杭州西城酒店

Since 1987, diners have been flocking here for authentic traditional Hangzhou food. The head chef excels at preparing river fish, such as river shrimps in Huadiao wine, a feast of runny roe, briny-sweet meat and mesmerising aromas. With a bit of luck, you will get to savour the tender oily flesh of steamed river eel with Chinese ham – best enjoyed with their home-brewed bayberry wine. Ask the servers about the daily specials.

Slightly off the beaten track, the wood- and bamboo-rich interior exudes a rustic, farmhouse feel. Similarly, farm-style cooking from the Qiandao Lake region defines the menu, showcasing ingredients like dried bamboo shoot, free-range chicken, river fish and foraged greens. Sautéed fiddlehead with cured ham packs big crispy flavours. Thick rice soup is loaded with tofu, chillies, garlic, pork intestine and dried fiddlehead, boasting deep umami.

After honing his skills in a number of prestigious kitchens, chef Alan Yu took on this atmospheric restaurant in 2022. The six tables are enclosed by heavily textured stone walls that afford much privacy. There is one private room for ten diners, with multimedia projections for an immersive experience. They serve a single tasting menu at lunch and dinner, with courses rooted in French tradition and boosted by subtle Chinese twists.

The sign says ‘1987’ because that is when the owner became a professional chef. Known for authentic Hangzhou cooking at bargain prices, this neighbourhood joint does not have a paper menu. Pick your own river fish and veggies, and specify how you want them cooked or check out the blackboard for specials. Sweet and sour pork ribs boast a crisp crust covered in a punchy sauce. Finish with sweet glutinous rice wine with osmanthus aroma made from house-made distillers’ grains.

The owner, who hails from Shaoxing, insists on driving back to his hometown every other day to source the freshest ingredients for his restaurant – which explains why the menu is handwritten on a white board and different every day. That said, the must-try stinky tofu is a permanent fixture: made with 20-plus-year-old fermenting brine from his family, it has rich deep flavours that complement the lamb brain it is steamed with. Try the river fish, too.

It's a bit out of the way, but that doesn't stop diners from coming here in droves for authentic Shaoxing dishes. The menu is written daily on the whiteboard. All ingredients are seasonal and shipped from Shaoxing. The free-range chicken marinated in aged distillers' grains has firm, flavoursome flesh with a hint of wine aromas. The stinky duo, or stinky tofu with fermented amaranth stems, exudes a stench that you'll either love or hate!

Nothing speaks of the ethos of this restaurant serving Wenzhou and Taizhou dishes more eloquently than its name – yes, freshness is key. The freshest seafood from southern Zhejiang, such as razor clams, live oysters and mud whelks are prepared in myriad ways. The springy fishcake bursts with seafood umami. The duck soup with Chinese herbal medicine is both tasty and nourishing. The dim sum, eg rice cake or wheat cake, are rustic and comforting.