Top 15 Best Dim Sum and Cantonese Restaurants in Guangzhou 2026

Pan Xi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) has operated since 1947 on the bank of a scenic canal in Liwan District and is one of the most architecturally spectacular dining venues in China — its pavilions, lily ponds, covered walkways, and bonsai gardens covering 2 hectares create a near-mythical classical Lingnan garden setting. The dim sum menu runs to over 100 items; the pan-fried turnip cake (萝卜糕), lotus leaf-steamed sticky rice (荷叶糯米鸡), and slow-simmered wonton noodle soup are signature dishes. Budget CNY 100-200 per person (HKD 108-215). Dianping: 4.6/5. TripAdvisor reviewers call it "the most beautiful restaurant setting in southern China." Book well in advance for weekend yum cha.

Guangzhou Restaurant (广州酒家), founded in 1935 on Wenchang South Road, is the restaurant most associated with Guangzhou's culinary identity — its mooncakes (广州酒家月饼) are the best-selling mooncakes in China and are flown to Hong Kong, Singapore, and San Francisco every Mid-Autumn Festival. The yum cha service is a Guangzhou institution, with bamboo steamer trolleys loaded with hundreds of varieties of dim sum circling the vast dining hall. Budget CNY 80-160 per person (HKD 86-172). Dianping: 4.6/5. Must-orders: crispy taro dumplings (芋角), prawn dumplings (虾饺皇), and BBQ pork buns (叉烧包). Photo menus available; some English-speaking staff.

Lian Xiang Lou (莲香楼) was established in 1889 and is the originator of the lotus seed paste mooncake (莲蓉月饼) — a pastry now synonymous with Cantonese cuisine worldwide. The restaurant on Dishipu Road still grinds its lotus paste in-house daily using a recipe unchanged for 130+ years. The ground-floor bakery section sells freshly made egg tarts, coconut pastries, and mooncakes at CNY 5-25 per piece; the upstairs tea house serves full dim sum from 7am. Dianping: 4.6/5. Mafengwo users describe it as "an obligatory pilgrimage for any serious Cantonese food lover from Hong Kong." The signature Lotus Paste Wife Cake (莲蓉老婆饼) is CNY 12 and sells out by 10am on weekends.

Bingsheng (炳胜) is a modern upscale Cantonese restaurant group with multiple Guangzhou locations that has earned consistent Michelin Guide recommendation since the guide's Guangdong edition launched. Its signature dishes include slow-roasted crispy suckling pig (脆皮乳猪), soy-simmered Wagyu beef brisket, and premium live-catch seafood steamed with ginger and spring onions. Budget CNY 250-500 per person (approx. HKD 270-540). Dianping: 4.8/5. TripAdvisor reviewers note it as "the best upscale Cantonese dining in Guangzhou for special occasions — more inventive than equivalent Hong Kong establishments." Full English menus available; advance reservation essential for weekends.

Tim Ho Wan (添好运) originated in Hong Kong as the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant and has expanded to Guangzhou with branches in Tianhe and Yuexiu Districts. The menu is streamlined around the restaurant's famous four "Heavenly Kings": BBQ pork buns (酥皮叉烧包), steamed egg cake (马拉糕), pan-fried turnip cake (萝卜糕), and rice in lotus leaf (荷叶蒸饭). Budget CNY 60-100 per person (approx. HKD 65-108). Dianping: 4.6/5. For Hong Kong families, the familiar menu and consistent quality make it an excellent reliable lunch option after a morning of sightseeing. English menus available. Queue times are 20-45 minutes without reservation.

Liwan District (荔湾) is the epicentre of Guangzhou's wonton noodle culture, with dozens of small family-run shops serving the original Guangdong version of the dish — bouncy alkaline noodles, thin-skinned pork-and-prawn wontons with tiger prawn roe filling, in a clear broth made from dried flounder and pork bones. The Cantonese wonton noodle (云吞面) here is the ancestor of the HK-style bowl, and locals insist it is superior. Bowls cost CNY 15-30 (approx. HKD 16-32). Dianping favourites on Longjin Street score 4.6-4.8/5. Mafengwo users say "eating wonton noodles in old Liwan is a must for any Hong Kong visitor — this is where it all started."

