Hangzhou travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Hangzhou cuisine (Hangbang cai) is one of the pillar styles of Zhejiang cooking and one of China's most celebrated regional cuisines, prized for mild, slightly sweet flavors built around freshwater fish, bamboo shoots, and the city's own Longjing green tea. Signature dishes such as West Lake fish in vinegar sauce, Dongpo braised pork, and Longjing tea shrimp date back to the Southern Song Dynasty, when Hangzhou's status as imperial capital drew refined court cooking that still defines the city's restaurants today.
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Zhiweiguan (Renhe Road)
Zhiweiguan is a century-old Hangzhou snack institution built around steamed and pan-fried dim sum rather than a full banquet menu. It's the kind of place where you order a spread of small dishes at the counter or table and eat quickly among locals on their lunch break, with plain, canteen-style seating rather than any attempt at atmosphere. The food itself is unfussy Jiangnan snack cooking — soup-filled dumplings, cold noodle-style dishes, fried cakes — done at a volume that keeps it fresh.
Known for: A 1913-founded Hangzhou institution known citywide for its soup dumplings, cat's ear noodles, and old-city snack classics
83 Renhe Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou 310006, China
Zhang Sheng Ji (Shuangling Road)
Popular Hangzhou Cuisine restaurant in Hangzhou.
Known for: A long-running Hangzhou-cuisine restaurant on Shuangling Road known among locals for its home-style braised pork
33 Shuangling Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, China
Xin Rong Ji (Xixi Wetland)
Xin Rong Ji is a seafood-focused chain with roots in Taizhou cooking, and this branch sits inside the Xixi Wetland area west of the city center, giving it a quieter, more spread-out setting than the lakefront restaurants downtown. The kitchen leans on live and fresh-caught fish and shellfish cooked simply — steamed, deep-fried, or braised — rather than the sweeter, sauce-driven style typical of core Hangzhou cuisine. Dining rooms tend to be larger and set up for private-room banquet dining as much as open seating.
Known for: A One-MICHELIN-Star outpost of an acclaimed Taizhou seafood house, set in a garden compound on the edge of Xixi Wetland Park
No. 5, Dazhongxiuqi Village, west area of Xixi National Wetland Park, Tianmushan Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, China
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Sichuan Hot Pot
Chinese
Hangzhou Cuisine
Xin Bailu Restaurant (Zhongshan North Road)
Xin Bailu is a Hangzhou-based chain serving classic local Hangzhou cuisine in a casual, brightly lit setting aimed at families and shoppers rather than tourists working through a checklist. This branch sits inside the Yintai mall on Zhongshan North Road, and the menu sticks closely to Hangzhou standards rather than any fusion or contemporary reworking.
Known for: A Hangzhou-cuisine chain restaurant located inside the Xihu Culture Plaza shopping mall, popular with local families
5F, Yintai Shopping Mall, Xihu Culture Plaza, 487 Zhongshan North Road, Xiacheng District, Hangzhou, China
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Food tours & tastings in Hangzhou
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Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Wushan Night Market
Roughly 400 open-air stalls selling Hangzhou street food such as scallion oil pancakes alongside clothing and handicrafts
Hours: Daily from around 5:00 PM until late evening
Hefang Street snack stalls
Old-brand shops and teahouses selling Top Scholar's cake, black sesame paste, eight-treasure porridge, and lotus root starch
Hours: Most shops 9:00 AM-10:00 PM daily
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Reservations are recommended for lakeside window tables at heritage restaurants like Louwailou, especially at lunch and on weekends
Share a full Hangzhou-cuisine meal (Dongpo pork, West Lake fish, Longjing shrimp) between two or more people — dishes are portioned for sharing and cost the same regardless of group size
Order beggar's chicken a day in advance at restaurants that serve it, since it requires long, slow baking in a clay wrapping
Tipping is not expected or customary in mainland China, including at restaurants
Michelin-starred restaurants such as Ru Yuan require reservations weeks in advance given very limited seating
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ¥12-25 (~$1.79-$3.73) per bowl of noodles or dumplings at a street stall or local eatery | Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants. |
| Mid-range | $15-40/meal | Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus. |
| Upscale | $40+/meal | Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences. |