10 Best Restaurants
Chengdu makes room for both busy streets and slow afternoons. Spend a morning with giant pandas, explore the halls of Wuhou Shrine, then settle into a teahouse in People’s Park. Food is a major part of the trip, from lively Sichuan restaurants to intimate tasting menus. Beyond the city, Dujiangyan’s waterways, Mount Qingcheng’s wooded temples and the remarkable bronzes at Sanxingdui make rewarding day trips.
Yu Zhi Lan
Qingyang, China
Yu Zhi Lan approaches Sichuan cooking through a carefully paced tasting menu in an intimate setting. Chef Lan Guijun works with seasonal ingredients and presents dishes on ceramics he has made himself, giving the meal a personal character beyond the cooking. This is a reservation to build an evening around rather than a quick stop between sights. Discuss dietary requirements when booking, since the menu depends on what is available and the kitchen's planned sequence.
An intimate Sichuan tasting menu
Xin Rong Ji
Wuhou, China
Xin Rong Ji gives Chengdu diners a taste of coastal Taizhou, with seafood taking centre stage in a room overlooking the Twin Towers. Seasonal sourcing shapes the menu, which can reach beyond the coast to ingredients such as lamb from Inner Mongolia. The cooking provides an interesting change from a trip dominated by Sichuan food. Reserve ahead and ask what is available that day, especially if a particular seafood dish is the reason for visiting.
Taizhou seafood
Mi Xun Teahouse
Jinjiang, China
At Upper House Chengdu, Mi Xun Teahouse brings vegetarian Sichuan cooking to a courtyard setting near Daci Temple. The open kitchen works with vegetables and mushrooms to give familiar regional dishes a different focus, including mushroom-based mapo tofu and spinach dan-dan noodles. Tea is an integral part of the experience. Come for a considered lunch or dinner that offers plenty of flavour while giving a break from the city's meat-heavy menus.
Vegetarian Sichuan cooking
Silver Pot
Wuhou, China
Silver Pot occupies a fifth-floor space in the M6 building on Jiaozi Avenue, with an eclectic interior reflecting its owner's collections. Sichuan cooking remains the foundation, supported by carefully sourced ingredients and dishes such as pigeon smoked with Sichuan pepper leaves. Some dishes come in half portions, useful when a smaller party wants to explore more of the menu. Ask about those options and balance richer plates with the restaurant's cold dishes.
Refined Sichuan dishes
Xu’s Cuisine
Wuhou, China
The original Xu's Cuisine branch makes a persuasive case for the breadth of Sichuan food beyond chilli heat. River fish and seafood feature prominently, alongside house-preserved meats and dishes exploring the region's different flavour combinations. Its setting in the Greenwich Plaza development is less about sightseeing than the meal itself. A tasting menu can help visitors navigate the kitchen's range; ask what it includes and make dietary preferences clear before confirming a reservation.
Sichuan's varied flavours
Focus by Bill Yue
Wuhou, China
Focus by Bill Yue combines French technique with Japanese ingredients and influences in the M·Cube development on Jiaozi Avenue. Tasting menus allow some choices, giving the meal a little flexibility within its planned progression. The kitchen's dry-aged squab, paired with a sauce drawing on coffee, beer and wine, illustrates its inventive approach. Choose it for a contemporary dinner beyond the Sichuan repertoire, and confirm the current menu and dietary arrangements when reserving.
Creative tasting menus
Li Xuan
Qingyang, China
On the twenty-sixth floor of the Ritz-Carlton, Li Xuan serves Cantonese cooking in a polished room overlooking Chengdu. Soups, barbecue dishes and skilful stir-fries form the backbone of the menu, offering a measured alternative to a fiery Sichuan dinner. A soup combining yellow croaker and fish maw is among the dishes highlighted by Michelin. Reserve for an unhurried meal, and ask about window seating if the skyline is part of the occasion.
Cantonese cooking with a view
Infinite Luck
Wuhou, China
Infinite Luck sits high in the Waldorf Astoria, pairing city views with a menu rooted in Sichuan cooking. Its Chengdu chef works across the region's many flavour profiles, with dishes ranging from tea-smoked duck to a mapo preparation using rice jelly. It is a good address for a more formal regional meal in the southern city. Ask about advance orders when booking, particularly if the smoked duck is on your list.
Sichuan classics above the skyline
Tivano
Jinjiang, China
Tivano brings Italian cooking to Upper House Chengdu, with a semi-open kitchen and a prominent wine display setting a relaxed but polished tone. House-made pasta and pizza make it an easy change of pace between Sichuan meals, with occasional local touches appearing alongside the Italian foundations. The location works well after exploring Taikoo Li. Book a table for a leisurely dinner and check the current menu if you are looking for a particular regional speciality.
Italian food near Taikoo Li
Ma’s Kitchen (Jinjiang)
Jinjiang, China
Ma's Kitchen in Jinjiang puts traditional Sichuan dishes into a nostalgic interior near Taikoo Li. The menu includes robust combinations such as duck blood curd, offal and eel, alongside pork dishes that show the kitchen's command of texture. It suits diners keen to go beyond the most familiar restaurant staples. Arrive prepared for a possible queue, and order a balanced selection rather than several dishes with the same level of heat.
Traditional Sichuan dishes near Taikoo Li