Restaurants

From Western restaurants in Guilin City to the local food restaurants around Guilin Area, various kinds of food are waiting for you. From the ancient ages on, officials and businessmen have gathered in Guilin. As a result, eating habits from South China and North China have co-existed all the time. Guangdong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Jiangxi cuisine and Fujian cuisine have been passing on.

Since the last century, Guangdong and Sichuan cuisines have great effects on the local eating habit which has also been absorbed by the two cuisines. The local people like eating sour and spicy dishes. When you stay in Guilin, it is highly recommended that you try the local food.

Here is a list of the restaurants offering the authentic Guilin food popular with the locals. All the restaurants are chain restaurants except Shangshui Snacks Street.

Chunji Restaurant Company (椿记烧鹅) $$ from 54 CNY per person
Restaurant specialties:

• Chunji Roasted Goose;
• Daqian Goose Wing;
• Roasted Goose with Fried Rice;
• Honey-stewed BBQ Pork;
• Steamed Bass Fish
• Braised Pork and Lipu Taro
• Toffee Taro

Chunji Roasted Goose Restaurant is very popular with the local people. Guangdong roasted goose is the most sought-after dish here. Its toffee taro tastes good too. Those who have a sweet tooth can come here to eat toffee taro. With low price and high value, Chunji, the chain restaurant, has opened over 10 restaurants around Guilin Area. In addition, it offers free buffet fruit during lunch.

Guilin Congee City (桂林粥城) $$ from 48 CNY  per person
Restaurant Specialties:

• Various kinds of BBQ;
• Minced Pork Congee with Preserved Egg;
• Braised Pork Ribs with Taro;
• Steamed Li River shrimp;
• Stuffed Li River Snails; and
• Steamed Jiangu Fish

Guilin Congee City is a well renowned restaurant in Guilin. Its fried Yangshuo snails filled with pork tastes very delicious! Its opened 24 hours each day, offering the special BBQ and all types of congee taken late at night. Sugared taro is sure to be eaten when it is hot because when it is hot, it tastes appetizing with sweet syrup melting in the mouth. Moderate in price, it is a good place for friends and families to dinner together and for enjoying food taken late at night.

Jinlongzhai Restaurant (金龙寨) $$ from 64 CNY per person
Restaurant Specialties:

• Stewed Duck in Finely Minced Taro;
• Grandma’s Dish (fried rutabaga, turnip, cowpea, jack bean and eggplant together) with steamed corn bread;
• Steamed Jiangu Fish;
• Dried Bean Curd Sticks Stewed in Casserole;
• Braised Pork and Lipu Taro;

Jinlongzhai Restaurant is a fairly popular chain restaurant offering the local special dishes, full service, good dining environment, various kinds of dishes, the menu with Chinese and English words and relative pictures, together with low price. Note: its chefs finish work at 9 p.m., so be sure to order meals before 9 p.m.

Xiaonanguo Restaurant (小南国) $$ from 59 CNY per person
Restaurant specialties:

• Steamed Chicken in the Wood;
• Steamed Jiangu Fish;
• Black Tofu Stewed in Casserole;
• Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk; and
• Steamed bun stuffed with Salted egg yolk.

Xiaonanguo Restaurant offers the typical Guilin’s dishes. Compared to other restaurants providing Guilin’s dishes, the dishes here taste nicer with higher cost-effectiveness. Due to too many tables set here, it’s crowded when there are many customers enjoying meals here. Thus, if you would like to enjoy food in quiet environment, please book a box in advance.

McFound Restaurant (麦香坊) from 45 CNY per person
Restaurant Specialties:

• Sweet Melon in Orange Juice;
• Pork Slices with Bean Sauce
• Handmade Fried Dumplings;
• Fried Noodles with Boneless Beef Tenderloin and Black Pepper
• Burrito filled with Shredded Potato and Deep-fried Duck with Bread.

Mcfound is the most popular restaurant combining the characteristics of the Chinese food and the Western food in Guilin. It mainly offers the Chinese food made of flour. Its BBQ includes the Western salad, pizza, cakes and the like. Mcfound’s dishes are fit for the groups among which some people don’t accept the Chinese food but the others like to enjoy the local Chinese food.

Shangshui Snacks Street (尚水美食街)
It is said widely that if you visit Yangshuo, make sure to visit the West Street. And if you visit Guilin, make sure to visit Shangshui Snacks Street where there are various kinds of snacks, including all kinds of the local special snacks in Guilin, such as rice steamed in bamboo, hot and sour rice noodles, fried crabs with chili in hot and spicy sauce, osmanthus flower cake and so on. Food with different origins around China and the local special food can been enjoyed here. If you are not willing to enjoy food in a restaurant but like to taste the local snacks, Shangshui Snacks Street is ideal for you. It is near the tower standing on Zhengyang Walking Street.