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The city is well known both in and outside of China for its fresh and diverse selection of seafood, due to its close proximity to the South China Sea. Tender braised and barbecued meats are available in delicious variety, and succulent dim sum still rules the roost as the city's hometown favorite.
In addition to Chinese restaurants, Guangzhou has a number of Indian, Italian, Thai, and Vietnamese eateries as well.
Worth a visit for the decor alone, Beiyuan is a throwback to 1928, the year the restaurant opened. The two-story dining room wraps around a traditional Chinese courtyard and includes a well-manicured garden and a pond with goldfish. The restaurant's interior is jazzed up with Chinese screens, lanterns and chandeliers. The menu—specializing in Cantonese cuisine and dim sum—is available in Engish, though it can be a struggle to get your hands on a copy.
Take the lines outside of Binsheng as an indication that the food here is worth the wait. A local Cantonese favorite, Bingsheng is most famous for its char siu, or barbecued pork. Wading through the huge picture menu (which includes English) can be a task, so look for the specialties: the chef's black barbecue pork is a signature, as well as the homemade, extra silky tofu, and enormous, piping hot pineapple buns. People come here for lively, family-style surrounds and excellent local fare, not for the service.
Avoid the rush by getting in line by 6 pm or after 8:30 pm.
Occupying all eight stories of an old riverfront building with an open terrace on the top floor, this restaurant is popular with locals all hours of the day, so arrive early to be guaranteed a seat. The atmosphere is chaotic and noisy, but the morning and afternoon dim sum is well worth it, especially for the low prices. Famous dishes include stewed chicken feet (delicious, we'll have you know), crispy-skin chicken, and roasted duck.
Famous for its massive buffet, this super kitschy colorful place offers an over-the-top culinary and cultural experience best (and perhaps only) appreciated by kids. It can be easy to get lost among the hundreds of food stations with varying themes, such as a sushi station shaped like treasure ship. There's no need to reserve ahead, as there are more than 1,000 tables up for grabs.
Earning a string of culinary awards since it opened in 1935, this legendary place is one of the best-known restaurants in town. The setting is classic Canton, with flower-filled courtyards surrounded by dining rooms of various sizes. The food is some of the finest in the city, with house specialties like "Eight Treasures," a mix of poultry, pork, and mushrooms served in a bowl made of melon. Other Cantonese dishes include duck feet stuffed with shrimp, roasted goose, and of course, dim sum. If you're staying on the eastern side of the city, there's also a branch at 112 Tiyu Dong Lu in Tianhe.
This aptly named eatery has a cheerful home-away-from-home feel, complete with flags from various countries hanging from the ceiling and beers from around the world. The food is inexpensive and good, with pizzas, pastas, and excellent bruschetta prepared by an Italian chef. Food from the menu is much better than the buffet, which is Y158 per person and lasts from 6–11 pm nightly.
For fine Cantonese in a more sophisticated setting, Jiang by Chef Fei is a popular choice. The style and service here are miles away from the more casual Cantonese restaurants, and the dainty dim sum creations are equally as memorable. Chef Fei puts a contemporary twist on classic Cantonese cuisine, with creative dishes such as slow-cooked beef shank with chili sauce, Canadian red coral mussels with kale, and pan-fried goose and radish dumplings that are shaped like swans. There is also a great selection of tea and wines that you can pair with your meal.
With so many cuisines represented on its menu (Asian curries, Tex-Mex favorites, British fish-and-chips, and much more), a UN think tank could happily share a table here. Steak is one of Lucy's signature dishes. A favorite among foreigners, this eatery in the old Shamian district has a lovely outdoor dining area; even the dining room has a few trees growing through the roof. A friendly and helpful staff is at your service.
On the edge of Liwan Lake, this famous restaurant has a series of teahouse rooms and landscaped gardens interconnected by paths and bridges that have the feel of a Taoist temple. One room is built on a floating houseboat. Signature dishes include scallop pumpkin soup, baked crab legs, and crispy pork belly. The dim sum is highly recommended, as the restaurant is known for its beautiful presentation along with its fresh flavors. Make reservations or expect long lines.
Housed in a faux colonial-style mansion on an island in Liuhuahu Park, this restaurant's location alone beats out most others in Guangzhou. The cuisine is pure old-school Cantonese, with expensive dishes like abalone and shark's fin soup served alongside more rational staples like crispy fried pigeon, roasted mackerel, and stuffed garlic prawns. Naturally, there's plenty of dim sum, and the "Cantonese combo plate" features a variety of roasted meats. Although the food at Tang Yuan is excellent, most people come here for the opulent dining room. A golf cart waits at the park's entrance on Liuhua Road to whisk diners to the restaurant's palatial front door.
With a name that means "house of happiness," this is one of the city's most revered traditional Cantonese restaurants. Opening its door more than a century ago, Tao Tao Ju is famous for its dim sum, especially the nai huang bao (buns made with milk and egg yolks). The menu, available in English, has many items that you're unlikely to find elsewhere, including tasty kudzu and frog rice.