Guangzhou has its own distinct cha chaan teng (茶餐厅) culture that differs subtly from Hong Kong: the milk tea (奶茶) is brewed stronger and served in taller glasses, the pork chop bun (猪扒包) uses a chewier local bread, and the toast (西多士) is often served with condensed milk and peanut butter. The best Guangzhou-style cha chaan teng in the city are found in old residential areas of Yuexiu and Liwan, where they open from 6am for the morning rush. Budget CNY 20-40 per person (approx. HKD 22-43). Mafengwo reviewers note the experience is "more authentic and less touristy than Hong Kong equivalents, and at half the price." Dianping community ratings: consistently 4.4-4.7/5.

Guangzhou's congee culture is arguably the finest in the world — the city's best porridge restaurants slow-cook rice in premium stock for 6-8 hours until it dissolves to an almost creamy consistency, then top it with the freshest raw fish slices (鱼生粥), tender beef balls (牛肉粥), or silky pork and preserved egg (皮蛋瘦肉粥) which poach instantly in the hot congee. The most famous congee street is along Lychee Bay (荔湾涌) in Liwan, where riverside congee restaurants have served since the 1920s. Budget CNY 25-50 per person. Dianping: 4.6-4.8/5. Mafengwo users insist the fish congee here "renders anything served in Hong Kong restaurants merely adequate by comparison."

Guangzhou's roast meat (烧腊) culture is the foundation of the Cantonese culinary tradition that Hong Kong restaurants are built upon. Specialist roast shops line the markets of Liwan and Yuexiu, their glass cases displaying crackling-skinned roast pork (烧肉), glossy char siu BBQ pork (叉烧), roast duck (烧鸭), and soy chicken (豉油鸡). A plate of mixed roast meats with rice (烧腊饭) costs CNY 25-50 (approx. HKD 27-54). The most celebrated shops — Guangzhou Roast Meats on Shang Xia Jiu and several Longjin Road institutions — have Dianping scores of 4.7-4.8/5 and queues that begin before 11am. Buy roast pork to bring home; it is significantly cheaper and of comparable quality to Hong Kong.

Pan Xi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) has operated since 1947 on the bank of a scenic canal in Liwan District and is one of the most architecturally spectacular dining venues in China — its pavilions, lily ponds, covered walkways, and bonsai gardens covering 2 hectares create a near-mythical classical Lingnan garden setting. The dim sum menu runs to over 100 items; the pan-fried turnip cake (萝卜糕), lotus leaf-steamed sticky rice (荷叶糯米鸡), and slow-simmered wonton noodle soup are signature dishes. Budget CNY 100-200 per person (HKD 108-215). Dianping: 4.6/5. TripAdvisor reviewers call it "the most beautiful restaurant setting in southern China." Book well in advance for weekend yum cha.

Guangzhou Restaurant (广州酒家), founded in 1935 on Wenchang South Road, is the restaurant most associated with Guangzhou's culinary identity — its mooncakes (广州酒家月饼) are the best-selling mooncakes in China and are flown to Hong Kong, Singapore, and San Francisco every Mid-Autumn Festival. The yum cha service is a Guangzhou institution, with bamboo steamer trolleys loaded with hundreds of varieties of dim sum circling the vast dining hall. Budget CNY 80-160 per person (HKD 86-172). Dianping: 4.6/5. Must-orders: crispy taro dumplings (芋角), prawn dumplings (虾饺皇), and BBQ pork buns (叉烧包). Photo menus available; some English-speaking staff.

Lian Xiang Lou (莲香楼) was established in 1889 and is the originator of the lotus seed paste mooncake (莲蓉月饼) — a pastry now synonymous with Cantonese cuisine worldwide. The restaurant on Dishipu Road still grinds its lotus paste in-house daily using a recipe unchanged for 130+ years. The ground-floor bakery section sells freshly made egg tarts, coconut pastries, and mooncakes at CNY 5-25 per piece; the upstairs tea house serves full dim sum from 7am. Dianping: 4.6/5. Mafengwo users describe it as "an obligatory pilgrimage for any serious Cantonese food lover from Hong Kong." The signature Lotus Paste Wife Cake (莲蓉老婆饼) is CNY 12 and sells out by 10am on weekends.

