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Hángzhōu Restaurants

Lóuwàilóu Restaurant

1 reviews | Write a review

Good for: Romance, atmosphere

  • Address
    • 30 Gushan Lu
  • Price
    • mains Y30-200
  • Hours
    • 10.30am-3.30pm & 4.30-8.45pm

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Lonely Planet review for Lóuwàilóu Restaurant

Founded in 1838, this is Hángzhōu's most famous restaurant. The local speciality is xīhú cùyú (西湖醋鱼; sweet and sour carp) and dōngpō pork, but there's a good choice of other well-priced standard dishes.

 

Traveller reviews for Lóuwàilóu Restaurant (1)

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    Nice place to relax after strolling around the lake

    toronto1505 recommends this,

    Dining at this historical establishment was one of the main purposes of visiting this ancient, well preserved Chinese city. The name - LouWaiLou or House after House - comes from a Song dynasty poem, and they say that this is the oldest restaurant operating in China since that time.
    The location is perfect - it is right on the northern shore of the Western Lake, and after a long stroll around the mesmerizing lake you feel hungry enough and can not wait for the long-expected "culinary treasures".
    Westlake Carp in sweet and sour sauce: this is perhaps the most famous signature dish not only of LouWaiLou, but of the whole Hangzhou. Be careful as the carp is very bony - and to be honest, even though the sauce was perfect, our carp wasn't really fresh.
    Dong-po Pork: (the name "Dong Po" comes from the name of the Song Dynasty poet, Su Dong Po (aka "Su Shi"), who was not only a renowned poet, but also a politician and a food gourmet. Legend has it that this dish was created by him. Our portion was smallish, and it was not even close to be tender and juicy, as we had expected it to be. The first two dishess were a pure frustration.
    Beggar's chicken: this is braised chicken in herbs wrapped up in lotus leaf. The dish was very aromatic and the chicken was melting in my mouth.
    Even though not every dish was up to our expectations, all of them were beautifully presented, and didn't cost much - most of the signature dishes here are below 10 USD each. The restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, so its better to appear between lunch and dinner. You can ask to be seated at the second floor; in this case you can enjoy the beautiful scenery through the huge windows facing the lake.

    Good for: Romance, atmosphere

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