Guangzhou
With around 25 branches in Guangzhou, Diǎn Dōu Dé is one of the best-loved names in dim sum, turning out delicious shrimp dumplings, shāomài (烧卖, shrimp…
Must-see restaurants in China
Shanghai
Started by the team behind Fu 1015, Fu 1088 and Fu 1039, Fú Hé Huì is the standout in an amazing bunch. Set in an elegant private room, the strictly…
Shanghai Old City
Ensconced in the stunningly converted South Bund 22, Willy Trullas Moreno’s fetching and fun restaurant is a more relaxed counterpoint to many other…
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…
Macau
Expat chef Fabrice Vulin gives his contemporary take on classical French cuisine at the elegant Tasting Room. Its affinity for unexpected texture and…
Shanghai
On the 54th floor of Jinmao Tower (in the Grand Hyatt lobby), the Grand Café offers stunning panoramas through its glass walls and an excellent-value…
Guangzhou
Set in Liwan Lake Park amid ornamental gardens interlinked with pools, courtyards and corridors, Panxi is typical of Guangzhou's garden restaurants,…
Shanghai
Named after an ethnic group in China's northwest, this excellent restaurant is a tad pricey compared to other Xinjiang options in Shanghai, but makes up…
Chengdu
Drolmala is something of a social centre for the young of Chengdu's big Tibetan community. This superb space mixes fabulous modern Tibetan cuisine with…
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…
Shenzhen
This is one of the most popular Cantonese chains in town, so expect noisy waits for a table after 11.30am. Must-try dim sum here are the sweet durian…
Beijing
Take your taste buds on a dreamy sojourn southwest at Beijing's most stylish Yunnan restaurant. A sophisticated, industrial-chic space is the setting for…
Lhasa
With a wide-ranging menu of Nepali, Indian and Tibetan dishes, good breakfast options, decent prices, pleasant seating and a great location, it’s no…
Hong Kong
Tai Cheong was best known for its lighter-than-air beignets (deep-fried dough rolled in sugar; sa yung in Cantonese) until former governor Chris Patten…
Kunming
Try authentic Yunnan cuisine in a beautifully restored heritage courtyard building with outdoor seating – this is one of our favourite restaurants in the…
Hong Kong
Be prepared to bump elbows with locals at this tiny, basic joint known for its roast goose. Anthony Bourdain gushed over the bird. The leg is the most…
Shanghai
If you choose one place to try Shanghai's famous pork-and-crab xiǎolóngbāo soup dumplings, let it be here. This critically acclaimed restaurant steams…
Lhasa
This old-timer has a new location but is still an extremely popular place that serves a mix of excellent continental and Nepali food in very civilised…
Qingdao
Housed in a former electrical office building dating from 1909, this super little restaurant, with big-window street views, knocks out delicious but…
Shanghai
In the mall above a metro exit is this small outlet of the great fried-dumpling chain, specialising in delicious pork and prawn shēngjiān (spring-onion…
Shanghai
Formerly known as Baguo Buyi, Sichuan Folk is among the most authentic Sichuan food in town, cooked up by the diligent chefs at this famous restaurant at…
Beijing
Pleated with precision, the xiǎolóngbāo (Shanghai-style soup dumplings) at this acclaimed Taiwan chain taste as good as they look. Delicate pork, rich…
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…
Suzhou
Upmarket Spanish restaurant and cocktail bar on the 37th floor of the W Hotel. As well as excellent food, drinks and service, this place also has a…
Shanghai
In a 1930s villa, exclusive Fu 1088 has 17 rooms filled with Chinese antiques. Rooms are rented out privately, with white-gloved service and an emphasis…
Chengdu
This high-end Sichuan joint does everything right, from service and cuisine to ambience, but it's decidedly popular so you'd do well to make reservations…
Guiyang
The beautiful rooftop terrace of this vegetarian restaurant has some of the best views and food in Guiyang. All dishes are stylishly presented and combine…
Beijing
Opened by the titular 'Fatty Wang' in 2004, Wang Pangzi is lauded by many as Beijing's best purveyor of donkey-meat snacks. The lip-smacking speciality…
Changsha
Don't miss the experience of eating this culinary landmark, established in 1747 and set around a small temple courtyard. Downstairs has a Hunan menu and…
Inner Mongolia
The lighting in this fine traditional Mongolian hotpot restaurant is a bit intense, but the menu's sure-fire. Choose from spicy (辣, là) or mild (清淡,…
Nanjing
This hectic, fun and vast place, decorated like a Qing dynasty eatery, with waiters scurrying around in period garb and lanterns hanging overhead, is…
Zhejiang
Xiánhēng Jiǔdiàn is a fantastic, if touristy, place to sample local food and drink. Dishes include dried broad beans stewed in fennel water (茴香豆, huíxiāng…
Shanxi
A tiny shop with rustic decor run by a friendly couple, the noodles here – al dente and delicious – come in clear broth (清汤, qīng tāng) or with pumpkin …
Qīngxiāngyuán Lǎozìhào Niúròu Lāmiàn
Gansu
Grab a ticket from the kiosk out front of this Muslim restaurant and collect your beef noodles (niúròu miàn; ¥8) from the kitchen window inside. The…
Guangdong
A private kitchen that whips up impressive Chaozhou-style seafood dishes. Ask a Mandarin- or Cantonese-speaking friend to call and book at least a day in…
Hainan
Ā bo pó (阿卜婆) means ‘grandma’ in Hainanese, though we’d also translate it as ‘best chicken ever'. Indeed made by a 70-something grandma, the chicken here…
Chengdu
Not only will you not find no better Tibetan food in Chengdu, you'd be hard-pressed to find better Tibetan food anywhere in Tibet. Choose from a delicious…
Shanghai
No one has a bad thing to say about this dapper expat favourite, and rightly so: it has never let its standards dip over the years. Meat dishes start at …
Anhui
Considered the best restaurant on Old St, this is the place to splash out on Huizhou delicacies, like tiánluó (田螺, pond snails), here braised in a plate…
Hangzhou
Often packed, this excellent Hangzhou restaurant, on the 3rd floor of Intime Mall, has superb food. With a bare-brick finish and rows of clay teapots, the…
