Ningbo

This seafood restaurant enjoys a spotless reputation in Ningbo, and some say it even makes the cut as one of the top contenders for best seafood restaurant nationwide. Take a pick from the display on the ice and have your favourite seafood dish freshly prepared within minutes.

Located in a renovated ancient Chinese mansion, Feast Modern Restaurant offers local fare with a sophisticated twist. The menu is in Chinese, but very well-illustrated. This one is, indeed, a dining experience rather just a meal - all in a 20th-century Shanghai-style interior.

An incredibly popular Indian eatery, Ganesha serves curries and fresh, fluffy Naan bread that keeps patrons coming back for more. Do not be put off by the modest interior - appearance matters little once you discover the famously delicious meals and incredible friendliness of the staffs.

With its four locations around town, Grandma's Home is a must-visit eatery serving authentic Zhejiang Dishes. You will be served with a wide variety of dishes in southern culinary style, which is light and delicate. Be aware that the menu is only in Chinese so better to go with a Chinese person who can order for you.

ZaoZiShu serves vegan and vegetarian cuisine, that is varied compared to other vegetarian restaurants. It is a good place for those with a carnivorous persuasion to give plant-based foods a chance. You will find ZaoZiShu very easily as it is located in the old town of Ningbo.

With some of the best Turkish food in Ningbo, Mevlana is a reputable restaurant serving a variety of hot and cold mezze, kebab, pide, hummus, salads and many more delicious staples of the Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine. The staff can speak English. Please keep in mind that alcohol is not served.

Ancient grains of rice were discovered at the Hemudu Site, once home to a Neolithic culture that inhabited the Ningbo area, which makes Ningbo the city with the longest history of rice cultivation. Rice is put to good use in countless ways here, tang yuan being, perhaps, the most famous of all. Tang yuan are essentially glutinous rice balls that come with all kinds of fillings. These can be sweet and salty, hot and cold, served dry or with soup. With all these different combinations, there is plenty of room for choice. Apart from tang yuan, nian gao, the year cake, which is made of rice, is also popular and can be served in all different kinds of shapes and cooked in hundreds of ways. Gang Ya Gou is the most reputable restaurant of local cuisine. This is the place where you can sample all the dishes mentioned above, as well as enjoy rice in ways you never imagined possible.