Sichuan

Foodies flock to this simple but superb restaurant for its speciality – sweet, crispy roast duck (jīn; ¥22). The draw is the skin, which is best described as duck candy, a miraculously ungreasy bite of heaven....

A city classic that's always packed at lunchtime, but just squeeze onto the end of one of the benches and tuck into the house special: tián shuĭ miàn, which is a tongue-tingling, mind-blowing bowl of thick,...

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 regular, live world music (when we dropped by a contemporary...

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 beforehand.

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 range of Tibetan staples, from tsampa (roasted barley...

Laid-back, relaxed new restaurant full of sofas and with a first-floor dining room overlooking the birthplace of the 7th Dalai Lama. The menu is a meeting of east and west with classic Sichuan dishes sharing the...

The fanciest Tibetan restaurant in Jiuzhaigou, this excellent establishment is run by the same family behind Zhuo Ma’s Homestay (Zhuo Ma’s brother, Ke Zhu, is a Lhasa- and Beijing-trained chef). There's an...

The plush flagship of this famous chain is a great place to experience mápó dòufu (麻婆豆腐; small/large ¥12/20) – soft, house bean curd with a fiery sauce of garlic, minced beef, fermented soybean, chilli oil and...

Despite the lack of menus, ordering here is easy as the friendly Tibetan family drag you by the arm back into the kitchen for a look. Don't think too hard, though: the momos (牛肉包子; ¥2 each) are fantastic, among...

This reconstructed ancient alleyway is jam-packed with tourists and Chengdu favourites like chāoshǒu (抄手, wontons; ¥12) and chuànchuàn xiāng (串串香, the skewer version of the Chongqing hotpot; ¥2 to ¥5). Musical...

Songpan’s main traveller hang-out is this laid-back cafe with wi-fi and fresh coffee, pizza and other western fare, along with a range of Chinese and Tibetan dishes. It's a good place to meet other travellers....

This upstairs cafe in the midst of the guesthouses on Dexi Lu has the best coffee in town (¥28) as well as simple snacky foods such as momos (Tibetan-style steamed dumplings) and some very elaborate fruit salads....

Carefully presented, tasty western dishes such as chili con carne or Hungarian goulash as well as crisp, refreshing salads are served to a largely local lunchtime crowd who squeeze onto the faded wooden picnic...

A satisfying place to fill up before (or between) drinks on Kehua Jie. There are tables outside or seats around the tiě bǎn (铁板, hot iron plate) to watch the chef sear your order to perfection. A highlight is the...

Recently moved to a new location, this long-standing travellers’ haven is run by the gregarious English-speaking chef, Mr Zheng, who can also offer expert travel advice. Food is high-quality Sichuan fare, and the...

It's said that people will fly across China to eat rabbit head (兔头, tùtóu) in Chengdu and this restaurant cooks it better than most. Order by the piece, kinda spicy (五香, wǔxiāng) or pretty spicy (麻辣, málà). When...

There are lots of reasons to recommend this neighborhood place just up from People's Park. We could talk about watching the food being prepared through the glass kitchen-front, or how it's like an upmarket...

Stop in for tasty Tibetan dishes (and beers) – the meat pie (牛肉烤饼; niúròukăobĭng; ¥58) is extremely tasty, and large enough for leftovers that can make an excellent breakfast in the park the next morning. To get...

A very modern take on the traditional dumpling joints – there are several enticing varieties to choose from, including a number of more adventurous offerings such as the large intestine dumpling or the pig snout...

With big, soft sofas and ceilings festooned in Turkish lamps, this crowd-pleasing upmarket restaurant is the place to come to sample dishes from the western reaches of the Silk Road, including lamb kebabs,...