Good to know
Good to Know
- Food delivery apps (Meituan and Eleme) are extremely convenient but require Chinese phone number setup; hotel staff can assist with initial configuration
- Street food markets near Zhongyi Night Market offer authentic and affordable local delicacies including grilled oysters, grilled milk cheese, and Naxi rice cakes
- Lijiang's restaurant scene in Old Town can be touristy and pricey; seeking out smaller family-run establishments away from main streets often yields better authenticity and value
- Wild mushrooms are a signature local ingredient available summer through early autumn; mushroom hot pot is a must-try experience
- Many restaurants offer meals with varying spice levels; Yunnan cuisine typically uses dry chili powder rather than the red oil common in Sichuan cuisine
- Payment is primarily digital (WeChat Pay, Alipay) rather than cash; set up these payment methods before dining out
Halal Dining
- Overview
- Halal dining options exist in Lijiang, particularly in the Old Town area
Venues
Haji Beef Restaurant
- Neighborhood
- Old Town
- Description
- Halal restaurant known for meat noodles and local halal cuisine
Xin Xue Ge (新月阁) Halal Restaurant
- Neighborhood
- Shuhe Ancient Town
- Description
- Halal dining option
Supermarkets
Lijiang International Shopping Plaza
- Location
- 618 Fuhui Road, Gucheng District
- Notes
- Large supermarket with extensive selection and good prices; features ready-to-eat food section at B1 level
Weipin Fresh Supermarket
- Location
- Lijiang International Shopping Mall
- Notes
- Wide variety of products; part of the international shopping complex
Budget
Jixiang Vegetarian Restaurant
- Price Range
- CN¥23
- Neighborhood
- Old Town (near hotel area, 5-minute walk)
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Vegetarian/vegan buffet with soups, salads, noodles, rice, buns, desserts
Boiled Dumpling Aunty (大妈水饺)
- Price Range
- CN¥30
- Neighborhood
- Old Town (Wuyi Street area)
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Homemade-style dumplings with local side dishes
High End
The Rooftop Bistro & Bar Lijiang
- Price Range
- CN¥200
- Neighborhood
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain View Guest House
- Cuisine Or Dish
- International fusion with Thai food options, local dishes
V Sherry Restaurant (Huangguan)
- Price Range
- CN¥180
- Neighborhood
- Gucheng District
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Chinese, Asian cuisine with vegetarian-friendly and local options
Mid Range
Mu Wang Yan Yu (木王宴语)
- Price Range
- CN¥150
- Neighborhood
- Old Town (Yinyu Alley area)
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Wild mushroom hot pot with black chicken soup base
Ashun's Kitchen
- Price Range
- CN¥120
- Neighborhood
- Old Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Yunnan cuisine - yak meat, Naxi barbecue, bronze pot rice, highland bullfrog
Dreamer Salmon Restaurant
- Price Range
- CN¥140
- Neighborhood
- Old Town (Huama Street area)
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Salmon in three ways, local chicken dishes, rainbow trout sashimi
Stone Pot Fish
- Price Range
- CN¥130
- Neighborhood
- Old Town (near Sifang Temple Fair)
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Fish soup in traditional stone pots, wild mushrooms, braised rice
Delivery Services
Meituan Waimai (美团外卖)
- Notes
- Most popular food delivery app in China; extensive restaurant selection in Lijiang; typical delivery time 30-45 minutes; delivery fees typically 3-6 CNY
Eleme (饿了么)
- Notes
- Major food delivery alternative to Meituan; serves Lijiang with comparable selection and delivery times
Local Must Try Dishes
Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线)
- Description
- Iconic Yunnan dish with rice noodles served with a rich hot broth and various toppings
Steam Pot Chicken (汽锅鸡)
- Description
- Chicken cooked in a steaming pot with local mushrooms, herbs, and spices using a distinctive Yunnan cooking method
Wild Mushroom Hot Pot (野生菌火锅)
- Description
- Hot pot featuring a variety of wild mushrooms unique to Yunnan including matsutake, porcini, and chicken-of-the-woods
Naxi Pickled Sour Fish (纳西泡酸鱼)
- Description
- Fish fermented with salt and rice for a distinctive tangy flavor
Chickpea Bean Jelly (鸡豆凉粉)
- Description
- Jelly made from ground chickpeas, topped with red chili peppers, green onions, vinegar, and seasonings
Lijiang Baba (丽江粑粑)
- Description
- Traditional Naxi flatbread or pancake made from wheat flour, can be sweet or savory
Black Goat Hot Pot (黑山羊火锅)
- Description
- Hot pot featuring locally-raised black goat meat with fine muscle fiber and tender texture
Naxi Bronze Pot Rice (纳西铜锅饭)
- Description
- Rice cooked in traditional bronze pots with local ingredients
Yak Meat Dishes
- Description
- Tender highland yak meat prepared in hot pot, dry pot, or sashimi preparations
Grilled Milk Fan (烤饵块)
- Description
- Crispy roll of fried cheese from the Bai ethnic group, often with sweet fillings
Sandieshui (三迭水)
- Description
- Traditional Naxi formal banquet with approximately 39 courses of local snacks and specialties
Lijiang Rice Sausage (丽江米肠)
- Description
- Sausage made from pig blood, rice and spices stuffed into pig intestines
Vegan And Vegetarian Dining
- Overview
- Lijiang has credible vegan and vegetarian dining options, with growing awareness among restaurant owners. Many traditional Yunnan dishes can be adapted for plant-based diets.
Venues
Jixiang Vegetarian Restaurant (吉祥素食餐厅)
- Hours
- 11:30-13:30, 17:30-20:00
- Price Range
- CN¥23
- Neighborhood
- Old Town (near hotel area)
- Description
- Buffet-style vegetarian/vegan restaurant with rotating daily menus featuring soups, salads, noodles, rice dishes, buns, desserts and free tea
Avocado Smoothie Bar & Cafe
- Price Range
- CN¥60
- Neighborhood
- Shuhe Ancient Town
- Description
- Vegetarian/vegan/raw food cafe with smoothies, healthy pizzas, raw food, and organic options run by foreign team
Michelin Restaurants
- Status
- No Michelin-starred restaurants currently documented in Lijiang
International Cuisine
- Overview
- Lijiang Old Town has a growing international dining scene with Western restaurants, Italian options, Thai food, and fusion establishments catering to tourists and expats.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this food & dining research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.chinaculturetour.com
- 2.tripadvisor.com
- 3.wanderlog.com
- 4.missyqiqi.com
- 5.yunnanexploration.com
- 6.topchinatravel.com
- 7.travelchinaguide.com
- 8.thetravelintern.com
- 9.happycow.net
- 10.tripadvisor.com
- 11.wanderinchina.com
- 12.lemon8-app.com
- 13.asiaodysseytravel.com
- 14.koreatripguide.com
- 15.messyvegancook.com
- 16.destinationlijiang.com
- 17.tripadvisor.co.nz
- 18.wanderlog.com
- 19.chinahighlights.com
- 20.sg.trip.com
More About Lijiang
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.