The best places to eat in Chongqing

For curious foodies and hungry travellers alike, Chongqing’s dining landscape offers more than the classic trio of oily, numbing and spicy. Beneath the surface of this scenic riverside metropolis lies a layered culinary history, brimming with surprises for the palate.

Our food guide showcases time-honoured traditions alongside contemporary interpretations of delicacies at Chongqing restaurants. Think vibrant local favourites and unforgettable street food, as well as inventive fusion cuisine – ensuring even those who crave spice but are wary of its intensity can find flavours to love here.

1. Blühen

Recently opened on the site of the former German Embassy, Blühen is helmed by chef Yang Huangyi, the 2023 winner of reality TV show The Honorable Chef . The restaurant’s 10-course Shao Wei Banquet combines premium ingredients with regional flavours and features cold appetisers and the signature Guangming grilled shrimp – jumbo black tiger prawns in pickled pepper sauce. Within the century-old heritage building, diners can savour innovative Chinese cuisine across three floors, with sweeping views of the Nanshan Mountains. Reservations are required.

No. 72, Wenfeng Section, Houjie Huangjueya Back Street, Nanshan Street, Nan’an District

2. Peijie Hotpot Selected

This new branch of Peijie Hotpot was opened last year as the renowned restaurant marked its 10th anniversary. At this scenic eatery built into the mountainside, nine private rooms offer superb views of the Yangtze River Cableway, Dongshui Gate Bridge and Raffles City. At the heart of the menu is a Chongqing hotpot base crafted to a secret family recipe, featuring beef, spices and cooling laoying cha (eagle tea). Don’t miss the thick, crispy water buffalo tripe and vegetable meatballs – sweet and rich with pork fat. It’s a punchy, flavour-packed experience from start to finish.

Xiaohao Li, Longmenhao Old Street, Nanbin Road, Nan’an District

3. JII. Chuan

Eight years after opening, JII. Chuan is now regarded as a cornerstone of New Sichuan cuisine. Guided by a poetic philosophy that references “mountains, rivers, lakes and seas”, it showcases 24 flavour profiles through premium ingredients and time-honoured Sichuanese techniques. Highlights include spicy and sweet Sri Lankan blue crab with a secret handmade stir-fry sauce, as well as shrimp oil mapo tofu made with homemade shrimp broth, soy milk and aged tofu, creating a balance of spicy, tender and lively elements.

LG21, Park 108 Shopping Center, 108 Zourong Road, Yuzhong District

4. Xi Yang Yang

This local institution has captivated food lovers for years with its signature steamed pork ribs with millet. The ribs are cooked to the perfect tenderness, with sticky millet retaining the meat’s natural juices. Elsewhere on the menu, secret soy sauce chicken and crisp, fresh celtuce capture the flavours of homestyle Chongqing cooking. Located on a kilometre-long, historically significant stretch of Zhongshan Fourth Road, it’s a great option when visiting the road’s famed cultural sites, such as Zhou Mansion and Dai Mansion.

No. 14, 79 Zhongshan Fourth Road, Yuzhong District

5. Balangshulin Coffee Shop

Originally from Xiamen, Lin Zi has spent the last four years quietly bringing his coffee shop in Chongqing to the forefront of the city’s café scene. After he clinched the title at the 2022 China Brewers Championship, coffee aficionados began flocking to experience Lin’s barista artistry first-hand. With a wide selection of beans and masterful blending and extraction techniques, Lin performs his craft with warmth and precision, earning a loyal following in the process. Balangshulin’s newly opened Huangnibang location merits a visit to experience a stellar cup of hand-drip coffee.

155 Ziyuan Road, Huangnibang, Yubei District

6. Haoyoulai Suan La Fen

Located on bustling Ba Yi Road Food Street, this shop’s Sichuan-Chongqing speciality of mixed-sauce sour and spicy noodles reigns supreme. The sweet potato noodles deliver perfect chewiness and bounce, and come topped with a rich, aromatic pork belly sauce. Each bite bursts with tangy, numbing spice, layered with crushed peanuts, pickled vegetables, spices and other toppings for seemingly endless flavour.

Ba Yi Road Food Street, Jiefang Monument, Yuzhong District (near Suning Electronics)

7. Hewangshi Chuanchuanxiang Hot Pot

A variation on hotpot-style dining, chuanchuanxiang involves spearing meat and vegetables onto skewers and dunking them into a bubbling broth. The restaurant’s beef tallow broth gives off an intoxicating aroma, enhanced by its secret spice blend that delivers balanced heat. Signature items include assorted beef skewers, seasoned with coriander, pickled pepper, mala spice and fish mint (a pungent, crunchy root). Above all, the braised intestines are a must-try. Chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, they’re bursting with numbingly spicy, savoury flavour.

2/F, Agricultural Market, No. 27 Guihuayuan New Village, Guihuayuan Road, Yuzhong

8. Siwei Douhua Fan

This 20-year-old establishment is tucked down an alley near the site of Chongqing’s former Sino-French School. Modest in size and only open for three hours a day, the shop nevertheless draws packed crowds thanks to its masterful tofu-making technique. When dipped into various condiments, the silky tofu releases a rich bean fragrance that delights the senses, followed by fresh, spicy flavours and an intense heat that swirls across your palate. Paired with a bowl of fluffy white rice, it’s pure tastebud bliss. The restaurant’s pig trotter soup and braised pork dishes are equally exceptional.

1/F, Sihai Building, 113 Renmin Road, Yuzhong District