What to Eat in Xiamen: 100 of the Best Restaurants

Xiamen is an island city that eats seafood first and its own Minnan street food second, and the gap between those two is where most visitors get stranded on a hotel buffet. This page does both jobs: what to eat in Xiamen before you pick anywhere, then 100 places grouped by cuisine, from da pai dang seafood halls to steakhouses, Italian, Japanese and Chinese.

Addresses are given by street and district, because that is what a driver or a map app needs. Phone numbers are not. A number scraped once and never dialed again is worse than no number, and almost nobody working a Xiamen da pai dang takes a booking in English.

What to eat in Xiamen

Xiamen sits in southern Fujian and cooks Minnan food: lighter than Cantonese, sweeter than most people expect, built on seafood, peanut and centuries of Southeast Asian trade running through the port. The same cooking runs north to Quanzhou and across the strait to Taiwan, which is why half this menu turns up in Taipei night markets. Eight dishes carry the city.

Satay noodles (sha cha mian). The dish Xiamen is known for. Chinese families returning from Malaysia and Indonesia brought sate paste home and local cooks folded it into a pork-bone broth thick with peanut and dried shrimp. You point at a tray of toppings and they go in the bowl: squid, pig intestine, blood curd, tofu skin, shrimp. Yuehua on Zhenbang Road and Wutang on Minzu Road are the two names locals argue about, Wutang at roughly double the price.

Oyster omelet (hai li jian). Small local oysters bound with sweet potato starch and egg, pan fried until the edges go crispy and the middle stays soft. Minnan families eat it at breakfast alongside congee, not as a main. Lianhuan, off Jukou Street, has been making it for decades.

Ginger duck (jiang mu ya). Duck braised in sesame oil, rice wine and old ginger until the ginger is worth eating on its own. Cold-weather food that Xiamen eats year round.

Sandworm jelly (tu sun dong). The one that stops people. A marine worm boiled until its own collagen sets into a cold savory jelly, cut into discs and served with a sharp dip. It tastes of clean seawater and nothing like it looks. Try it at a Zhongshan Road stall before you decide.

Peanut soup (hua sheng tang). Peanuts cooked until they collapse in a light sweet syrup, usually with a raw egg dropped in to poach. Breakfast, dessert or both.

Mianxian hu. Fine wheat noodles cooked down to a thick paste with oyster, shrimp or pork offal, finished with vinegar and cilantro. The local hangover cure.

Fried vinegar pork (zha cu rou). Pork marinated in vinegar and five spice, battered and fried crisp. Ordered by the plate with beer at every da pai dang on the island.

Fried crab and Tong’an braised pork. The two banquet dishes. Crab is cut down and pan fried in its shell with egg and scallion; feng rou is pork belly steamed for hours in the Tong’an district style until it gives way under a chopstick.

Two more worth hunting down: wuxiang, a five spice pork roll wrapped in bean curd skin and deep fried, and shao rou zong, the Minnan sticky rice dumpling with pork belly and chestnut. Both are sold within a block of Bashi, the old Eighth Market behind Zhongshan Road, which is the honest version of everything above.

How to find the best restaurants in Xiamen

The Michelin Guide now runs a Fujian selection, and it is announced in Xiamen. The 2026 edition, released in November 2025, put 42 Xiamen restaurants on the list: three one-star restaurants (Liaohua Qingyu, Xian Cheng, and Yanyu on Jiahe Road), 31 Bib Gourmand entries and eight in the selected category. That is close to half the province’s total and the fastest shortlist available at the fine-dining end.

Siming District holds most of what follows: the harbor front, Zhongshan Road, Zengcuoan and the streets around Xiamen University. Huli is malls and hotel dining. Gulangyu is a ferry ride and tourist pricing. Jimei and Haicang are off the island and worth the drive only for a specific address.

Dianping is the review app with real coverage here, and Amap, which added an English mode in 2025, is the one that navigates. Snack shops keep short hours and simply stop when they sell out; the da pai dang seafood halls are the late option. And the rule that holds everywhere on this island: the better local seafood is one street back from wherever the tour coaches stop.

Seafood restaurants in Xiamen

Being an island means the seafood is the default rather than the specialty, and the range runs from tanks-and-plastic-stools da pai dang to hotel dining rooms with a harbor view. These are 35 of them.

#1: Rivage

Buffet seafood with live cooking stations working through the local specialties. Address: 12 Lujiang Road, Siming District.

