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The Water Paradise Cafe offers an adequate selection of western entrees. The atmosphere is pleasant and the restaurant features live piano in the evening. But it is not a "fine dining" experience. Nor is it a place you'd choose for a business lunch or dinner. But the food is good.
The menu also includes Asian favorites, and the restaurant draws more locals than foreigners. You can expect to pay about USD 5 to 8 per person depending, of course, on what you order. An expensive cut of steak will run upwards of USD 12.
English is not spoken well by the staff. And the atmosphere and food are not the same quality as you will find at Champ de Ble or the Small Devil. But overall, the restaurant is comfortable and food is good. And if you're seated along the window, you can do some people watching along the Walking Street.
Favorite Dish: Steak (New Zealand beef) with black pepper sauce.
Written Jul 22, 2007
Address: Bu Xing Jie (Walking Street)
The Small Devil, known to most simply as "the Italian restaurant," has a very broad menu that includes steaks, seafood and a great cheeseburger as well as pizza and typcial Italian offerings. The restaurant is Italian owned and operated, and is a hub of expat activity (especially European and American expats) in ZJG. The Small Devil also features a full bar and pool table.
The restaurant is clean, friendly and has an excellent selection of food. The menu is broad and so is the range of prices. Pizza runs approximately USD 4.50, while cheeseburger and fries will cost you about USD 8. You can enjoy a large salad, plate of spaghetti and bottled water for about the same. The Small Devil is more expensive than restaurants serving local cuisine, but its prices are typical of those serving international food.
The atmosphere is very casual and comfortable. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and again for dinner.
Favorite Dish: My favorites include the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, spagetti bolognese and, at the top of the list, the bacon cheeseburger.
Updated Jul 21, 2007
Address: Renmin Zhong Lu at the Guomao Hotel
Phone: 5881-7777
Little Muslim restaurants can be found in every part of Zhangjiagang. Most offer a broad menu, but none I've visited In ZJG offer bread like you'll find at Muslim restuarants in other cities. A person can get full for less than USD 1. This is where many locals eat. Even if you're not on a budget, it's certainly worth visiting a few of these restaurants for the cultural experience.
Most of these little restaurants are clean, and the food is usually quite good. And for less than one US dollar, it's hard to find a cheaper meal at a sit-down restaurant in ZJG. An exceptional value.
Written Jul 21, 2007
Address: Across the street from the JingHai Hotel.
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If you're in Zhangjiagang and have time for a leisurely lunch or dinner, then Champ de Ble is a must visit. Champ de Ble has a casual cafe atmosphere (overlooking a lovely park and pagoda) with an open kitchen and diverse, creative menu featuring French, Italian and Japanese cuisine.
Champ de Ble is my pick for "Best Restaurant in Zhangjiagang." It's cuisine, in my opinion, tops the much pricier European restaurants in Shanghai.
The food and presentation are excellent. Portions are typical for a fine-dining restaurant. Champ de Ble is one of those rare finds in China where you can choose from several excellent salads. The seafood is fresh and the steak rivals anything you'll find in Omaha. The restaurant usually has a limited but adequate selection of Austrailian, French and California wines, as well as others. Cocktails and beer are available in the restaurant and in the adjacent bar (a pagoda), which is under common ownership but separate management. Your order might take a little while, but the atmosphere, staff and music (int'l) are pleasant and the food is well worth the wait. If you're dining alone, allow an hour for dinner. If you're dining with a group, allow an hour and a half or more. Patrons are never rushed, so take all the time you like. Champ de Ble is very popular with the city's European, Japanese, Korean and American expats as well as locals.
Reservations usually are not necessary, but if you're dining with a group of 5 or more, it's best to call ahead. The restaurant is closed for lunch on Mondays and closed all day on the first and third Sunday of each month. Dress is casual and all major credit cards are accepted.
