Best Food and Restaurants in Guangzhou: Quick Overview for Singapore Travellers
If you want the Best Food and Restaurants in Guangzhou : Gateway to Southern China, focus on three pillars: classic Cantonese dim sum, time-tested old-brand restaurants, and a new wave of Michelin-level fine dining that blends tradition with innovation. For Singapore travellers, Guangzhou is one of the easiest places in China to eat well safely, with clear pricing, widely used cashless payments, and a food culture that prizes freshness and consistency.
This guide is a tactical "food first" companion to the broader city guide Guangzhou Travel Guide: Gateway to Southern China | Homejourney . It is written from the perspective of a Singapore-based traveller who visits Guangzhou regularly for both the Canton Fair and property market research, and is designed to help you eat confidently, avoid tourist traps, and understand how Guangzhou China connects with broader lifestyle and investment choices in Asia.
Why Guangzhou Food Matters for Singapore Travellers and Investors
Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) is the heart of Cantonese cuisine and a natural gateway to southern China travel. What you experience at a good dim sum restaurant in Guangzhou often sets the standard for Cantonese food globally, including in Singapore. For investors and expats comparing cities, the food scene is a practical proxy for lifestyle quality, late-night safety, and infrastructure.
If you are used to Singapore’s hawker culture and malls, Guangzhou will feel familiar in some ways: strong air-conditioned malls in Tianhe, late-opening restaurants, and reliable public transport. But prices are generally lower than Singapore for equivalent quality, especially once you leave hotel restaurants. A solid dim sum meal that might cost S$35–40 per person in Singapore can often be had for the equivalent of S$15–25 in local Guangzhou spots (prices vary by venue and exchange rate).
Essential Cantonese Dishes to Try in Guangzhou
Before diving into specific restaurants, it helps to know what to look for on the menu. When locals in Guangzhou say "let’s go yum cha", they mean a full dim sum and tea session that can easily stretch to two hours, much like a long family lunch at a Singapore dim sum institution.
Dim Sum Classics
- Har gao (虾饺): The benchmark. In Guangzhou, skins tend to be thinner and more delicate than most Singapore versions, but still elastic enough not to break.
- Siu mai (烧卖): Often topped with a whole prawn or crab roe; look for bouncy texture, not mushy filling.
- Cheong fun (肠粉): Rice rolls filled with prawn, char siew, or beef. Guangzhou versions are silky and made to order; this is one dish where the city consistently outshines many Singapore outlets.
- Char siew bao (叉烧包): You’ll often get more savoury, less sweet fillings than in some Singapore chains.
- Lou mai gai (糯米鸡): Glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf. In Guangzhou, portions are often sized for sharing.
Roast Meats and Slow-Cooked Specialities
- Roast goose: A must-try; richer than the roast duck you may be used to in Singapore.
- White-cut chicken (白切鸡): Very simple, so you taste the quality of the bird; often served with ginger-scallion dip similar to Hainanese chicken rice condiments.
- Double-boiled soups: Clear yet intensely flavoured; think of them as the Cantonese equivalent of a carefully brewed bak kut teh broth, but lighter.
Street and Teahouse Snacks
- Claypot rice with lup cheong, chicken or beef, crisped at the bottom.
- Congee (粥) with fish, century egg, or pork; often lighter than the thick Teochew-style versions familiar in Singapore.
- Herbal desserts like guilinggao and turtle jelly, popular as late-night “cooling” snacks—similar to Singapore’s herbal tea shops but often more specialized.
Best Dim Sum and Classic Cantonese Restaurants in Guangzhou
For the most reliable dim sum and Cantonese banquets, it is safest to stick to long-running local chains and well-reviewed restaurants in central districts like Tianhe, Yuexiu and Liwan. These areas are heavily used by both locals and business travellers, similar to how Singapore visitors gravitate towards Orchard, Marina Bay and the CBD.
Dian Dou De (点都德) – Local-Favourite Dim Sum Chain
Best for: Authentic dim sum in a lively setting, good value for Singapore travellers.
Where: Multiple branches; the Ju Fu Lou branch near the old city area is especially popular [3].
Price: Roughly S$15–25 per person for a full dim sum spread if you avoid premium seafood.
Insider tip: Go early (before 10am on weekends) or mid-afternoon to avoid long waits. Just like queuing at a popular Singapore hawker stall, locals are willing to wait for their favourites here. Dishes with a "chef recommendation" marker tend to be reliable even if you cannot read all the Chinese; staff are used to pointing out top sellers for overseas guests.
Guangzhou Restaurant (广州酒家) – Time-Tested Brand
Best for: Large groups, banquets, and sampling old-school Cantonese cooking [7].
Where: Several branches including Liwan, convenient if you are visiting the historic Xiguan area.
Price: Similar or slightly higher than Dian Dou De, especially for seafood.
For Singapore families, this feels like a cross between a traditional Chinese banquet restaurant and a large dim sum house in Chinatown. Menus are often photo-heavy, which is helpful if you are not fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese.
Panxi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) – Garden Setting by the Water
Best for: Classic dim sum in a scenic Lingnan garden environment [7].
Where: Liwan District, usually a short taxi ride from central Tianhe or Yuexiu.
Experience: Outdoor pavilions, ponds and bridges – ideal if you want something you cannot get in a Singapore mall environment.
Insider tip: Morning visits are quieter and less hot. On humid days, the climate can feel similar to Singapore, but older dining halls may not be as strongly air-conditioned. If you are travelling with elderly parents used to Singapore’s indoor comfort, request indoor seating.
High-End and Michelin-Recognised Dining in Guangzhou
Guangzhou’s fine dining scene has expanded rapidly, with several restaurants appearing in the MICHELIN Guide Guangzhou 2025 [2]. For Singapore travellers familiar with Marina Bay Sands or Orchard hotel dining, these venues offer a comparable level of polish, often at a lower total bill.
Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine (广州廿四味·御宝轩)
Highlight: A two-star establishment in the MICHELIN Guide Guangzhou 2025, noted for consistently high-quality Cantonese cuisine [2].
Where: Tianhe District, in a premium mall setting around Zhujiang New Town [1].
Why Singaporeans will feel at home: The brand is already well-known in Singapore, so it is an easy and safe first step into the city’s fine dining scene.
Expect pricing in the range of a special-occasion meal at the same brand in Singapore, but with some dishes slightly cheaper due to local sourcing. Reservations are essential during major trade fairs.
Jiang by Chef Fei (江·江阁) – Refined Creative Cantonese
Highlight: Another two-star restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide Guangzhou 2025, combining traditional Cantonese roots with modern presentation [2].
Best for: Business dinners, property-related networking, and entertaining clients.
If you are in Guangzhou for the Canton Fair or scouting for property and want to host a serious dinner, Jiang by Chef Fei offers the kind of quiet, polished setting that Singapore corporate diners are used to in places like Raffles Place or Marina Bay.
Lingnan House at Rosewood Guangzhou
Highlight: Frequently cited as one of the top fine-dining Cantonese restaurants in the city, with a strong focus on organic ingredients and refined presentations [1][5].
Where: Rosewood Guangzhou, Zhujiang New Town, on the 95th floor of CTF Finance Centre [1].
View:
