Yunnan
Built into a historic courtyard house once owned by a trader of the Tea Horse Road era, the restaurant's very modern menu features Yunnanese and Naxi…
Must-see restaurants in Yunnan
Yunnan
The one genuine restaurant in the village is also one of the most famous in Yunnan, after being featured on the hit Chinese TV show A Bite of China…
Kunming
On the ground floor of a converted warehouse a couple of kilometres northwest of the city centre, this family-run place strictly uses locally sourced…
Shangri-la
French-run bistro in a hundred-year-old courtyard house, with the finest wine list in town (from ¥30 a glass) and a diverse local and international menu…
Kunming
Try authentic Yunnan cuisine in a beautifully restored heritage courtyard building with outdoor seating – this is one of our favourite restaurants in the…
Lijiang
High-end Yunnanese cuisine fills most of the menu at this Yunnanese–French collaboration, in an upmarket setting on the south side of the old town. Bring…
Xishuangbanna Region
This is the first of all the western-style cafes in town and still the best. Choose from Dai and Chinese, burgers and breakfast, Belgian beer and espresso…
Yunnan
The most sophisticated eatery in town and one of the most notable in all Yunnan, with a mouth-watering all-vegetarian Italian menu utilising locally…
Yunnan
Lively restaurant and barbecue joint that's great for the local speciality, Mosuo pork (from ¥50), which you cook yourself on tabletop wood-fired grills…
Dali
This charmingly authentic Bai restaurant is composed of three grey-brick courtyards each containing small seating nooks where you can feast on traditional…
Yunnan
This Ruili institution is busy from early to late, with Burmese waiters clad in their native, sarong-like longyi hustling as they serve up fantastic fruit…
Pear Blossom Vegetarian Restaurant
Yunnan
Operating in the forecourt of the restored Pear Orchard Temple (慈荫庵, Cíyīnān) the delightfully clever menu here presents Shaxi dishes made primarily with…
Kunming
This all-vegetarian cubbyhole cafe/restaurant is pleasant, though upstairs seating gets absolutely sweltering in the summer. Staff make excellent pizza,…
Kunming
This old-school Chinese eatery, with a duck-your-head stairway, is a real locals hang-out on cosmopolitan Wenlin Jie. The food is excellent and will draw…
Kunming
This large, light-filled Italian-run venue is set around an attractive central bar. There's a wide selection of pizza, pasta and panini (from ¥28), steaks…
Kunming
Pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches: the list continues. If you're looking for western comfort food, this is the place to find it. It's unsurprisingly…
Kunming
Popular with the locals, this bustling restaurant offers an authentic taste of the delicious, sour and spicy cuisine of the Dai minority from…
Shangri-la
Bustling spot for a fine breakfast, and a popular hang-out for international travellers. Salads, steaks, pasta and pizzas are all available, as well as a…
Lijiang
Locals flock here for the superb grilled fish and chicken and soy-bean-paste dishes (get here before 7pm or they will have run out). But all the Naxi…
Kunming
Always busy with travellers and students, Salvador’s is now a Kunming staple. With a Mexican/Mediterranean food theme, as well as solid breakfasts, good…
Yunnan
This is the place to eat delicious barbecue on tiny stools. Everything – fish, meat, veggies, tofu – is on display, so just pick and choose. It's tucked…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Yunnan
Travellers dreaming of the culinary possibilities just across the border can drop by here for delicious Burmese cuisine from lyongi-clad waiters. There's…
Shangri-la
Long a favourite spot for local Tibetans, this relaxed and welcoming place specialises in yak-meat hotpots (from ¥148). Great mómo (馍馍, Tibetan dumplings)…
Yunnan
Local delicacies, including the herbal stew qìguō (汽锅; ¥38) and a wide range of Chinese dishes served in a renovated courtyard home make this one of the…
Shangri-la
Built into a hundred-year-old wooden building rebuilt in original form after the 2014 fire, this small cafe just off the main square is one of the…
Xishuangbanna Region
If you’re not making the trek overland to Southeast Asia, get your Thai fix at this ever-reliable open-air restaurant. It’s not the most upmarket Thai…
Hekou
Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes, particularly Vietnamese, fill the menu of this small restaurant, which is located in the courtyard of a restored 1897…
Dali
Spread across two floors and with a small garden, this popular, smoke-free haven of tranquillity has excellent sandwiches, pastas and soups, all prepared…
Lijiang
Clamber up the steep stairs for one of the best breakfasts in town, a monster burger a or fine Yunnan coffee from a window seat overlooking the small…
Shangri-la
This reliable long-standing restaurant serves up a mix of Tibetan, Indian and Chinese dishes in a Tibetan-teahouse atmosphere. It's down Old Street (老街,…
Yunnan
Fantastic, popular place for noodles at any time of day, but especially breakfast. It's also good for Burmese-style salads, Thai fried rice dishes and…
Yunnan
Local 'baba' cakes are for sale from street stalls around Xizhou, but the best we've tasted in town are from this friendly chef, who sets up shop just…
Xishuangbanna Region
Laotian food and drinks are served up here by a friendly gang of Chinese youngsters – there's also Beer Laos, one of the best brews in Southeast Asia…
Yunnan
This popular local place has a wide menu of Yunnan and broader Chinese dishes to choose from, as well as a cooler display to pick and mix for those who…
Yunnan
Pasta, steak, burgers and beer. The menu may be simple but the service is friendly and it's excellent food. Find it off a side alley just before Sideng…
