Best restaurants in Guangzhou

As one of the Greater Bay Area’s foremost culinary capitals, Guangzhou has long been a focal point of Cantonese cuisine. While new openings and viral trends come and go, the flavours that truly endure are often those rooted in tradition. The restaurants featured here are scattered between the gleaming skyscrapers of Tianhe District and the century-old streets of Liwan and Yuexiu. Through creativity, craftsmanship and a deep respect for local food culture, these establishments breathe new life into beloved classics.  

Join the locals and discover Guangzhou’s relentless pursuit of great taste. 

1. Emmelyn

Hidden among the bustle of Zhujiang New Town, Emmelyn is one of the few restaurants in Guangzhou that presents French fine dining with both elegance and restraint. Having earned a place in the Michelin Guide for five consecutive years, the restaurant reinterprets French culinary classics through a contemporary lens. Executive chef Caleb Carter, who hails from New Zealand, champions seasonality and provenance, allowing carefully sourced ingredients from around the world to shine through precise technique and thoughtful presentation. Every dish feels like a refined conversation between seasonality, terroir and craftsmanship. 
 
Unit 101, Kingold Century, No. 62 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District

2. Wenjixiang Seafood Market Hot Pot

Built around a seafood market concept, Wenjixiang is a must-visit for hot pot lovers. The restaurant is set in a spacious market-style venue, where you can pick up a wide variety of live seafood, alongside meats, vegetables and fish pastes and balls to cook in your choice of soup base. The most popular ingredients here are the succulent flower crab, tiger prawn and scallop – all pulled straight from the tanks. Don’t forget to order one of the congee soup bases, a specialty of Guangzhou.

329 Huangbian South Road, Baiyun District

3. Stiller 

Created by renowned chef Stefan Stiller, Michelin-starred Stiller offers a relaxed yet sophisticated take on modern European fine dining. A semi-buffet tasting menu is available at weekends, while weekday evenings focus on à la carte dining. Freshly baked house bread served with butter infused with Puning fermented bean paste provides an inventive fusion of Eastern and Western flavours. Guests should also look out for the signature pan-seared scallops from Taian Table, Stiller’s Michelin two-star sister restaurant. Equally impressive are the creative cocktails developed in collaboration with the team behind Miaoqian Bing Shi, one of the best bars in Guangzhou. 
 
2F, LN Garden Hotel, 368 Huanshi East Road, Yuexiu District 

4. Sing Wan Loi Noodle

Among Guangzhou’s many long-established wonton noodle shops, Sing Wan Loi stands out for its elegant surroundings and innovative approach to traditional flavours. The wontons feature premium fillings such as black tiger prawns, Iberian pork and Chinese mitten crab, delivering a complexity that goes beyond the familiar classic. The broth remains faithful to old-school recipes, slowly simmered with ingredients including dried flatfish to achieve remarkable depth and clarity. Paired with house-made bamboo-pole noodles prepared using traditional techniques, the result is a dining experience that balances heritage with contemporary refinement. 
 
No. 181 Guangzhou Avenue Central, Yuexiu District

5. Tao Tao Ju

Dim sum is a way of life in Guangzhou, and Tao Tao Ju is a legendary spot to enjoy this beloved communal dining tradition. Despite having been around for over a century, this upscale restaurant has kept up with the times, blending traditional dim sum craftsmanship with creative modern twists. The har gow (shrimp dumplings) and crispy red rice rolls are unmissable classics, while adventurous eaters can try the baked sticky rice with cheese and swan durian pastry, which is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the palate. 

No. 20 Dishifu Road, Liwan

6. Song Yuan

Led by a veteran Cantonese chef, Song Yuan presents traditional Cantonese cuisine in an approachable and welcoming setting. From roast meats and stir-fries to wok-fired claypot dishes, every plate reflects the essence of authentic Guangzhou cooking. The restaurant also features a live seafood section, earning a strong reputation for both freshness and value. Its signature slow-cooked soup follows a rigorous preparation process: generous ingredients are simmered over charcoal for four hours, creating a rich and deeply comforting broth. 