#2: Cafe Amoy

The Shangri-La’s all-day dining room: sashimi counter, international spread, Minnan dishes. Address: 1F, Shangri-La Xiamen, 168 Taidong Road, Siming District.

#3: XiaoYan Jing DaPai Dang

The best known da pai dang chain in Xiamen. Pick from the tanks, watch it cooked. Address: 7 Hubin Middle Road, Siming District.

#4: XiaoYan Jing Seafood DaPai Dang

Second branch, same formula, Fujian dishes at low prices. Address: 228 Hubin Middle Road, Siming District.

#5: Lucky Full City Seafood

Cantonese dim sum alongside the seafood. Address: 28 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#6: The Place (Langham Place)

The hotel’s buffet floor: seafood, pizza, sushi and a grill under one roof. Address: Langham Place, 4668 Xianyue Road, Huli District.

#7: JiaLi Seafood (Zengcuoan)

Seafront branch of the Jiali group, traditional Chinese dishes as well as the tanks. Address: Huandao Road, Zengcuoan, Siming District.

#8: Le Mei Chinese Restaurant

Cantonese seafood and dim sum in a dining room built to be looked at. Address: Le Meridien Xiamen, 7 Guanjun Road, Nanshan, Huli District.

#9: Latest Recipe (Le Meridien)

Buffet running Chinese, Thai, Indian and Malaysian sections. Address: Le Meridien Xiamen, 7 Guanjun Road, Nanshan, Huli District.

#10: Goodharvest (SM Mall)

Fish cooked at the table in hotpot, inside the SM mall. Address: 4F, SM City, 399 Jiahe Road, Huli District.

#11: Goodharvest (Jiazhou)

The second Goodharvest, same menu, easier to get into. Address: 1F, Jiazhou Plaza, 123 Lianqian East Road, Siming District.

#12: Yuan XiangKou YuWan (Gulangyu)

Fish balls and Minnan seafood snacks on Gulangyu island. Address: 62 Longtou Road, Gulangyu.

#13: Shuyou Seafood (Bailuzhou)

The flagship of a Xiamen seafood group, buffet-style hotpot with a long tank list. Address: Block A, 1 Bailuzhou East Road, Siming District.

#14: Shuyou Seafood (Bailuzhou Plaza)

The mall branch, same cook-it-yourself hotpot. Address: 4F, Bailuzhou Shopping Plaza, 133 Hubin Middle Road, Siming District.

#15: Little India

Indian cooking and seafood inside the InterContinental. Address: InterContinental Xiamen, 19 Lingshiguan Road, Siming District.

#16: TianTian YuGang

Clean, bright seafood restaurant by the cruise terminal. Address: 2-3F, International Cruise Center, Dongdu Road, Huli District.

#17: Redthai

Thai seafood, chicken and beef on the second floor of the Ruiyi hotel. Address: 2F, 12 Lujiang Avenue, Siming District.

#18: Linjia Minnan Cuisine

A large, handsome Minnan dining room off Huandao Road. Address: 308 Huandao Road, Siming District.

#19: JiaLi Seafood (Hubin South)

All-you-can-eat dim sum plus the seafood classics, priced low. Address: 3-4F, 819 Hubin South Road, Siming District.

#20: Lianhuan Oyster Omelet

A Xiamen institution for hai li jian, one alley off the Zhongshan Road strip. Address: Heng Alley, Jukou Street, off Siming South Road.

#21: Jingmin North Bay (Jimei)

Seafood restaurant in the Jingmin hotel villa club, out in Jimei. Address: Jiyuan Road, Jimei District.

#22: Shuang WeiDa PaiDang

Da pai dang next to the museum, with rooftop tables in the open air. Address: 479 Siming South Road, Siming District.

#23: YongFeng YuWan

Fish balls and cheap Minnan plates. Address: 143 Kaiyuan Road, Siming District.

#24: Yan Yu (SM Plaza)

Avocado shrimp rolls and Fujian dishes in the SM mall. Address: 4F, SM City phase 2, 399 Jiahe Road, Huli District.

#25: RongJi YuZhou

Seafood hotpot and fish congee. The bill runs higher here. Address: 64 Hubin 4th Li, Siming District.

#26: ShaDa YiFu Lou

Fujian seafood near Xiamen University. Address: 422 Siming South Road, Siming District.

#27: Quay Restaurant

Hotel dining room with the harbor view, Chinese and western menus. Address: 4F, 16 Lujiang Road, Siming District.