Favorite Dish: It is difficult to settle on a single favorite dish from Champ de Ble's menu...a top 5 is a little easier. I strongly recommend the Roma Salad (about $4.75), the Chicken & Parmesan Salad ($6), the Black Pepper Steak ($9), the Pork Cutlet in red wine sauce ($9), and the Gazpacho. The pizza (avg. $6) is excellent.
If you're a salad lover, a double order of the Roma Salad or the Chicken & Parmesan Salad is enough to satisfy most appetites. A salad followed by an entree is very filling.
Dinner for under $10 per person (without wine) is easily managed. Dinner for four with wine, salad and entree typically runs about $16 or so per person. Dinner with a lot of wine runs a bit more.
Updated Aug 17, 2006
Address: Corner of JiYang Lu & GongYuan Lu.
Phone: 0512-58131977
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The Giant Millionaire Abalone Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant. Yeah, I thought the same thing the first time I heard it. And it looks even goofier on a neon marquee. But if you're looking to impress colleagues or simply treat your family or friends to a very elegant yet affordable dining experience, this is the place.
At the door customers are greeted by a bevy of qi pao-clad hostesses, which sets a favorable tone for any event. There is no central dining room at the Giant Millionaire. All dining takes place in private rooms which seat from 4 to 12. The service is excellent. Depending on the size of your party, one or more very attentive servers are assigned to your private dining room, and remain in the room until you leave. The decor is bright and the dining rooms are elegantly appointed.
The cuisine is predominately regional (Jiangsu) Chinese, with traditional exotic favorites such as shark fin soup. As the name suggests, seafood is a specialty, but the non-seafood dishes are excellent as well. The bilingual (English/Mandarin) picture menu is diverse and reasonably priced.
By local standards, the Giant Millionaire is quite expensive. But unless you order traditionally expensive items such as abalone or lobster, or exotic dishes like shark fin soup and boa, dinner typically will run $8-12 per person (without alcohol). Add lobster and wine, and a party of 7 or 8 can still dine lavishly for $150. The same food, service and environment would easily set you back $50+ a person in most US cities, plus you'd have to tip a pretentious server.
Like most fine-dining restaurants in China, there is no specified dress code. In fact most patrons dress casually, but a tux and gown would not be out of place. The Giant Millionaire is open dialy for lunch and dinner. Because dining is limited to private rooms, reservations are recommended.
Favorite Dish: I've yet to be disappointed with any of the dishes at the Giant Millionaire, but if I had to single out a favorite it'd be the Song Zi Kao Ya Bao (roast duck & pine nuts rolled in crepe). Raw lobster is something of a specialty, but it's not for the squimish. The lobster, his front half at one of end of a sashimi boat and back half at the other and all the raw meat in between, will manage to move his legs through most of your meal.
Overall, the food, service and environment are excellent.
Updated Aug 16, 2006
Address: Renmin Zhong Lu & GongYuan Lu
Phone: 0512-58885777
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Reviews and photos of Zhangjiagang attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Zhangjiagang sightseeing.
The Giant Millionaire Abalone Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant. Yeah, I thought the same thing the first time I heard it. And it looks even goofier on a neon...
5 members live in Zhangjiagang
Q: Is there anyone in Zhangjiagang who knows a nice place to meet expats, socialize, and meet new friends? Zhangjiagang is a nice...
A: Maybe ask on www.shanghaiexpats.com as I would expect any expats around Suzhou or Zhangjiagang would meet up through there.
Read 2 Replies
1
There is little in Zhangjiagang to draw tourists, but it is a great place to do business and a nice place to live. With a population of less than 1 million, Zhangjiagang is a small city by China's...
2
Zhangjiagang City is located on the southern bank of the lower reachs of the Yangtze River,China's golden watercourse.It is situated in Jiangsu Province with Shanghai,Nanjing,Suzhou,Wuxi and others......
3
A beautiful, clean, peaceful and quiet city. Not many foreigners here, most of them are english teacher or Korean. Many of locals don't speak english which make it difficult for foreigners to live in....
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