10 Best Restaurants
Xi’an brings several chapters of Chinese history into one trip. Walk along the city wall, explore the courtyards of the Great Mosque and visit the pagodas associated with Buddhist travellers from India. The Terracotta Army lies outside the centre in Lintong, making a separate excursion worthwhile. Between museums, look for Shaanxi noodles, soup-filled buns and warming bowls of paomo around the old city, then head south to Qujiang for modern hotels and lakeside surroundings.
Jing Xuan
Gaoxin, China
Jing Xuan is the Ritz-Carlton’s Chinese dining room, bringing Cantonese cooking into conversation with Shaanxi ingredients and flavours. Its setting suits an unhurried dinner, and private rooms make it a useful choice for a family occasion or a meal with friends. Choose it for a polished interpretation of Chinese dining within a contemporary luxury hotel. The location is in Gaoxin, so allow a separate journey from the Bell Tower and old city.
Cantonese cooking with a Shaanxi accent
Dolce Vita
Xincheng, China
Dolce Vita offers an Italian interlude within Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel, whose gardens and historic building provide a particularly attractive setting. It works well for a quieter evening after a day among Xi’an’s archaeological sites, especially when travelling with companions who want a change from regional cooking. The restaurant’s appeal is the combination of Italian food and the intimate scale of the hotel. Reserve through the hotel and request the current menu when planning a special dinner.
Italian dinner in a heritage hotel
Cai Feng Lou
Qujiang, China
Cai Feng Lou serves Cantonese cooking within HUALUXE Xi’an Tanghua, near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Bird-inspired details give the dining room its identity, while the hotel’s gardens and traditional architecture make this an appealing place to linger after exploring Qujiang. The kitchen combines its Cantonese foundation with local ingredients and regional influences. Choose it for a leisurely lunch or a family dinner, and ask about private rooms and the seasonal menu when booking.
Chinese dining in a garden hotel
CHAR Bar & Grill
Jingkai, China
CHAR occupies the top floor of InterContinental Xi’an North, looking towards the city’s Sports Park. The kitchen centres on beef and seafood, supported by a wine selection that makes this a natural choice for a conventional steakhouse evening. Its northern location is convenient for travellers based in Jingkai, while the elevated outlook gives dinner a sense of occasion. Book a table directly with the hotel and ask for the current steak selection before settling on a celebratory meal.
Steak and city views
YEN
Qujiang, China
YEN brings Huaiyang cooking to W Xi’an, offering a different regional direction from the wheat, lamb and chilli dishes most closely associated with the city. The contemporary hotel setting suits a planned dinner after exploring Qujiang, with WOOBAR available elsewhere in the property for a drink. This is a good choice for travellers interested in Chinese regional cuisines beyond Shaanxi. Reserve through the restaurant’s own booking link and discuss dietary requirements before choosing dishes.
Huaiyang cooking beside Qujiangchi
De Fa Chang, Bell Tower
Lianhu, China
De Fa Chang’s Bell Tower restaurant is a central address for Xi’an’s elaborate dumpling tradition. The attraction is the variety of shapes and fillings, with banquet-style meals turning a familiar dish into a sustained culinary event. It suits visitors who want a recognisably local occasion close to the city’s principal towers. Ask which dumpling menu is being served, explain any dietary restrictions carefully, and keep the rest of the meal modest if ordering a full feast.
A traditional dumpling feast
Tongshengxiang, Bell Tower
Lianhu, China
Tongshengxiang is a longstanding name for paomo, the hearty Xi’an dish of bread soaked in beef or lamb soup. The branch on West Street near the Bell Tower makes an accessible introduction to a meal with a strong place in the city’s food culture. Come for the distinctive texture of bread and broth, rather than an elaborate dining-room occasion. Confirm the preparation with staff and allow enough time to enjoy the dish without rushing to the next sight.
Beef and lamb paomo
Jia San Guantang Baozi, Beiyuanmen
Lianhu, China
Jia San is a well-known stop on Beiyuanmen for soup-filled buns, with beef and mutton fillings that reflect the food traditions of Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter. Thin wrappers hold the broth inside, so take small bites and let the filling cool before eating. This is a focused local meal to combine with a walk around the quarter and Great Mosque. Order a modest first round, then add more while the buns are still arriving hot from the steamer.
Soup-filled dumplings
First Noodle Under the Sun, Dayan Pagoda North Square
Yanta, China
First Noodle Under the Sun’s North Square branch is a convenient stop near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Its signature order arrives as a broad, folded noodle with two bowls of soup, offering different flavours with the same meal. Biangbiang noodles and other Shaanxi dishes give the table more to share. Come for the regional noodle tradition and an informal lunch between sights. Use the Xiaozhai East Road address when navigating, as the chain has several branches.
Shaanxi noodles near the pagoda
Xi’an Restaurant, Bell Tower
Beilin, China
Xi’an Restaurant’s Bell Tower branch on South Street is a useful address for exploring several Shaanxi dishes in one sitting. Its repertoire includes gourd chicken, cold liangpi noodles and local snack combinations, giving a small group plenty to share. The appeal is the breadth of regional cooking in a central location, rather than a single signature dish. Ask staff to help balance the order and confirm which smaller portions or snack selections are available that day.
A broad introduction to Shaanxi cooking