China · best-of list
The 6 Best Restaurants in China
All 6 restaurants our route editors picked in China, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
6 restaurants in China, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Beijing 2 picks
Guijie (Ghost Street)
Beijing · On our Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai route
Street of restaurants lit by red lanterns, known for spicy crayfish and hot pot late into the night.
Tip: Hu Da is the classic crayfish spot.
Photo: harry chang · Google
Siji Minfu
Beijing · On our Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai route
Popular Peking duck chain carving crisp duck tableside at fair prices.
Tip: Reserve or take a queue number early.
Photo: Christian Halim · Google
Shanghai 2 picks
Jia Jia Tang Bao
Shanghai · On our Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai route
Plain local shop making xiaolongbao soup dumplings to order.
Tip: Crab-and-pork filling is the specialty; go before lunch rush.
Photo: Angelo Saponaro · Google
Yang's Fried Dumplings
Shanghai · On our Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai route
Local chain known for shengjian bao, pan-fried pork buns with crisp bottoms.
Tip: Bite a small hole first; the soup is scalding.
Photo: ChingHua Chuang · Google
Xi'an 2 picks
Lao Sun Jia
Xi'an · On our Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai route
Restaurant dating back over a century, known for yangrou paomo lamb soup with bread.
Tip: Tear the bread into tiny pieces before it goes in the soup.
Photo: Shaohan Hu · Google
Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie)
Xi'an · On our Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai route
Hui food streets with lamb skewers, roujiamo and persimmon cakes.
Tip: Explore side streets like Sajinqiao for better local food.
Photo: Tan Sean · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in China?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 6 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of China has the most restaurants on this list?
Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an lead with 2 each; the other picks are spread across 0 more destinations.
More lists for China
Best restaurants nearby
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.