How to Find Restaurants in China (2026): Dianping, Amap & Meituan for Foreigners
Last verified: April 2026
Dianping (大众点评) is China’s dominant restaurant discovery and review platform — with over 700 million registered users, 30 million+ business listings, and a 5-star rating system that locals rely on daily to find everything from hole-in-the-wall noodle shops to Michelin-starred restaurants. According to Meituan’s annual report (Dianping’s parent company), the platform covers more than 2,800 cities and processes billions of user reviews every year. If you’re a foreigner in China and you’re asking Google Maps where to eat, you’re missing 95% of the best restaurants. This guide shows you how to use Dianping, Amap (高德地图), Meituan (美团), and Xiaohongshu (小红书) like a local — even if you don’t read a single Chinese character.
In this guide
Why Google Maps Won’t Help You in China
Google Maps does technically load in China (with a VPN), but its restaurant data is years out of date, listings are sparse, and there are almost no reviews. The platforms locals actually use are Dianping and Amap. These have real-time data, millions of recent reviews, photos from actual diners, and accurate pricing. If you see a restaurant with five English-language reviews on Google, it likely has 5,000 Chinese-language reviews on Dianping.
The four platforms you should know in order of importance: Dianping (reviews and ratings), Amap (maps with integrated ratings), Meituan (deals and delivery), and Xiaohongshu (trendy spots). Most foreigners can get by using just Dianping and Amap. Power users add the other two.
Dianping: Setup and the Basics
Dianping is free to download and doesn’t require a Chinese phone number to browse. Here’s how to get started:
Download Dianping (大众点评) from the iOS App Store or an Android app store. On Android, you may need to use a Chinese store like Tencent MyApp if Google Play is unavailable.
Open the app and skip the registration prompt if possible — you can browse most of the app without signing up. To write reviews or save favorites, you'll need to register with a phone number.
Allow location access. This is critical — Dianping's core feature is showing restaurants ranked by proximity and rating.
Tap the magnifying glass icon (搜索) at the top. This is where you search by cuisine, name, or neighborhood.
For translation, keep Google Translate or Apple Translate open in a split screen. iPhone users can use Live Text to translate menus and reviews directly from photos.
Translation tip: Our translation apps guide walks through the fastest tools for reading Chinese menus and reviews in real time.
Searching on Dianping as a Foreigner
The home screen has category icons at the top. The most useful for foreigners:
→ 美食 (Food): The main restaurant category. Tap this for the ranked list of all nearby restaurants.
→ 附近 (Nearby): Shows restaurants within walking distance, sorted by rating or distance.
→ 排行榜 (Rankings): The Dianping “must eat” list for your city — curated by category (noodles, dumplings, hotpot, dessert, etc.). This is gold.
→ 必吃榜 (Must-Eat List): Dianping’s annual editorial pick of the top restaurants in each city. Covers 150+ cities in 2026 and is the most trusted recommendation list in China.
→ 外卖 (Delivery): Food delivery option — powered by Meituan. See our food delivery guide.
Searching by cuisine
You can type English keywords like “coffee,” “steak,” or “sushi” and Dianping will return results. But for Chinese cuisines, you’ll get better results with Chinese keywords. Copy-paste these into the search bar:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Hotpot | 火锅 | huǒguō |
| Dumplings | 饺子 | jiǎozi |
| Noodles | 面馆 | miànguǎn |
| Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) | 小笼包 | xiǎolóngbāo |
| Sichuan food | 川菜 | chuāncài |
| Cantonese / Dim sum | 粤菜 / 早茶 | yuècài / zǎochá |
| Japanese | 日料 | rìliào |
| Coffee shop | 咖啡馆 | kāfēiguǎn |
| Western food | 西餐 | xīcān |
How to Read Ratings and Reviews
Dianping uses a 5-star rating system, but the distribution matters more than the absolute number. Here’s what locals actually look at:
→ 4.5–5.0 stars: Genuinely excellent. These restaurants are worth a trip. About 5% of listings.
