Suzhou Restaurants

Qiantang Teahouse is a small chain of teahouses that was started in Suzhou. The concept is somewhat novel - you pay for your tea (good selection and great care in brewing) and a cover charge, but nibbles are all "complimentary" and available from a buffet table. Nibbles include Chinese snacks, appetisers, fruit and cakes, while some dishes can be cooked to order. We spent several hours in the Shiquan Street branch, escaping the rain, and stuffing our faces with food and tea. In the evening, there was a free pingtan performance. The teahouse has lush decoration and the unobtrusive waitresses diligently re-filled our flask of hot water... Bliss... We paid RMB116 per 2 people. Sadly, there is no branch in Shanghai.

Favorite Dish: I suppose the tea should be the highlight, but actually the nibbles were also good! The pingtan performance was interesting.

This restaurant it on the main pedestrian street in Suzhou. It is directly facing the train/boat ticket office (Behind Pizza Hut and KFC). The ambience of the place is great. It feels like you are back on the Silk Road in Western China. There is Muslim music playing and the people are friendly. It is a must see.

Favorite Dish: My favorite dish are actually not on a dish at all. The Meat-On-A-Stick is to die for. I also like the xiao pan ji. (Chicken in a spicy curry and potato soup)

The employees of this restaurant are very friendly and will even remember what you like if you return. Authentic Chinese cuisine doesn't get much better than this. You can feast like a king for less that 10Y per person on the wide variety of vegetable and meat dishes.

Favorite Dish: Yang Yang has been featured in several travel publications for their dumplings, and from personal experience I can tell you they are the best dumplings I have ever tried, and they are inexpensive.

Just outside the eastern gate of The Humble Administrator's Garden is a modern complex with some excellent cafes (a coffee shop, a teahouse, at least two cafes, etc). Now I normally hate these complexes because they are architectural monstrosities, out of touch with local colour and flavour, and simply horrible. However, Suzhou seems to have got the recipe right here. The buildings are very sympathetic to the surrounding area, with lots of elegant, simple architectural design and with a nice courtyard with good quality wooden furniture.

Favorite Dish: I only tried the coffee shop but the service was excellent and the coffee was good, if expensive.

The streamed stuffed buns! Local flavors of stuffs in them, including pork, vege, sweetened bean paste, and some others. All the stuffs are so much filled that my stomach can load no more than three of them. The bean paste ones are the biggest while the veges are my favorite. I bring several home for breakfast. They keep good tast for several days in refrigerator.

Favorite Dish: The vege streamed buns! Of course. For their great flavor and the quality and stuff. In face two are enough for a breakfast. (Three weigh much more than a BigMac). I'll fetch more home the next time I go there.
It costs only 60 or 70 cents each!

There's nothing better than trying local food and have a real taste of China. I ate at a small family owned restaurat and it was the most delicious Chinese food I had during my visit to China.

If you can't get used of eating the chinese food,fast food resturant such as Pizza Hut & KFC are readily available in Suzhou.but i'm sure you wouldn't want all these fast food again ya.

When you tire of "mystery fish" try for good old American pizza.

Favorite Dish: Texas pizza