Bingsheng (炳胜) is a modern upscale Cantonese restaurant group with multiple Guangzhou locations that has earned consistent Michelin Guide recommendation since the guide's Guangdong edition launched. Its signature dishes include slow-roasted crispy suckling pig (脆皮乳猪), soy-simmered Wagyu beef brisket, and premium live-catch seafood steamed with ginger and spring onions. Budget CNY 250-500 per person (approx. HKD 270-540). Dianping: 4.8/5. TripAdvisor reviewers note it as "the best upscale Cantonese dining in Guangzhou for special occasions — more inventive than equivalent Hong Kong establishments." Full English menus available; advance reservation essential for weekends.

Tim Ho Wan (添好运) originated in Hong Kong as the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant and has expanded to Guangzhou with branches in Tianhe and Yuexiu Districts. The menu is streamlined around the restaurant's famous four "Heavenly Kings": BBQ pork buns (酥皮叉烧包), steamed egg cake (马拉糕), pan-fried turnip cake (萝卜糕), and rice in lotus leaf (荷叶蒸饭). Budget CNY 60-100 per person (approx. HKD 65-108). Dianping: 4.6/5. For Hong Kong families, the familiar menu and consistent quality make it an excellent reliable lunch option after a morning of sightseeing. English menus available. Queue times are 20-45 minutes without reservation.

Liwan District (荔湾) is the epicentre of Guangzhou's wonton noodle culture, with dozens of small family-run shops serving the original Guangdong version of the dish — bouncy alkaline noodles, thin-skinned pork-and-prawn wontons with tiger prawn roe filling, in a clear broth made from dried flounder and pork bones. The Cantonese wonton noodle (云吞面) here is the ancestor of the HK-style bowl, and locals insist it is superior. Bowls cost CNY 15-30 (approx. HKD 16-32). Dianping favourites on Longjin Street score 4.6-4.8/5. Mafengwo users say "eating wonton noodles in old Liwan is a must for any Hong Kong visitor — this is where it all started."

Guangzhou has its own distinct cha chaan teng (茶餐厅) culture that differs subtly from Hong Kong: the milk tea (奶茶) is brewed stronger and served in taller glasses, the pork chop bun (猪扒包) uses a chewier local bread, and the toast (西多士) is often served with condensed milk and peanut butter. The best Guangzhou-style cha chaan teng in the city are found in old residential areas of Yuexiu and Liwan, where they open from 6am for the morning rush. Budget CNY 20-40 per person (approx. HKD 22-43). Mafengwo reviewers note the experience is "more authentic and less touristy than Hong Kong equivalents, and at half the price." Dianping community ratings: consistently 4.4-4.7/5.

Guangzhou's congee culture is arguably the finest in the world — the city's best porridge restaurants slow-cook rice in premium stock for 6-8 hours until it dissolves to an almost creamy consistency, then top it with the freshest raw fish slices (鱼生粥), tender beef balls (牛肉粥), or silky pork and preserved egg (皮蛋瘦肉粥) which poach instantly in the hot congee. The most famous congee street is along Lychee Bay (荔湾涌) in Liwan, where riverside congee restaurants have served since the 1920s. Budget CNY 25-50 per person. Dianping: 4.6-4.8/5. Mafengwo users insist the fish congee here "renders anything served in Hong Kong restaurants merely adequate by comparison."

Guangzhou's roast meat (烧腊) culture is the foundation of the Cantonese culinary tradition that Hong Kong restaurants are built upon. Specialist roast shops line the markets of Liwan and Yuexiu, their glass cases displaying crackling-skinned roast pork (烧肉), glossy char siu BBQ pork (叉烧), roast duck (烧鸭), and soy chicken (豉油鸡). A plate of mixed roast meats with rice (烧腊饭) costs CNY 25-50 (approx. HKD 27-54). The most celebrated shops — Guangzhou Roast Meats on Shang Xia Jiu and several Longjin Road institutions — have Dianping scores of 4.7-4.8/5 and queues that begin before 11am. Buy roast pork to bring home; it is significantly cheaper and of comparable quality to Hong Kong.