Best Restaurants in China 2026

Peking Duck (北京烤鸭)

China's most famous dish: whole duck lacquered with maltose syrup and roasted in a wood-fired oven until mahogany-glazed. Sliced tableside and wrapped in thin pancakes with cucumber, spring onion, and hoisin sauce. A Beijing ritual dating to the imperial era.

Where to try: Quanjude and Da Dong restaurants Beijing

Price: $20-40 per person

Xiaolongbao Soup Dumplings (小笼包)

Shanghai's signature: delicate dumpling wrappers containing ground pork and a spoonful of gelatinized soup that melts when steamed. The perfect specimen has exactly 18 pleats and must be eaten carefully to avoid soup burn. Dip in vinegar with ginger.

Where to try: Din Tai Fung nationwide, Nan Xiang Mantou Dian Shanghai

Price: $6-15 per basket

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Sichuan's iconic silken tofu in a sauce of fermented black bean paste, chili oil, minced pork, and tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. The combination of mala (numbing-spicy) flavor is quintessentially Sichuan. Eat with steamed rice to temper the heat.

Where to try: Sichuan restaurants nationwide, especially authentic in Chengdu

Price: $5-12

Lanzhou Beef Noodles (兰州拉面)

China's most ubiquitous noodle dish: hand-pulled wheat noodles in crystal-clear beef broth topped with tender beef slices, radish, chili oil, and fresh coriander. Made by Hui Muslim noodle masters who pull and stretch noodles to order. A full meal for $2-3.

Where to try: Lanzhou beef noodle shops in every Chinese city

Price: $2-5

Dim Sum (广式点心)

Cantonese tradition of small steamed, fried, and baked dishes served during morning yum cha tea service. Essential dishes include har gow (prawn dumplings), siu mai (pork and prawn), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), and dan tat (egg tarts). Order by check mark on paper menu.

Where to try: Cantonese teahouses in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Guangdong-style restaurants nationwide

Price: $3-6 per dish

Hot Pot (火锅)

Bubbling broth pots at the table center into which you dip raw meats, vegetables, tofu, and noodles. Sichuan style has split pots with mala (numbing spicy) and clear broth; Beijing style features lamb in clear bone broth. Eaten over 1-2 hours with dipping sauces.

Where to try: Haidilao chain nationwide, local hot pot restaurants in every city

Price: $15-40 per person

Jianbing (煎饼)

Beijing's beloved breakfast crepe: a thin egg-based pancake spread with fermented black bean sauce, chili sauce, crispy wonton chip, scallions, and cilantro. Assembled in seconds by street cart vendors - the quintessential Beijing breakfast.

Find it at: Street carts throughout Beijing, especially morning market areas

Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍)

Xi'an's famous street food called the 'Chinese hamburger': slow-braised spiced pork belly (or lamb) piled into a flaky round bread. Vendors in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter make hundreds daily. The pork version dates back 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty.

Find it at: Muslim Quarter Xi'an, street stalls throughout Shaanxi Province

Chuan (串) Grilled Skewers

Street BBQ skewers of lamb, chicken, squid, and vegetables grilled over charcoal with cumin, chili powder, and sesame. A night market staple throughout China with the best versions in Xinjiang and Xi'an Muslim Quarter. Eaten standing at plastic stools.

Find it at: Night markets nationwide, especially Wangfujing Beijing and Muslim Quarter Xi'an

Tanghulu (糖葫芦)

Traditional Beijing street snack of fruits (hawthorn berries, strawberries, mandarin segments) coated in cracked sugar candy on bamboo skewers. The satisfying snap of the sugar shell revealing sour hawthorn is a childhood memory for all Beijingers.

Find it at: Wangfujing Snack Street, Nanluoguxiang, Houhai Lake area Beijing

Dan Dan Mian (担担面)

Chengdu's spicy street noodle: thin wheat noodles in a sauce of sesame paste, chili oil, preserved vegetables, minced pork, and Sichuan peppercorns creating complex flavor from just a few spoonfuls of intensely seasoned sauce.

Find it at: Chengdu noodle shops and street stalls throughout Sichuan Province

Wangfujing Snack Street (王府井小吃街)

Beijing's most famous tourist food market with 100+ stalls selling exotic Chinese street foods alongside standard snacks. A must-visit spectacle with scorpions, seahorses, and silk worms alongside more approachable roasted sweet potatoes and tanghulu.

Hours: 10AM-11PM daily

Muslim Quarter Night Market (西安回民街)

Xi'an's historic Islamic district transforms into a food paradise after dark with hundreds of vendors serving authentic Hui Muslim dishes, lamb skewers, persimmon cakes, and hand-pulled noodles in a centuries-old commercial street.

Hours: 9AM-10PM, best after 5PM

Tianfu Square Food Court (Chengdu)

Underground food courts beneath Chengdu's central squares offer a massive variety of authentic Sichuan street food at local prices. Hotpot, mapo tofu, dan dan mian, and Sichuan snacks at 30-50% lower than restaurant prices.

Hours: 8AM-10PM daily

Sanyuanli Wet Market (三源里市场, Beijing)

Beijing's most cosmopolitan fresh market with international ingredients, exotic Chinese herbs, live seafood, artisan cheese, and premium produce. Popular with professional chefs and home cooks for seasonal ingredients.

Hours: 6AM-8PM daily