#28: Ya Zhu Seafood

Old-fashioned room, good white octopus. Address: 5F, Xianghe Plaza South Building, 156-158 Douxi Road, Siming District.

#29: JiaLi Seafood (Weilai Haian)

Sea view across the water in Haicang. Address: Weilai Haian, Haicang Avenue, Haicang District.

#30: Dachu Xiaozuo

Warm room, low prices, service that regulars come back for. Address: Houjiangdai Road, Siming District.

#31: Zhao Qiang DaPai Dang

Hidden across from the university hospital. Seafood, steak and duck on one menu. Address: 213 Daxue Road, Siming District.

#32: A Ai Seafood DaPai Dang

Indoor and outdoor tables by Zhongshan Park, and cheap. Address: 40 Gongyuan North Road, Siming District.

#33: 202 TeSe DaPai Dang

Casual da pai dang running pork, chicken, prawns and crab. Address: 202 Douzaiwei Road, Siming District.

#34: JiaLi Seafood (Haiwan Park)

The Haiwan Park branch, better seafood and a higher bill. Address: 109 Hubin West Road, Haiwan Park, Siming District.

#35: LuDao Xiao YouYu

The signature boiled baby squid is the reason to come, and the vegetables are priced fairly. Address: 29 Houjiangdai Road, Siming District.

Steakhouses and western grills in Xiamen

There is less western food here than in Shanghai or Guangzhou, but what exists is decent and mostly clustered in hotels and malls. Fast food is left out; there is plenty of it and you do not need a guide to find it. These are 18 steakhouses and grills.

#1: Jacky Angela Steakhouse

An American steakhouse, aged beef and a wine list, and the first name most foreign residents give when asked. Address: 5F, Hilton Xiamen, Panji Center, Jiahe Road, Huli District.

#2: Marble Steakhouse

A small, quiet room in the Pan Pacific known for its beef. Address: Pan Pacific Xiamen, 19 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#3: The Roar (Xinlinghui Plaza)

Steak, pizza and western plates at fair prices. Address: 1F, Xinlinghui Plaza, 18 Lujiang Avenue, Siming District.

#4: Hao Xiang Lai (Ding’an Plaza)

Steak chain founded in Fujian. Stewed egg, broth and sides come with it. Address: 1F, Ding’an Plaza, 152 Siming South Road, Siming District.

#5: Houcaller (Qianpu)

Steak, pasta and eggs from a chain with branches across the island. Address: 181 Qianpu Yili, Siming District.

#6: Houcaller (Shada)

The branch opposite the west gate of Xiamen University. Address: Opposite Xiada West Gate, Siming District.

#7: HKL NiuPai HongJiu Zhuang

Steak and red wine in a room built for couples. Address: Xidi Villa, 1 Yundang Road, Siming District.

#8: Houcaller (Jiazhou)

Inside the Jiazhou commercial plaza. Address: 1-3F, Jiazhou Plaza, 123 Lianqian East Road, Siming District.

#9: Hao Xiang Lai (Ruijing)

Western menus with bread and wine, near the Niuzhuang cultural park. Address: Honglian Road, Siming District.

#10: NiuPai HongJiu Zhuang (Bailuzhou)

On the lake in Bailuzhou Park, close to the bar street, with music on most nights. Address: 150 Bailuzhou Road, Siming District.

#11: Hao Xiang Lai (Xianyue Road)

Affordable sirloin from the chain. Address: 463-467 Xianyue Road, Siming District.

#12: Hao Xiang Lai (Houbin Road)

The Houbin Road branch. Address: 49 Houbin Road, Siming District.

#13: Houcaller (Jinjiting)

Off Lianqian West Road. Address: 38 Lianqian West Road, Siming District.

#14: Matador Restaurant (Mingfa)

A cheap, dependable steakhouse in Mingfa Plaza. Address: Mingfa Plaza West District, 78 Jiahe Road, Siming District.

#15: Hao Xiang Lai (Hubin South)

Cheaper steaks than most, and they hold up. Address: 270 Hubin South Road, Siming District.

#16: Sheng ShiJingDian NiuPai

Quieter and cheaper than the chains, with a small buffet and good salads. Address: 4F, Zhonghua Cheng, 187 Siming South Road, Siming District.

#17: Houcaller (Tiyu Road)

Western food cooked the Asian way, in the culture and arts center. Address: 95 Tiyu Road, Siming District.

#18: Marble (Baguan)

One of the more expensive steakhouses on the island. Address: 4F, Fantai Pingyang, Hubin North Road, Siming District.

