Xi'an

A large daily market in the Weiyang District serving northwestern Xi'an's residential neighborhoods, with an extraordinary selection of Shaanxi and northwestern Chinese ingredients - hand-made vinegars, 100 varieties of dried chili, local grain alcohols, and fresh produce from the Wei River Plain. The most complete local provisions market in the city.

📍Weiyang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710018, China

The most famous restaurant in Xi'an for guantang baozi - soup-filled steamed buns with a hot savory broth inside each dumpling. Jiasan's mutton soup dumplings have been made the same way for four generations and the morning queue outside their tiny shop is the most authentic local experience in the Muslim Quarter.

📍Muslim Quarter, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

The oldest and most beloved large-format Muslim restaurant in Xi'an serving yangrou paomo, lamb hotpot, and a full menu of Hui Muslim cuisine in a massive restaurant that can seat 1,000 diners. Lao Sun Jia has operated continuously since 1898 and is where Xi'an families bring visiting relatives for a traditional meal.

📍364 Dong Street, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

The most famous food street in western China - 500 meters of Muslim-Chinese street food stalls serving roujiamo meat buns, lamb skewers, stinky tofu, pomegranate juice, and dozens of other traditional Hui Muslim and Shaanxi dishes. The Muslim Quarter night market is Xi'an's essential culinary experience and has been running every evening for centuries.

📍Huimin Street, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

A traditional art and craft street near the South Gate with dozens of calligraphy studios, painting galleries, antique bookshops, and souvenir stalls specializing in stone rubbings of the Forest of Steles and reproductions of Tang Dynasty art. The best street for cultural shopping and art in Xi'an.

📍Shuyuanmen Street, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

An upscale restaurant serving a refined version of the traditional dumpling banquet in an elegant Tang Dynasty-themed dining room. Each of the 18 dumpling styles is presented with a story about its Tang Dynasty origin - a food-theater experience that makes this the best upscale dining for visitors in Xi'an.

📍Bell Tower area, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

A large cultural market complex built on the site of the original Tang Dynasty international market - the largest commercial hub in the ancient Silk Road world - with an underground museum showing the original market artifacts and a ground floor of Shaanxi crafts, silks, tea, and street food. History and shopping combined.

📍Tang West Market, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710016, China

The most celebrated restaurant for paomo - the Xi'an specialty of lamb broth with hand-torn flatbread - with a 100-year history and the most perfected version of this Silk Road dish. Tongshengxiang is a Xi'an institution where you break the bread yourself and hand it to the kitchen, a tradition maintained since the Tang Dynasty.

📍5 Xiyangshi Street, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

An acclaimed hand-pulled noodle restaurant serving the definitive biangbiang noodles - Xi'an's iconic belt-width flat noodles with chili oil, black vinegar, and a mix of toppings. The name 'biangbiang' uses the most complex Chinese character ever created, with 57 strokes, and this tiny restaurant serves the finest version in the city.

📍Near Drum Tower, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

The city's largest wholesale Muslim food market serving Xi'an's Hui community, selling fresh lamb, spiced dried meats, Shaanxi flatbreads, Persian-origin dried fruits, and hand-made noodles. The Yanta Muslim Market is the most authentic food market in the city - zero tourist presence, entirely local commerce.

📍Yanta District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China

A lively modern night market in the university district with an excellent selection of Xi'an street food, stinky tofu, grilled corn, roasted sweet potato, bubble tea stalls, and a young local crowd. The most energetic and affordable late-night food option in Xi'an outside the Muslim Quarter.

📍University District, Yanta District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China