Lijiang Restaurants

I don't know anything about it, but they call it a bar, so it may be designed for more alcohol than food. Who knows? You can be pretty certain that any western alcohol is going to be quite expensive here.

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Great atmosphere right along the banks of the main creek in town, the seating can be a bit tight outside, but it's well worth it, especially for people-watching and for being seen by... everyone.

Favorite Dish: I recommend getting some variety of hot pot- you choose what goes in and they'll bring you all the water you need- just make sure to let the water come to a boil, which shouldn't take long. They serve, as does most any place in town, local Lancang (lawnstawng) and Dali (Dahlee) beer, which I recommend over the other stuff- not that it's great beer, but you can get Tsing Dao anywhere...

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This place is off the main drag a bit and takes a bit of work to find, but if you're one of the few that's out early in the morning in Lijiang, you can stop by for steamed buns... 2 yuan per bun. Get a few!

There are two other places, one just a few meters away and one across the road.

The one across the road serves Naxi omlettes, a nice, greasy way to start your day.

They seem to close before most tourists are out, so go early!

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They serve tea, I believe from Pu'Er, in Yunnan. What you see in the photos is made of pressed tea leaves. It didn't seem like it cost anything to taste the tea- you probably taste-tested it then bought some.

I don't recall exactly where it is, but it might be worth looking around for this place if you're into tea.

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A nice respite from greasy Chinese and Naxi cuisine, Lamu's claims to not use MSG, and I believe them. The food is quite good, compared to many places, and while the service wasn't the most friendly, it wasn't rude either- worth going to in any case. You can sit upstairs or down and they have internet and a reading area. We sat at the low table in the corner.

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Favorite Dish: Tendlik, a hearty stew or soup, was just the thing in cool, vernal Lijiang. Try the Tibetan buttered tea and the Tibet Cocktail -hot alcohol! We also had the tofu and Tsampa, which is dough balls with cheese mixed in- uncooked and... you have to grow to like them, methinks. We also had a cheese omlett, which was sweet and excellent. It didn't last long enough for a photo.

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Mr. Yang owns one of many restaurants in Baisha, and his service is friendly as any. Mr. Yang invites you into his house, and you can sit outside- upstairs on the balcony or downstairs on the front patio. While the food is good, local Naxi-style food, it's not just the food you necessarily go for, as the hospitality and the experience is, in itself, worth the trip. I don't know about the other places, but I liked Mr. Yang's.

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Favorite Dish: The Yak-butter tea goes well with the Naxi bread (baba), and he has cold beer as well. The dumplings aren't necessarily local, but they're good.

"Your Living Room in Lijiang" it says... With a name like this, it's gotta be interesting. I wasn't looking for westernized fare, so I didn't go in, assuming that's what it was. No great loss, I suppose, but oh well. The Sexy Tractor...

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To call Petit Lijiang a coffeehouse doesn't seem apt. It is more of a double storey bookcafe. Great environment and coffee served. An additional plus is that the cost of their regular coffee is reasonably priced - RMB10. As I am an avid coffee drinker, I've almost drained my coffers before I discovered Petit Lijiang, drinking coffee in various cafes in Lijiang as, on the average, they cost approx. RMB25 - 35.