5 Best Restaurants in Xining, The Silk Road

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.

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.

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.