Baohua Jiujia Lianhu Lu. Just west of the New World Hotel, this is a popular local place - with an English menu - to suit all budgets. At the pricier end of the menu, try the braised pork or the fish with chrysanthemum. The side rooms are more pleasant than the narrow front hall.

Dad’s Homo Cooking Eenghe Lu. Opposite the Flats of Renmin Hotel, and in fierce competition with Kane’snext door. A backpacker haunt, with the usual sweet-and-sour pork, chocolate pan- cakes, and chips; try the apple dipped in caramel. Check the restaurant’s book for travellers’ news and tips.

Dongya Fandian 46 Luoma Shi. A large, expen- sire Shanghai restaurant founded in t 916 that serves Wuxi and Suzhou cuisine, but it’s a little uninspiring, with an English menu that doesn’t give you many options.

Laosunjia 364 Dong Dajie. Highly recommended Muslim restaurant, where foreigners are escorted up to the third floor. Most of the customers eat the house speciality, paomo, meat stew (RMB20). First you’re given two cakes of bread, which you break into little pieces with your fingers and drop into a bowl - a time-consuming process, but it gets you hungry. Then the bowl, marked with a numbered clothes peg, is taken to the kitchen and plied with shredded meat, noodles and sauces. The beef and oxtail here is also very good. Wash your food down with “Eight Treasures Tea”, a mixture of tea, nuts, fruit and crystallized sugar.

Lemon-tree West Nan Dajie. If you’re craving a better class of Western fast food than you’ll get in most of China, this mock-diner should satisfy your taste buds. To get there from the Bell Tower, walk down Nan Dajie and turn right by the Agricultural Bank of China into an alleyway. A meal for two should cost about RMB120 (including pricey drinks).

Pavilion At the Hyatt Regency, Dong Dajie. Elegantly decorated Cantonese restaurant, the most exclusive place in town. The food is up to standard: delicacies include abalone and shark, and there’s a speciality tea list. A meal for two costs around RMB350.

Shaanxi Local Food Restaurant Dong Dajie. Formerly the Xi’an Restaurant, this Xi’an institution is a huge place with four dining floors; the best views over Dong Dajie are from the second floor. The atmosphere is pretty good, as is the food, but it’s not cheap, with a meal for two costing at least RMB100.

Sichuan Fandian 151 Jiefang Lu. Tucked away above an unpromising-looking canteen; the stairs are on the north side. Excellent food and very pop- Ular, though they tone down the spices for foreigners,

Sushi Restaurant 223 Dong Dajie. Authentic and reasonably priced sushi bar. You can either sit and select from the conveyor belt, or order pricier options from one of Me booths.

Tang Dynasty 75 Chang’an Dajie 029/5261633. Speciality dumplings and a daily Cantonese lunch buffet. Dinner is a imperial-style banquet (6.30-8.15pm) followed by a 90min cul- lural shew, which will set you back RMB41O, or RMB200 Jfyeu only want a cocktail with the performance, Tickets can be bought in advance from the theatre lobby on the ground floor.

Wuyi Fandian 351 Dong Dajie. Offers steamed buns and dumplings (RMB1) which you buy on the street, then take inside to the canteen. The third floor of the hotel upstairs has a restaurant with a more sedate atmosphere specializing in Jiangsui and Anhui cuisine. The speciality Banpo fish is highly recommended.

Xiang Xiang Da Pan Ji Chang’an Nan Lu, oppo- site the Home Club store. For years this understat- ed eating place, usually packed, has been serving Xi’an’s signature dish, dapanji(literally “big plate chicken”): an entire chicken is chopped, roasted and served on a plate with hand-pulled noodles poured over the top and an aromatic sauce. Not to be missed, it’s especially good with their draught beer.

Xianghelou Roast Duck 365 Dong Dajie The entrance to this second-floor place is on the west side of an alleyway just off Dong Dajie, They spe- cializes in Beijing duck, good value at RMB80 for a set meal for two.

Too see more information about China restaurants.

Too see more information about China.