A101-201, LYK Park, 14-1 Hedong Road, Liwan District

7. Yu Yue Heen

A mainstay in the Michelin Guide, Four Seasons’ acclaimed one-Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant occupies a prime location in the Guangzhou International Finance Centre, at the heart of the CBD. Dishes span classic dim sum – turnip cake, char siu bao, siu mai – as well as seafood dishes and barbecued meats. The signature mango pudding has especially garnered glowing reviews. 

5 Zhujiang West Road, Tianhe District

8. Fa Sing Garden

Under the direction of former White Swan Hotel executive chef Leung Kin-yu, Fa Sing Garden reimagines Guangzhou’s cherished yum cha culture with sophistication and finesse. Every item is handmade daily and infused with subtle creative touches. Siu mai is elevated with crab roe, while flaky char siu pastries feature a filling of barbecued pork and young ginger. Seafood dumplings are lightly scented with lemongrass, introducing a refreshing twist without overpowering the delicate flavours. In Fa Sing Garden’s elegant surroundings, a traditional tea-time ritual is transformed into an experience that feels both timeless and distinctly modern. 
 
Building 2, Haixinsha Island East District, Linjiang Avenue, Tianhe District

9. Tao Gie Mie Zhou

Selected by the Michelin Guide in its first year of operation, Tao Gie Mie Zhou elevates everyday Chaoshan dishes into cuisine worthy of special occasions. Seafood and seasonings are sourced directly from the Chaoshan region, ensuring authenticity throughout the menu. Signature dishes include congee enriched with 30-year-aged preserved radish, alongside made-to-order seafood congee brimming with crab and black tiger prawns. Fresh marinated seafood and traditional braised specialities are equally popular, showcasing the quality of the ingredients. The restaurant’s elegant atmosphere lends a sense of ceremony to late-night dining in Guangzhou. 

Building 9, Hunter Lane, Liede Xipu Street, Tianhe District

10. Xin Ji

Founded in 1982 as a humble roadside eatery, Xin Ji has spent more than four decades championing the natural flavours of exceptional ingredients. Traditional Cantonese favourites such as fermented bean curd pork and sweet-and-sour pork remain perennial highlights, while wok-fried seafood dishes and sizzling claypot specialities continue to impress with their consistency and depth of flavour. This enduring dedication to quality has made Xin Ji a trusted favourite among locals entertaining visiting friends and family. 

270 Changdi Damalu, Yuexiu District

11. Bingsheng Zen Tea House

At the main entrance to Xiaogang Park, this vegetarian restaurant serves small plates in cosy private rooms overlooking the park’s trees, making it an ideal place to pause, unwind and recharge during your travels. There’s a large selection of tea (pu’er, longjing green tea and a tasty apple and date infusion) and mushrooms trussed up in numerous different ways, including fungi-based dishes that look like salt and pepper squid and sweet and sour pork. It lends itself perfectly to a long, lazy weekend lunch.  

146 Qianjin Lu, Haizhu District 

12. Liwan Mingshijia 

Also known as Liwan Famous Eatery, this traditional Cantonese restaurant on the old town’s Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street serves some of the fattest dumplings you’ll find in Guangdong (and in China). If you’re not here for dumplings, there’s also wonton noodle soup, hand-pulled cheung fun and congee to try.  

99 Dishifu Lu, Liwan District 

13. Liang A-Zhen Dessert Shop

This neighbourhood dessert shop has earned a loyal following thanks to its affordable prices and consistently high standards. The owner adheres to the traditional philosophy that food and medicine share the same roots, while incorporating modern low-sugar principles. Desserts are freshly made each day, ranging from classics such as mung bean and seaweed soup and white fungus with water chestnut dessert, to nostalgic specialities that are increasingly difficult to find elsewhere, including poria jelly and sweet wonton skin soup. 
 
Units 34–35, Ground Floor, No. 23 Xiaomei Street, Liwan District

This article was first published in August 2018 and updated in September 2026.