25 editor picks across China.
25 budget eating worth the trip across China, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All China guides.
Ladychai on Ganjiakou North Street in Beijing is a family-run shop that follows c. 1920 recipes, selling braised beef by the catty with noodles in beef broth.
OrderBraised beef by the catty with plain noodles in beef broth
TipQueue, serve yourself and share a table; order about half a catty of beef a head and say fatty or lean.
Yongsheng Beef Noodles in Hongmiao Beili, Beijing, is open round the clock, with braised beef offal noodles, pea and mince noodles and fried crispy pork.
OrderBraised beef-offal noodles and pickled-cabbage beef noodles
TipThe shop never closes, so a late bowl is easy; Ctrip lists free parking and baby chairs, and the fried crispy pork is cooked to order.
Wei Xiang Zhai on Yandang Road in Shanghai is an old noodle house famous for sesame paste noodles with chili oil, served in a congested, well-worn room.
OrderSesame paste noodles with chili oil
TipPay at the front desk, then hand your ticket to the server; the spicy pork noodles are best ordered dry, as ban mian.
Pang Mei Noodles in Xiang'er Hutong off Dongsi North Street in Beijing is the city's first outlet of a Chongqing noodle brand, known for fiery beef soup.
OrderChongqing-style fiery beef noodle soup
TipReservations are not accepted, so expect a long wait; choose between two bowl sizes and four levels of spiciness.
Dehezhai in Tianshuiyuan, Beijing, is known for a milky almond jelly and lamb cuanmian noodle soup, with fried starch sausage and other old Beijing snacks.
OrderAlmond jelly and lamb cuanmian noodle soup
TipBoth the almond jelly and the lamb noodle soup top Beijing's Dianping rankings, per the Chaoyang district guide; lunch and dinner service is split.
Fortune Long on East Xinglong Street in Beijing has served zhajiangmian since 1994, over three floors, with two caldrons of soybean sauce made fresh each day.
OrderZhajiangmian with house-made noodles
TipIt is always jam-packed, so avoid peak mealtimes; Michelin also picks the fried pork balls and the blanched ox tripe in sesame sauce.
Beef & Dumplings on Shunyuan Street in Beijing braises beef shin for over ten hours with spices and wraps beef and carrot dumplings in house-made skins.
OrderBraised beef shin and beef-and-carrot dumplings
TipPick your own vinegar and toppings at the self-serve condiment station; the braised beef can also be bought to take away.
Beijing Pie in Xila Hutong, Beijing, is known for thin-skinned, juicy, generously filled roubing meat pies, served with Kung Pao chicken and home dishes.
OrderRoubing meat pies and Kung Pao chicken
TipThe city's 2026 Spring Festival guide calls it a top choice for authentic home-style Beijing food; fried meatballs and fried starch sausage sit beside the pies.
Huxi Laolongtang Noodle Shop on Dingxi Road in Shanghai is known for chewy scallion oil noodles heaped with dried shrimp, and for clam and pork liver noodles.
OrderScallion oil noodles with dried shrimp
TipWeekday lunch queues run past 30 minutes; on weekends arrive before 11:00, and ask for extra scallion oil.
Huatian Yanji's Xisi North Street headquarters in Beijing, founded in 1943 by a Korean woman, is known for Yanji cold noodles that draw summer queues.
OrderYanji-style cold noodles
TipIn summer diners queue for the cold noodles and eat them bowl in hand or on the window ledge; Ctrip also lists spicy mixed beef.
Beisantiao Hutong Noodles near Yonghegong in Beijing serves dalumian, noodles under thick gravy, with almond jelly and fried starch sausage on the side.
OrderEggplant dalumian and tomato-and-egg dalumian
TipThe shop sits inside Jiaodaokou Beisantiao off Yonghegong Street; Ctrip lists a waiting area, free Wi-Fi and paid parking.
Mingyuan Restaurant, a no-frills hutong room on Beizongbu Hutong in Beijing, serves Beijing home cooking, from fried meatballs to old-Beijing zhajiangmian.
OrderZhajiangmian and fried meatballs
TipIt has tables for ten or more, so it suits a group; add the fermented mung bean milk, a classic Beijing snack, to the fried starch sausage.
Pojeong in Shanghai's Hongqiao Koreatown makes its Korean-style mul naengmyeon fresh daily, chilled buckwheat-potato noodles in icy beef broth.
OrderMul naengmyeon, chilled buckwheat-and-potato-starch noodles in iced beef broth
TipAsk for some warm broth on the side to taste the noodles both ways.
Butanchu Ramen down a warehouse alley in Shanghai draws a daily rain-or-shine queue for its Hakata-style, extra-thick tonkotsu pork bone broth.
