24 Best Restaurants in The Silk Road, China

Frequented by locals and outfitted with wooden paneling and chandeliers, Intizar is the most formal of Kashgar's Uyghur restaurants. It offers a range of Uyghur cuisine, and the menu is translated into English, including helpful descriptions of each dish.

Although it's better known for the affiliated theater, this separate restaurant specializes in the imperial cuisine of its namesake, a taste you're not likely to find back home at your local Chinese restaurant. You can eat at the restaurant separately or reserve tickets for dinner and the show (Y500).

This place serves great Tibetan, Indian, and Nepali food. The friendly Tibetan waitstaff all hail from Anmo and add to the already-warm atmosphere. On the menu, which is in Tibetan and English, are plump momo (dumplings), a must-order. The restaurant is in Wenmiao Square, a small bar street not far from the Xingwang Hotel.

You can often tell a good restaurant by the lack of empty tables; at mealtimes, this Sichuanese eatery is always packed. The picture menu makes ordering dishes very simple, but if you're stuck, order gongbao jiding (aka authentic kung pao chicken), a slightly spicy dish of chicken stir-fried with peanuts.

As one of Xi'an's most famous restaurants, De Fa Chang offers a buffet of Chinese dumplings that will satisfy even the hungriest of travelers. The restaurant can be a bit tricky to find; walk along the front of the building facing Xi Dajie, past the shops selling trinkets and antiques to the end of the row.

For a break from Chinese food, try this authentic Indian restaurant that combines fragrant curries with oven-fresh naan bread. Although the service needs some polishing, the staff are good at handling requests for vegetarian dishes, of which there are also enough on the menu to ensure everyone leaves satisfied.

Like manna from heaven, Jesse Hoffman's café serves proper American fare, like juicy steaks, best washed down with Belgian beer, and pizzas that'll make anyone who's been on the Silk Road for awhile dive in with joy. If you're interested in meeting other foreigners, Elite's is the place to go.

With free Wi-Fi and waitstaff who speak English, this is a great place to hunker down and plan your next steps on the Silk Road. The coffee here is better than at most of Xining's hotels, and the menu appeals to Westerners with panini, pizza, soups, and desserts such as carrot cake with proper cream cheese icing.

It's very easy to join the crowds of locals relaxing at this local Uyghur restaurant, especially underneath the (admittedly) fake trellises of grapes around a fountain. The staff will hand you an English-language menu whose prices are a few yuan higher than on the Chinese-language menu, but when it's all so cheap, you can't complain too much.

Perched atop the 28-story Jianyin Hotel, this slowly revolving restaurant may not serve the finest Asian cuisine, but the food isn't the biggest draw. People come here for the spectacular views of the city, where you can sip a cup of tea while enjoying the scenery or playing cards.

Part of a small, family-run chain that operates in destinations along the Silk Road, this popular tourist hangout is far from authentic, but people flock here for the familiar Western fare and rock-solid travel advice. The café is only operational during the summer tourist season, so if you visit in the winter you'll find the area locked up.

Cool off after a full day of sightseeing on this trellised patio with an ice-cold beer and plate of noodles. In addition to an array of familiar foods, the restaurant can arrange overnight camel rides for Y700 per person, as well as trips to Yadan National Park and other destinations.

This traditional, family-run affair has been serving some of the best local Islamic lamb and beef specialties since 1898; it's become so popular that it's grown into a small Xi'an chain. A few famous offerings, such as the roasted leg of lamb or the spicy mutton spareribs, are pricey, but most dishes are inexpensive.

This lively canteen opens at the crack of dawn and has some of the most fragrant, toothsome beef noodles in Lanzhou, among other excellent dishes. The downstairs is set up like a cafeteria, where you can take what you want and grab a seat, while the upstairs is a dining room with air-conditioning and table service.

Foreign restaurants are rare in Kashgar, so this dirt-cheap curry joint with its delicious roti (flat bread) is a welcome addition. This restaurant's sign is covered by a large tree, but it's directly opposite the Seman Hotel's rear entrance.

This outpost of the famous Beijing Peking duck restaurant serves up a variety of food from that capital and Northeastern China. The menu differs a little from the Beijing branches, which includes crispy, juicy panfried dumplings, spicy meat stews, thick cut noodles, and steamed root vegetables, but the duck is the same.

All of Xi'an's top hotels have elegant eateries, but Shang Palace deserves special mention for its Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, which are authentic and approachable. Classics like honey-barbecued pork and stir-fried chili chicken compliment their specialty noodle dishes.

Delicious Sichuanese classics like chicken with peanuts, sweet-and-sour pork, and spicy fried potato strips are available here at very cheap prices. There's an English menu, but prices are much higher than on the Chinese menu.

If you need a change from Uyghur fare, this cheap and cheerful fast-food joint offers tasty Xi'an-style snacks, from famous noodle dishes to specialty meat sandwiches. There are a number of these chain restaurants throughout the city, which are a cheap option and whose cold dishes are particularly popular during the warmer months.

When you've grown tired of mutton, head here for the best Sichuan-style dishes in Kashgar. There's plenty of cold beer in the refrigerator, and the second-floor covered terrace is perfect on a warm summer evening.

Xinhai is surprisingly affordable and offers Cantonese and Sichuan dishes in addition to Lanzhou specialties such as braised beef and hand-pulled noodles. There's a picture menu in Chinese only and one without pictures in English.

Located just east of the International Bazaar, this restaurant offers excellent Uyghur cuisine within an authentic atmosphere. The ornate room is outfitted with carved wood and Arabic-style arches, and there's even a helpful picture menu.