The MICHELIN Guide is pleased to present its first-ever restaurant selection for Hangzhou. Unveiled on the 31st May at the Hangzhou Grand Hyatt, the selection features a total of 51 restaurants, including six which receive One MICHELIN Star for their remarkable cuisine and 12 which earn a Bib Gourmand for their outstanding price to quality ratio. Two service talents are also recognised with the MICHELIN Sommelier Award and the MICHELIN Service Award.
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, is a city with a unique charm, long history and rich heritage. The fusion of tradition and modernity has long shaped its culinary culture. Local delicacies offer irresistible authenticity, while flavours and ingredients from surrounding provinces continue to inspire new approaches.
Six Restaurants Awarded One MICHELIN Star
Among the MICHELIN Guide selection, MICHELIN Stars highlight restaurants which feature the most outstanding culinary offers. The following six establishments are each awarded One MICHELIN Star in the first edition of the MICHELIN Guide Hangzhou. The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors paid multiple anonymous visits to these restaurants, which they are now delighted to point out as the best in the city.Ambré Ciel
After honing his skills in a number of prestigious kitchens, Chef Alan Yu took on this atmospheric restaurant in 2022. Each of the six tables are secluded by heavily textured stone walls. Its single fixed-price menu at lunch and dinner features dishes rooted in French tradition yet boosted by subtle Chinese twists.
Guiyu
This sleek, elegant establishment is located in an osmanthus forest, of which the sweet scent lingers in the air in autumn. Once you step inside, the earthy smell of black tea mingles with the intoxicating aroma of tea-smoked specialities such as crispy chicken. The menu focuses on Zhejiang classics made with seasonal ingredients from across the country. Don’t miss the river fish prepared with dried bamboo shoots or the spectacular tea ceremony served at each table upon request.
Jie Xiang Lou
This restaurant, situated in a bamboo forest, exudes an otherworldly serenity. The menu features Jiangnan dishes which are updated using modern Western techniques. Sample all of the signature dishes by ordering the appetiser platter. It includes a vegetarian beggar’s purse, pork jowl with caviar, marinated goose liver and smoked fish terrine.
Jin Sha
This appealing restaurant, furnished in the classical Chinese style, is set within a luxury lakeside hotel amid ponds and manicured gardens. The kitchen brigade sources seasonal ingredients from all over China to create new Zhejiang classics with modern twists. Try the braised pork belly with richly flavored abalone, and finish the meal on the perfect note with Longjing tea crème brûlée.
Longjing Manor
As a host walks you to one of the eight traditionally furnished private rooms, you’ll catch glimpses of an extensive, pampered garden dotted with stone bridges and ponds. The experienced Head Chef embraces old-fashioned Jiangnan dishes with poetic names, and particularly local Zhejiang classics. There are no à la carte options, but the set menus are tailored to guests’ preferences in advance.
Xin Rong Ji
Located in the lush surroundings of the Xixi National Wetland Park, this restaurant’s understated decor and exquisite Taizhou cooking make the trip worthwhile. Its deep-fried hairtail is crispy and juicy, while the squab is succulent and tender.
Twelve Restaurants Awarded a Bib Gourmand
Twelve restaurants are awarded a Bib Gourmand for great quality food at an affordable price. This is based on a standard three-course meal (not including drinks), at less than RMB 300 per guest.Many of these Bib Gourmand eateries offer Hangzhou cuisine and noodles. Diners may sample local homemade dishes at Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu, Fu Yuan Ju (Shangcheng), King's Choice and Xiao Dian Huang; noodles at Fang Lao Da, Fu Xing Mian Wang, Rong Xian Mian Guan (Qianjiang Road) and Wu Zi Mian Guan; vegetarian food at Qing Chun Perma and Zhi Zhu (Xihu); and dim sum at Xiao Lao Hun Tun and Hui Xin Xiao Chi Dian. These casual restaurants offer genuine delicacies on a budget.
Alongside the MICHELIN Star and Bib Gourmand restaurants, the first Hangzhou MICHELIN Guide highlights 33 premium restaurants with 10 cooking styles, demonstrating the city’s up-and-coming culinary scene. These long-established restaurants carry forward the flavour traditions of the local cookery of Hangzhou and Zhejiang.
Popular cooking styles from other provinces abound, including the likes of Teochew and Cantonese cuisine. Innovative, contemporary Chinese options are also available.
Two MICHELIN Guide Special Awards recognise outstanding restaurant professionals
The MICHELIN Guide is committed to promoting culinary excellence and acknowledging the enthusiasm and skill of outstanding professionals. Two Special Awards, the MICHELIN Sommelier Award and MICHELIN Service Award, highlight such devoted individuals.The Sommelier Award is granted in recognition of a talented sommelier who helps make the dining experience exceptional with their knowledge, devotion, and skill in pairing drinks with food.
We are pleased to announce that Skylar Ye from the MICHELIN-Selected restaurant Wild Yeast has received the MICHELIN Sommelier Award. His wine list is precise and unique, demonstrating an exceptional consideration for wine selection. His profound understanding of the dishes enables him to pair wines smoothly.
The Service Award aims to highlight and encourage a skilled and talented professional who elevates the customer experience with delightfully courteous service.
Showing just the right balance of discretion and involvement, Mengping Li – head waitress of One MICHELIN Starred restaurant Guiyu – always makes customers feel at home. Her thorough knowledge of gastronomy empowers her professional communication, delicately enhanced by her sparkling personality. Her excellent, proactive service is consistently appreciated by her customers.
“We are truly honoured to present the first MICHELIN Guide for Hangzhou. Our MICHELIN Inspectors were deeply impressed with the vibrancy and potential of the Hangzhou culinary scene and its chefs’ seasonal approach to curating and presenting dishes. Both the quantity and quality of restaurants in Hangzhou are on the rise. With the local culinary style of Zhejiang at its heart, the city offers a dazzling variety to cater to different tastes. With the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide and the recovery of the global economy, we sincerely hope that its hospitality industry will show positive, healthy growth.”
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides
The full selection of the MICHELIN Guide Hangzhou 2023 is available on the MICHELIN Guide website and the MICHELIN Guide app, available free of charge on iOS and Android.
The Hangzhou restaurant selection is accompanied by the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay throughout the world. Every hotel in the Guide is chosen for its extraordinary style, service and personality — with options for all budgets — and each hotel can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app.
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