Top Ten Must-See Restaurants for Local Cuisine in Lijiang

A great restaurant located in an old-style courtyard, it’s vey clean, displaying a Naxi layout with a modern touch. The food at Yun Xue Li Restaurant is absolutely amazing, with wonderfully fresh Snow Mountain fish, light and refreshing poplar blossoms, and crisp, fresh Lijiang baba, all of which are highly praised by travelers. The service here is also really good, with the friendly and local servers greeting you with a smile that makes you feel at home.

Yunnan dishes are known for their heavy flavors, but for those who want to try some dishes but are afraid they won’t be able to handle it can come here to this restaurant, as it’s lighter on the palate than other places while still retaining the local flavors. It’s also received great reviews by customers. The poplar blossoms, Snow Mountain fish, home-made ribs, giant prawns and chicken wings are all delicious, and the plum wine is very sweet; it’s worth a try.

You can find stone pot fish at the Sifang Temple Fair in Old Dayan Town, a particularly popular destination for eating fish, and experience a nice environment with a unique aesthetic that also calls on the styles of a classic restaurant. The restaurant uses the unique method of cooking in a stone pot, with the billboard sign showing the locally produced trout (Lijiang salmon). The fish’s skin can be battered in flour and eaten after fried in oil, or eaten raw or shabu-shabu style, and the fish in the stone pot is accompanied by the taste of various local precious mushrooms in Yunnan.

A popular brand of Yunnan cuisine in Lijiang. The headquarters are here, whereas the popular brand is still opening other branches. This Lijiang spot boasts superior atmosphere, service, and flavor, with the dishes including the hallmarks of Lijiang specialties, such as three-way salmon, Lijiang specialties such as hot pot with ribs, poplar blossoms, and various mushrooms, all of which are beautifully prepared and praised by travelers.

The Smallpot bar is located at Yinyu Lane on the beautifully arranged Wuyi Street and boasts an exceptionally beautiful environment. The restaurant mainly focuses on Naxi cuisine, such as Naxi barbecue, roast fish, poplar blossoms, Lijiang baba, plum wine, and other signature dishes, with Naxi barbecue being the main star. It is baked but not dried out, fragrant but not greasy; add the local mint leaves and sesame seeds, and it is absolutely delicious.

An extremely popular Yunnan restaurant in Lijiang with a humble storefront located in the Old Dayan, with many people seeking it out of appreciation. You enter the store and find an unexpected wonder - an extremely beautiful Naxi courtyard with beautiful surroundings. All-natural ingredients from Lijiang are used in Amayi’s dishes and cooked using authentic Naxi techniques, including specialty dishes like roast fish, chickpea bean jelly, Snow Mountain artichokes and bamboo rice.

This is a Chinese restaurant found in a five-star hotel, formed by uniquely designed private rooms and a main room with individual seating. It’s a quiet place without the crowd. The servers where uniforms that reflect the characteristics of their ethnic group and provide an extremely friendly service. The ingredients are all local and the preparation methods are extremely authentic, providing a wonderful opportunity to experience traditional Yunnan dishes.

Also known as the Dashuiche Music Restaurant, you’re instantly greeted by colorful notes as soon as you step in; the second floor of the restaurant is decorated in ethnic style, with tables covered by colorful tablecloth and warm painting on the ceiling and walls. The food is made in traditional Naxi fashion. Poplar blossoms are a type of poplar plant that grows in water and has a sticky texture; Naxi fried rice is highly praised, being made with radishes, eggs, green vegetables, sauerkraut, and other ingredients, an aromatic food that diners often chow down in one breath. The alcohol-marinated beef has a lot of red peppers in it but isn’t particularly spicy, with a chewy texture. The ribs and fried milk fans are good too.

Located in a residential area next to the Zhongyi Market, it is one of the restaurants recommended in the LP Yunnan traveler’s guide. ”Heart-shaped snacks” is written outside the restaurant entrance, while the rooms, hallways and balconies in the store are filled with tables and tons of patrons. The food is inspired by home-cooked foods in Lijiang, is reasonably priced, and is filling. Naxi grilled fish is tender and extremely delicious; the chickpea jelly is gray in appearance, but though it may not look appealing, it has a smooth mouthfeel; the mixed meat is delicious.

Many locals and inn owners will recommend this place, as it has good service, and brings in many appreciative customers. This place is known for its secret beer fish. The fish meat is infused with delicious flavor, and the soup is good as well, making one feel welcome to be here. Many people also order the hot pot with ribs, and the poplar blossoms and thumb potatoes are also worth a try.