Must-see restaurants in 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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

A very modern take on the traditional dumpling joints – there are several enticing varieties to choose from, including a number of more adventurous…

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…