→ 4.0–4.4 stars: Reliable and good. Safe choice. About 20% of listings.
→ 3.5–3.9 stars: Acceptable but inconsistent. Read recent reviews carefully.
→ Below 3.5: Usually skip, unless reviews mention a specific famous dish.
→ ¥ symbols: Price indicator. ¥ = under 50 per person, ¥¥ = 50–150, ¥¥¥ = 150–400, ¥¥¥¥ = 400+.
→ Popular dishes (招牌菜): Listed at the top of the restaurant page. Order these — they’re ranked by how many diners recommended them in their reviews.
→ Photos from real diners (食客照片): Scroll through. Actual food photos are more reliable than the restaurant’s staged shots.
→ Review dates: Prioritize reviews from the past 30 days. A restaurant can change chefs overnight.
Watch out for fake reviews: If a restaurant has 4.9 stars but only 20 reviews, all posted within a short window, it’s likely paid promotion. Aim for places with 500+ reviews spread across months.
Amap: The Map + Food App
Amap (高德地图, Gāodé Dìtú) is China’s equivalent of Google Maps, but with built-in restaurant ratings. According to Amap’s official guide, its “Nearby Food” (附近美食) feature integrates real-time ratings and navigation, with rankings updated in over 300 Chinese cities. For most foreigners, Amap is easier to use than Dianping because you can see restaurants on a map, tap to read reviews, then get walking directions — all in one app.
How to use Amap for restaurants:
Download Amap (高德地图). Allow location access when prompted.
On the home screen, tap the 美食 (Food) icon in the top toolbar.
The map will populate with restaurant pins, color-coded by rating. Tap any pin for photos, reviews, menu, and price range.
Tap '到这里去' (Go here) for walking, transit, or driving directions.
Use the filter (筛选) button to narrow by cuisine, price, or opening hours.
Meituan: Group-Buy Deals & Delivery
Meituan (美团) is the parent company of Dianping but operates its own app focused on deals and delivery. According to Meituan’s public earnings reports, the platform processes an average of 60+ million food delivery orders per day across China. For restaurants, the killer feature is 团购 (group-buy deals) — discounted set menus that can save you 20–50% off normal prices.
A typical group-buy deal: a hotpot restaurant offers a ¥388 package for two people (normally ¥560) that includes soup base, two meat platters, vegetables, and drinks. You buy the voucher in-app, show the code at the restaurant, and order according to the package. Saves real money.
Meituan vs Dianping vs Amap — which to use when
→ Finding the best restaurant nearby → Dianping (most complete reviews)
→ Navigating to a specific restaurant → Amap (map + directions)
→ Saving money on dining → Meituan (group-buy deals)
→ Ordering delivery → Meituan or Eleme (see our delivery guide)
Xiaohongshu: Where Trendy Restaurants Live
Xiaohongshu (小红书, Little Red Book) is China’s Instagram + Pinterest hybrid with 300+ million monthly active users. It’s where Chinese Gen Z discovers new cafés, brunch spots, dessert shops, and photogenic restaurants before Dianping catches up. If you’re looking for the kind of place that shows up on travel Instagram — pastel interiors, artful plating, a good cup of specialty coffee — this is the app.
Practical tips for foreigners using Xiaohongshu:
→ Search with the city name + cuisine in English (e.g., “Shanghai brunch”). Many posts use English hashtags.
→ Filter by “视频” (videos) to see walkthrough tours of the restaurant before you commit.
→ Posts with 1,000+ likes are generally reliable; sub-100 likes may be paid promotion.
→ Users often leave the exact address in the comments — save it and paste into Amap for directions.
