B

    Hotpot Restaurant

    An absolute madhouse at peak mealtimes, this restaurant will take the very aggressive or the very brave to muscle their way though the throngs and eventually get fed. Nonetheless, with all the slick restaurant and eateries all over Kūnmíng these days, this is a breath of fresh air.

    reviewed

  3. C

    Salvador's

    Kūnmíng today is absolutely chock-a-block with Western-style cafes. Most are perfectly fine, but there's a reason why this one is always filled. Outstanding coffee and a menu ranging from stick-to-your-ribs breakfast through more solid sustenance - even nod-worthy burritos.

    reviewed

  4. D

    Ma Ma Fu's 2

    This branch of the legendary Lìjiāng café is right around the corner east of the Camellia Hotel (and there's a third branch now, north of Kunming Cloudland Youth Hostel). Chinese dishes are by far the best, but most people order Western fare like pizza and apple pie.

    reviewed

  5. Wei's Pizzeria

    The granddaddy of Kūnmíng's Western-style cafes, down an alley off Tuodong Lu, Wei's has been a sanctuary for many a traveller for good reason: capacious interiors warmed by a wood-fired pizza oven, frosted beer steins, and outstanding food (Western and Chinese).

    reviewed

  6. E

    Brothers Jiang

    A local fave, this simple place has such good across-the-bridge noodles that there are now several branches throughout the city, most of which are filled to capacity at mealtimes. Pay upfront first at the cash register and make sure you get the instructions on the eating process!

    reviewed

  7. F

    Zhènxīng Fàndiàn

    A good introduction to Kūnmíng fare, especially for guòqiáo mǐxiàn, and handy for late-night eats. Pay upfront at the desk where the grumpy middle-aged ladies sit.

    reviewed

  8. G

    White Pagoda Dai Restaurant

    Dai cuisine moves north here, with a slew of fish dishes and, of course, standards like pineapple sticky rice and spicy fish wrapped in bamboo shoots, all in a Bǎnnà-themed environment of bamboo and thatching.

    reviewed

  9. H

    1910 La Gare du Sud

    Ensconced cosily in a neocolonial building, this place has luscious Yúnnán specialities done up in a classy but relaxed atmosphere. There's an English menu if you ask for it.

    reviewed

  10. I

    Tángcháo Yīpǐn

    Descend the stairs to this cosy courtyard restaurant for its very tasty array of just about every local dish you can think of. Get here early in the evening, before the most popular have been snapped up by eager locals. No English is spoken, but the picture menu will guide you. It's across the road from the Ganesh restaurant-bar; look for the red lanterns.

    reviewed

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  12. J

    Salvador's

    Always busy with travellers and foreign students, Salvador's is now a Kūnmíng staple. With a Mexican/Mediterranean food theme, as well as solid breakfasts, good coffee and a decent range of teas, it caters for all hours of the day. In the evening you can hang around the bar and watch as Kūnmíng's beautiful people parade along Wenhua Xiang.

    reviewed

  13. K

    Hóng Dòu Yuán

    An old-school Chinese eaterie, with cigarette butts on the floor, a duck-your-head stairway and plastic-film-covered tables, this is a real locals hang-out on cosmopolitan Wenlin Jie. The food is excellent and will draw you back. Try regional specialities like the táozá rǔbǐng (fried goat's cheese and Yúnnán ham) and liáng bái ròu (peppery, tangy beef). Picture menu.

    reviewed

  14. L

    Déhóng Ruǎnjiā Dǎiwèi Yuán

    Inside The Loft complex, this fine place serves up authentic, sour and spicy Dai cuisine in a laid-back atmosphere. Try the fantastic barbecued fish, and accompany it with a few glasses of the rice wine stored in giant vats awaiting your attention. There's a small outside area and a picture menu.

    reviewed

  15. Box Bar

    Cute cubbyhole of a restaurant run by two Italians whose big, sloppy pizzas are deservedly popular. Also has homemade lasagne and gelato. It's good for coffee or cocktails too.

    reviewed

  16. M

    1910 La Gare du Sud

    Offering Yúnnán specialities in a pleasant neocolonial-style atmosphere, this place is now a fave with both expats – it's the kind of place foreign students take their parents when they come to visit – and cashed-up locals. It's hidden down an alley off Chongshan Lu, south of Jinbi Lu.

    reviewed