Best Food and Restaurants in Guilin - Trippest Guilin Travel Guide

Guilin is the home of all local Chinese cuisines such as Canton, Sichuan, and Hunan food styles. People love the blended tastes of sweet, sour, and spicy food. These delicious dishes are a good match with the heavenly backdrop of Guilin landscape. Stir-frying and steaming are the most common cooking methods in the region. Noodles is a main staple usually paired with fish or meat. Although with the rise of tourism in the city, some Western ingredients have been complementary added and restaurants sprouted in every corner. The following are the most famous local snacks and meals in Guilin that will surely be your next favorite:

Famous Snacks of Guilin

Guilin Rice Noodles

Guilin is the home of rice noodles in China made from rice flour either in round or flat shapes. This snack is added with meat, gravy, fried soybeans or peanuts then garnish with scallion, chili, minced bamboo, and beans. This dish is usually eaten in the morning.

Oil-tea

This dish is made famous by ethnic minorities like Miao, Yao, and Dong. It is made from fried tea leaves combined with water and spices. Then the brew is added with rice krispies and herbs. Oil-tea is like the morning cereal of Guilin.

Guilin Field Snail

This exotic snack can be found in all street corners. It is made from clear water snails meticulously prepared for several days to remove dirt from shells. The snail meat is firm and sweet that contains healthy minerals and vitamins for good eyesight. This is cooked with basil leaves, ginger, chili, basic condiments, and wine.

Guilin Water Glutinous Rice Cake

A bean paste filled dessert made from water glutinous rice cake, osmanthus sugar, and cooked Soya. The batter is formed into balls and steamed for hours. Spot this rice cake in almost all street stalls in vibrant green-colored balls. It is a sweet and sticky delicacy that is in harmony with the green scenery of Guilin.

Sponge Cake (Fa Gao)

Fa Gao is a Chinese word for success hence this sponge cake is usually eaten in joyous events to bring good luck and blessings. It is a soft and fragrant snack typically made of sticky rice and japonica rice. You can find these in streets and restaurants. 

Main Dishes of Guilin

Yangshuo Beer Fish (Yangshuo Pijiu Yu)

Since Guilin and Yangshuo are endowed with rich bodies of water such as the Li River, fish here is fresh and big. This dish is brewed in beer and fresh vegetables. An authentic and saucy Yangshuo meal that is definitely a must-eat of the town.

Lipu Taro and Pork Loaf (Lipu Yutou Kourou)

This meal is named after Lipu County in the Guilin region. Taro and pork slices made up this dish. Both pork and taro are cooked separately then steamed together with spices and condiments. It has a crisp taste and non-greasy attribute with aromatic smell. It is known as a detoxifying dish mostly served in big celebrations.

Gingko stewed with Old Duck (Baiguo Dun Laoya)

This is one of the most popular family dinner meals in Guilin. Ingredients include old duck and gingko, considered as one of Chinese food medicines, stewed together. The soup is delicious and of course, nutritious. Stir-Fried Beef With Bamboo Shoots (Dongsun Chao Niurou) The bamboos richly growing in Guilin’s river banks are commonly added in some dishes. This is one of the dishes that mainly used young bamboo shoots with mushrooms and beef. It has a fresh and organic taste.

Stewed Clams and Chicken

A great combination that received numerous praises and awards in Guilin. Chicken, clams, longan, and ham slices are stewed for two hours in a porcelain pot. The result? A savory and fresh flavored dish that satisfies your seafood craving. You can find all these snacks and dishes in almost all restaurants in Guilin. Here are the best and cheap restaurants in the city that you must check out!

Where to Eat

Luanle Rice Noodles 乱了粉库桂林米粉

• Address: 122 Zhengyang Lu
• Price Per Person: 6 USD
• Best known for their delicious Guilin Rice Noodles. It is the restaurant situated in the city center that served authentic rice noodles and other local food. The good thing is you can mix and match your ingredients according to your preference.  

Xiaonanguo 小南国

• Address: 3 Wenming Road
• Price Per Person: 9 USD
• The locals absolutely love this restaurant that serve authentic Guilin food like the ones listed above. It is a classic Chinese restaurant in a large hall that is fully packed with guests at every hour. So long lines are expected though the wait is worth it.  

Man Xiang Yi Hot Pot 满香宜猪肚鸡

• Address: Floor 1, 22 Yi Ren Lu
• Price Per Person: 10 USD
• Cook your own stew and hot broth in Man Xiang Yi Hot Pot! They offer pork belly and chicken broth with supplemental vegetables and dumplings. Side dishes are also available such as fried rice or pig feet.  

Rosemary Café

• Address: 1-1 Yiren Road, Guilin, China
• Price Per Person: 12 USD
• To contrast the usual Guilin staples, you can try this Western café that is adorned with a cozy interior with ornaments and handicrafts. They served tasty homemade pizza, stir-fried pasta, and ice cream cakes.  

Longze Tea House & Restaurant

• Address: 2, Huaqiao Street, Qixing District, Guilin, China
• Price Per Person: 15 USD
• A restaurant that complements Chinese food with traditional tea set. The place is quaintly located near the Seven Star Park where you can get a nice view of the rolling hills, steep cliffs and rock formations. Delectable seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes graced the tables of this tea house. Most of their menu choices are cooked with tea leaves. They provide customers option to spicy or non-spicy versions of the dishes.  

If you are more of a social food junkie then street food centers are for you. You can find many in the Guilin City Center Square or in the food streets of Bingjiang Road, Jiefang West Road, Putuo Road, Gourmet City, and Zhishan Road. All types of cuisines aside from Chinese dishes are found in these hawkers from American, European, Mexican, to even Indian food. Best to visit at night where all stores are open to serve you. It is also a good time to meet locals and visitors from different walks of life.  

In Yangshuo, the West Street is a busy pedestrian lined with store fronts and hawkers that sell fresh fruits, souvenir items, dainty crafts, local delicacies, and other authentic Chinese food. It is a traditional Chinese market loaded with many merchants and vendors hard-selling their goods to passers-by. For your safety, tuck and safeguard your belongings.

But don’t forget to enjoy this local experience! There is another popular night market in Yangshuo, Gui Hua Lu at the northern end of Xi Jie. Stores usually open at 5 PM until the wee hours of the morning. You can try adventurous food here like frogs, rabbits, and snakes. They also sell traditional herbs and other medicinal plants. Since Chinese citizens are the usual customers here, everything is written in characters. But don’t be shy to ask for the English version of menus.

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