Italian restaurants in Xiamen

Italian is the other thing foreigners and expats reach for here, and the standard is high, which means the prices are too. That is what imported western food costs in China. These are 14.

#1: Tutto Bene Restaurant & Bar

Pizza and vegetarian cooking, and one of the better dining rooms in the city. Address: 1-16 Jianye Road, Siming District.

#2: Pizza Hut (Lujiang Avenue)

The chain, but with a harbor view most branches would envy. Address: 24F, Haibin Mansion, 52 Lujiang Avenue, Siming District.

#3: Hell The Restaurant

Italian and Chinese on the same menu, in the strangest room on this list. Address: 131 Qianpu Wuli, Siming District.

#4: Unico Italian Restaurant

Pasta and seafood in the Marco Polo. Address: 1F, Marco Polo Xiamen, 8 Jianye Road, Siming District.

#5: Olea Restaurant

Italian, Chinese and a vegetarian menu, buffet format, in the Sheraton. Address: 2F, Sheraton Xiamen, 386-1 Jiahe Road, Huli District.

#6: Bei Li XiMeng

Mediterranean and Italian in Zengcuoan. Carbonara and Caesar salads. Address: 15 Zengcuoan, Siming District.

#7: Rosemary Italian Kitchen

Pasta, grilled chicken steak burgers, French snails and Italian wine. Address: Shop 01, 755 Hexiang West Road, Siming District.

#8: La Pizza

Pizza for a table of friends rather than a date. Address: Shop 3, 23 Zhonghang Zijin Plaza, Siming District.

#9: Tuscany Cafe Bar & Grill

Lasagna, pasta, steak and pizza at prices that do not sting. Address: 102-2 Haiwai Xincheng, 27 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#10: Sa Beier Italian Restaurant

Close to Pizza Hut in spirit, with a thicker crust. Address: Wanda Plaza, 4666 Xianyue Road, Huli District.

#11: LiYue Italian Restaurant

Italian with a Chinese hand on the pork dishes. Address: Shop 0103, B1, International Cruise Center, 2 Donggang Road, Siming District.

#12: Drink Town

A wine bar that serves Italian food and runs tastings. Address: 62-105 Shapowei, Yanwu Bridge, Siming District.

#13: YingShi DaYi Mei

Pizza and risotto, priced low. Address: 320 Douziwei Road, Siming District.

#14: Babela Italian Restaurant

Casual Italian buffet in Zhonghua Cheng. Address: 4F, Zhonghua Cheng, 185 Siming South Road, Siming District.

Japanese restaurants in Xiamen

Japanese is the best represented foreign cuisine on the island, sushi above all. These are 10 of the best.

#1: JiangJun RiBen Restaurant

Elegant, properly Japanese room in the Marco Polo, and the food matches. Address: Marco Polo Xiamen, 8 Jianye Road, Siming District.

#2: KotaDe ChuFang

Skewers and Chinese dishes, with a view across to Gulangyu. Address: 4-M402, Xinlinghui Square, 18 Lujiang Road, Siming District.

#3: HABU Japanese Dining and Supper Club

Sushi and a late license inside the InterContinental. Address: 2F, InterContinental Xiamen, 19 Lingshiguan Road, Siming District.

#4: YaZi He Shi Restaurant

Modern room, strong sushi list, Korean dishes too. Address: 1-14 Jixiang Jiayuan, 1 Jianye Road, Siming District.

#5: ZhangBai Shan (Yanwu Road)

Korean first, Japanese second, near Xiamen University. Address: Building C, 69-7 College Town, Yanwu Road, Siming District.

#6: Sushi Express (Wanda)

Conveyor sushi at a few yuan a plate. Address: A1-1076-2, Wanda Plaza, 4666 Xianyue Road, Huli District.

#7: Da Kou Japan Food (Xidi)

All-you-can-eat by the lake, and quiet. Address: Xidi Villa, Xingang Plaza, 10 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#8: HuaShu ShiShang

Cooked in front of you at the counter. Address: Yihao Business Hotel, 40 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#9: Cafe Dongfang (Marco Polo)

Japanese and western dining where a lot of Xiamen’s foreign residents end up. Address: Marco Polo Xiamen, 8 North Jianye Road, Siming District.

#10: Yu Zhi Sushi

Fresh fish and a rice-to-vinegar ratio that is actually right. Address: Jiazhou City Plaza, 123 Lianqian East Road, Siming District.