Essential Restaurant Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 菜单 | càidān | Menu |
| 招牌菜 | zhāopái cài | Signature dish |
| 推荐 | tuījiàn | Recommended |
| 人均 | rénjūn | Per-person average |
| 买单 | mǎidān | The bill / Check please |
| 订座 | dìngzuò | Reserve a table |
| 取号 | qǔ hào | Take a queue number |
| 辣 | là | Spicy |
| 不辣 | bú là | Not spicy |
| 素食 | sùshí | Vegetarian |
Pro Tips for Eating Out in China
→ Paying at restaurants: Scan the QR code at your table with Alipay or WeChat Pay to access the menu, order, and pay — this is standard at 80%+ of mid-range restaurants in 2026. If there’s no QR code, flag down a server with “服务员” (fúwùyuán). See our payment setup guide.
→ Splitting the bill: Not a thing in Chinese culture. One person pays the whole bill and others transfer their share later via WeChat or Alipay.
→ Tipping: Not expected. See our tipping guide.
→ Peak hours: Lunch rush is 12:00–13:00, dinner is 18:00–20:00. Top-rated restaurants on Dianping often have 30–60 minute waits during peak. Arrive at 11:30 or after 20:30 to skip the line.
→ Mini-programs for booking: Upscale restaurants increasingly accept reservations only through their WeChat mini-program. Scan the QR code on their Dianping page to access it.
→ Tap water: Not safe to drink, but restaurants serve free hot water or tea. Bottled water costs ¥2–5. See our food & water safety guide.
→ Shanghai markets & street food: For food stalls and markets, see our Shanghai shopping guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find good restaurants in China without speaking Chinese?
Use Dianping with your phone’s translation tools (Apple Live Text or Google Translate camera mode). Filter restaurants by rating (aim for 4.5+ stars), check photo-based reviews, and use the map view to find places near you. Amap also has a “Nearby Food” feature with integrated ratings that’s often easier for navigation. Both apps work without a Chinese bank account — just browse, then walk in and pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay.
What is the best restaurant app in China for foreigners?
Dianping is the gold standard for restaurant discovery, with 700 million+ users and 30 million+ listings. For finding restaurants while navigating, Amap is more convenient because it combines maps and ratings in one app. Meituan is better for food delivery and group-buy deals. For trendy cafés and photogenic restaurants, Xiaohongshu is where locals go. Most foreigners do fine with Dianping + Amap. Consider downloading our recommended essential apps list before arriving.
Is Dianping available in English?
No, Dianping has no full English version. The interface, reviews, and menus are all in Chinese. However, you can use your phone’s built-in translation: iPhone users can use Live Text and the Translate app, Android users can use Google Translate’s camera mode or Samsung’s built-in translator. Most dishes also have photos, so you can browse visually. See our translation apps guide for the fastest tools.
How do Chinese people choose restaurants?
Most Chinese people check Dianping ratings (4.5 stars or higher is considered reliable), read recent reviews (written within the last 30 days), and look at photos uploaded by real diners. They also pay attention to the price indicator (¥ symbols) and popular dish tags (“招牌菜”). For trendy places, young people increasingly use Xiaohongshu to find Instagram-worthy restaurants and cafés. Word of mouth and WeChat group recommendations from friends are also huge — Chinese dining culture is deeply social.
Can I book a restaurant table in China through an app?
Yes. Dianping and Meituan both offer table reservations (订座) for many restaurants. Some upscale restaurants accept reservations only through WeChat mini-programs — scan the QR code on their Dianping page to access it. For most casual restaurants, no reservation is needed; you walk in and take a number (取号) from the host. Busy restaurants display wait times on electronic screens at the door — wait times of 30–90 minutes are common at popular spots during peak hours.
Ready to order? Set up your payment apps first — most restaurants in 2026 require scanning a QR code to order and pay. Then grab a Chinese SIM card so location services work properly on Dianping and Amap.
Last updated: April 2026. App features, rating systems, and restaurant listings change frequently. Always verify prices and availability in-app before visiting. This guide is for informational purposes only.
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