Beijing Duck , Zunyi Lu, nearby the train station square. Tucked away behind street stalls and hawkers, this is an upmarket restaurant - expect at least ¥80 a person for a full duck - serving exactly what you'd expect from the name.

G-Mart , Zhonghua Lu. This department store isn't the obvious place to go for a feed, but there's a good hotplate restaurant on the top floor, part of the American Cowboy chain, where you fill up your fixed-price plate with thinly sliced meats and veggies, then cook them at the table.

Jue Yuan , 51 Fushui Bei Lu. A very inexpensive vegetarian temple restaurant in the town centre (the temple is out the back), with plain dishes lacking garlic and onions - forbidden to strict Buddhists - but filling the gap with chillies. Ordering is tricky, with the staff unused to dealing with illiterate foreigners; point to what others are eating.

Norway Forest , Xihu Lu. A homely retreat for Guiyang's expats, this snug place features (expensive) gourmet coffee, beer and snacks, in Western-style café ambience.

Yixin Yuan , Xihu Lu. The best of three smart, very popular mid-range restaurants in the area overlooking the river and Jiaxiu Lou. The manageress is friendly and speaks some English, and the food is extremely good, from snacks such as stir-fried potato shreds, crisp-fried sprats in vinegar, and cornmeal steamed in lotus leaves, through to cold sliced meats, noodles or shuijiao with dipping sauces, and dried ham and gingko nuts. Zima daming is another Guizhou speciality you'll find here: a large, circular, bread-like sweet cake.