Best restaurants in Sichuan

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Le Shan

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. Eat it while it's hot – in the middle of the sidewalk with your bare hands, if necessary. Look for the sign 'Zhaoyazi, 赵鸭子'.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Chengdu

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, sugary noodles in a spicy sauce. Try it once and you'll come back day after day.

Restaurants in Jiuzhaigou National Park

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 extensive menu of delicious Tibetan dishes, and some Western ones as well. For a quick fix, there's an affiliated dumpling joint downstairs.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 Sichuan pepper. It’s one of Sichuan’s most famous dishes and this restaurant’s speciality. Nonspicy choices are available, too.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in 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 regular, live world music (when we dropped by a contemporary Kazak folk band was playing) and a happening bar that attracts a good crowd of Tibetans and in-the-know Chinese and expats. Food is served until 10pm.

Restaurants in Baiyu

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 the best to be had anywhere in the Kham.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in 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 beforehand.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in 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 range of Tibetan staples, from tsampa (roasted barley flour; ¥20) to thugpa (noodles in soup; ¥18). Or go for the house special: Are Covered, a thin, crispy pancake spread over fried yak meat.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 performances reverberate in the indoor space in the evening. Look for the wooden sign and doors near Lotte KTV.

Restaurants in Songpan

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. Emma is exceedingly knowledgable and can sort out almost anything from laundry to tickets and picnic lunches for your horse trek.

Restaurants in Daocheng

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. The relaxed atmosphere makes it an appealing place to hang out before or after trips to Yading Nature Reserve.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 benches. If you just need a liquid pause, they serve delicious juices and have a wide range of coffees. The exotic cheesecake is a triumph.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 spicy fried chicken wings (干锅中翅; gānguō zhōngchì; ¥58) – a Sichuan favourite. Two dishes per person is usually enough.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Litang

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 table with steaks, pastas, fruit salads and more. If you're not hungry just pop in for one of the herbal teas.

Restaurants in Litang

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 delicious potato pancakes (土豆饼; tǔdòu bǐng; ¥30) come from a family recipe that goes back several generations. Good breakfast choice.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 it comes break open the jaw, split open the skull, and don't miss the best bits down in the cranial cavity.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 street-food joint, but the real reason locals pour in here is for the simple, flavourful bowls of local classic dàndàn noodles (担担面; ¥10).

Restaurants in Jiuzhaigou National Park

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 here walk past Ā Bù Lǔ Zī away from the direction of the park; it's three alleys up, tucked away down on the right.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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 dumpling. As well as dumplings they serve a number of small plates (the eggplant is particularly good) and a selection of Sichuan spirits.

Restaurants in Chengdu

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, hummus, house-made yoghurt, Turkish coffee and warm naan. For hungry carnivores, the grilled mixed meat platter (¥168) is the only way to go.