OrderHakata-style tonkotsu ramen with a sauce-thick pork bone broth
TipArrive early: the queue forms rain or shine, and the shop sells out once the day's broth is gone.
Baiweiyuan on Tuanjiehu Road in Beijing stuffs and cooks its dumplings to order, as dumpling soup, steamed or potstickers, so service is slower than usual.
OrderBaiwei dumplings, boiled, steamed or pan-fried
TipDumplings are filled and cooked to order, so expect a wait; the egg-and-tomato dumpling suits ovo-vegetarians, and soy-braised pork trotter is a cold starter.
Xian Lao Man on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing is a dumpling house serving mackerel and chive dumplings, fried starch sausage and Beijing home dishes.
OrderMackerel and chive dumplings, with fried starch sausage
TipPair the dumplings with a Beijing side such as Qianlong cabbage, madoufu (fermented mung bean curd) or gedatang soup, all on Ctrip's list.
Sobamichi on Xianxia Road in Shanghai, run by Japanese owners since 2015, serves thin or thick country-style soba with house-made dipping sauces.
OrderZaru soba, chilled buckwheat noodles with a soy-mirin-dashi tsuyu dip
TipBeyond the classic tsuyu, try the black curry or duck dipping broth; the buckwheat tofu made with cream cheese is another house specialty.
Ramen Mitsuyoshi's very first shop on Liyuan Road in Shanghai traces its roots back to two Michelin-recommended ramen shops in Tokyo, Japan.
OrderTonkotsu ramen, including a black garlic version
TipOrder and pay at the vending machine first, then take a seat at the wraparound bar to watch the broth being stirred.
Kyu Hai on Nanchang Road in Shanghai is a small Japanese room serving chicken broth ramen, shio or shoyu, alongside yakitori and izakaya bites.
OrderChicken broth ramen in shio or shoyu, plus yakitori and izakaya bites
TipGrab one of the outdoor seats if the weather allows; the small dining room fills up fast at dinner.
Feng Yuan Chunbing near Tiantan in Beijing is a spring pancake shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, serving chunbing at lunch and dinner on Xingfu Lane.
OrderChunbing, spring pancakes with stir-fried fillings
TipService breaks between 14:00 and 17:00, so time a visit for lunch or an early dinner; it sits west of Building 20 in the Xingfu Beili community.
Chongqing Laojie Xiaomian on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing is a Chongqing noodle shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, open daily from 10:00 to 21:30.
OrderChongqing xiaomian, small bowls of spicy noodles
TipOpen daily 10:00-21:30 with no midday break, so an off-peak lunch or early dinner suits the Andingmen branch at 103 Andingmen Inner Street.
Ieyasu Tsukemen & Izakaya on Xingyi Road in Shanghai is the longest-running Shanghai branch of this Ikebukuro tsukemen and izakaya franchise.
OrderTsukemen with a choice of nine dipping sauces over a pork-chicken-fish stock
TipXingyi Road is the longest-standing and busiest branch; the Mengzi Road branch is just as good if the queue here is long.
Xiaoli Roubing on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing, by Chengxian Street, is a meat pie shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, open daily 10:00 to 22:00.
OrderRoubing, Beijing meat pies
TipOpen daily 10:00-22:00 with no midday break, so a late lunch or early dinner works at the Chengxian Street branch near Andingmen.
Ping'an Guotie in the Shuiduizi community on Chaoyang North Road in Beijing is a potsticker shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, open 10:00 to 21:00.
OrderGuotie, pan-fried potstickers
TipThe shop is in the bungalow south of Building 3 in the Shuiduizi community, and it stays open daily 10:00-21:00 with no midday break.
Jingdong Chengji Roubing on Fuguang Road in Beijing is a meat pie shop west of Building 17 in Xingfu Beili, open for lunch and dinner on the Dianping list.
OrderRoubing, Beijing meat pies
TipService breaks from 14:00 to 17:00, so go at lunch or after 17:00; the Beijinger lists it near Guangminglou and Longtan Lake in its 2025 rundown.
Guided tour · 5 - 10 hours
See the sights of Beijing illuminated on an amazing night tour. Watch a traditional acrobatics show and enjoy a delicious Peking Duck dinner to experience a dish that ...
Day trip · 8 hours
Explore the history and nature around Beijing on a private day tour to the Ming Tombs and Longqing Gorge. Discover the Ming Dynasty's legacy at the Dingling Tomb and e...
Guided tour · 8 hours
Visiting Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, two iconic spots in Beijing. Hike the scenic Mutianyu Great Wall. Enjoy tasty Chinese dumplings for lunch.