Chinese and Minnan restaurants in Xiamen

This is where the city actually eats, and where the dishes at the top of the page live. The list runs from a Michelin one-star dining room to a duck shop that closes when the ducks are gone. These are 23.

#1: Yanyu (Xinjing Center)

Fujian fine dining, and a Michelin one-star restaurant in both editions of the Fujian guide so far, 2025 and 2026. Book it. Address: 2F, Xinjing Center Block AB, 21 Jiahe Road, Siming District.

#2: Huang Ze He Peanut Soup

The peanut soup institution on Zhongshan Road, and the place to start a Minnan breakfast. Address: 22-24 Zhongshan Road, Siming District.

#3: Yuehua Satay Noodles

More than thirty years of sha cha mian, and the bowl most visitors are sent to. Address: 78 Zhenbang Road, Siming District.

#4: Haodelai Ginger Duck

Jiang mu ya and nothing much else, listed in the Fujian Michelin guide. Opens at nine, closes when it sells out, and will vacuum-pack a duck to take away. Address: 40 Zhongxing Road, near Baijiacun Road, Siming District.

#5: Ajie Wuxiang (Bashi)

Five spice pork rolls fried to order at the edge of the old Eighth Market. Address: Danshui Alley, Bashi market, Siming District.

#6: 1980 Shao Rou Zong

Minnan sticky rice dumplings with pork belly, on the Zhongshan Road strip. Address: 353-101 Zhongshan Road, Siming District.

#7: Shen Jia Min Nan Chang Fen

Minnan rice rolls on Gulangyu, and cheap for the island. Address: 57 Fujian Road, Gulangyu.

#8: Di Dao Zan

An old-style snack bar doing the classics straight. Address: 983 Xiahe Road, Siming District.

#9: Shapowei Chibao

A food hall gathering Xiamen’s known snack names under one roof. Address: Building 1, 58 Shapowei, Siming District.

#10: Lujiang Hotel Guanhaiting

Fujian cooking with the best harbor view on the waterfront, from breakfast on. Address: 7F, Lujiang Hotel, 54 Lujiang Avenue, Siming District.

#11: Hai TianLou

Peking duck and seafood in a hotel dining room. Address: 4F, Fantai Pingyang Hotel, 19 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#12: Chao Fu Cheng (Hubin North)

Dim sum and shrimp dumplings worth crossing town for. Address: 1F, Jianye Mansion, 28 Hubin North Road, Siming District.

#13: Ming Court (Langham Place)

The Cantonese room at Langham Place, sibling to the Michelin-starred Ming Court in Hong Kong. Address: Langham Place, 4668 Xianyue Road, Huli District.

#14: Zen5es (The Westin)

Modern Cantonese in the Westin. Address: 2F, The Westin Xiamen, 398 Xianyue Road, Huli District.

#15: WangZi Restaurant

Cantonese, large portions, priced for a family table. Address: 3F, Sheraton Xiamen, 386-1 Jiahe Road, Huli District.

#16: Bellagio

Chinese and international cooking in a modern room. Address: 16 Jianye Road, Siming District.

#17: NanPuTuo SuCai

The vegetarian restaurant at Nanputuo Temple, and worth the price. Address: Puzhao Building, Nanputuo Temple, 515 Siming South Road, Siming District.

#18: Haidi Lao (Zhongshan Road)

The hotpot chain, on the walking street. Address: 2F, Mei Du Shangsha, 221-225 Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street, Siming District.

#19: Zhuang Yuan Lou ShiFu

Exact Chinese cooking with a view over the city and the Haicang bridge. Address: Niutoushan scenic area, Dongdu Road, Huli District.

#20: XinJiang Afan Ti

The best lamb on the island, with branches across Xiamen. Address: 13 Yuanchang Square, 170 Hexiang East Road, Siming District.

#21: Qingcai Restaurant

Home-style Fujian cooking, and lighter on oil and salt than it used to be. Address: 2F, 243-257 Nanzhong Plaza, 51-53 Siming West Road, Siming District.

#22: Lijia Dafengshou (Jiazhou)

Iron-plate grilled shrimp and clams, with rice and tea self-service. Address: 4F, Jiazhou Business Mall, 123 Lianqian East Road, Siming District.

#23: Yue Hua Lv Ting Buffet

Cold-dish sashimi and western barbecue in the Yuehua hotel. Address: Yuehua Hotel, 101 Yuehua Road, Huli District.

See also

• Best Time To Visit Xiamen
• Is Xiamen Safe To Visit?
• What food to avoid eating in China