Baohua Jiujia , Lianhu Lu. Just west of the New World Hotel, this is a popular local place, though it does have an English menu, to suit all tastes and budgets. Try the braised pork, or the fish with chrysanthemum if money is no object. The side rooms are more pleasant than the narrow front hall.

Bob and Betty's , Dong Dajie, opposite the Royal Hotel. A fast-food place popular with young locals that sells rather bland pizza and apple pie. Sit upstairs for a view over the street.

Dad's Home Cooking , Fenghe Lu. Opposite the Flats of Renmin Hotel, and in fierce competition with Mum's next door. A backpacker haunt, with the usual sweet and sour pork, chocolate pancakes, and chips; try the apple dipped in caramel. Check the restaurant's book for travellers' news and tips. They also offer cheap bike rental and laundry.

Dongya Fandian , 46 Luoma Shi. A large, expensive Shanghai restaurant founded in 1916 that serves Wuxi and Suzhou cuisine, but it's a little uninspiring, with an English menu that doesn't give you many options.

KFC , Nan Dajie, just south of the Bell Tower. A vast place, so big it always seems empty.

Laosunjia , 364 Dong Dajie. This Muslim restaurant, where foreigners are escorted upstairs to the third floor, is highly recommended. Most of the customers eat the house speciality, paomo, meat stew (¥20). First you are given two cakes of bread, which you break into little pieces with your fingers and drop into a bowl - a time-consuming process, but it gets you hungry. Then the bowl, marked with a numbered clothes peg, is taken to the kitchen and piled with shredded meat, noodles and sauces. The beef and oxtail here is also very good. Wash your food down with "Eight Treasures Tea", a mixture of tea, nuts, fruit and crystallized sugar.

Lemon-tree West , Nan Dajie. If you're craving expensive Western fast food, this mock-diner should satisfy your taste buds. To get there from the Bell Tower, walk down Nan Dajie and turn right by the Agricultural Bank of China into an alleyway. A meal for two should cost about ¥120 (including pricey drinks).

Mum's Home Cooking , Fenghe Lu, opposite the Flats of Renmin Hotel. An imitator of Dad's offering all the same services. Again, staff are friendly, English-speaking and clued up about what travellers want.

Pavilion , at the Hyatt Regency, Dong Dajie. The most exclusive place in town, this Cantonese restaurant is elegantly decorated and the food up to standard. Delicacies include abalone and shark, and there's a speciality tea list. A meal for two will cost around ¥350.

Shaanxi Local Food Restaurant , Dong Dajie. A renamed (formerly the Xi'an Restaurant) Xi'an institution, this huge place has four dining floors, with the best views over Dong Dajie from the second floor. The atmosphere is pretty good, as is the food, but it's not cheap, with a meal for two costing at least ¥100.

Sichuan Fandian , 151 Jiefang Lu. This place is tucked away above an unpromising-looking canteen; the stairs are on the north side. Excellent food and very popular, though they tone down the spices for foreigners.

Singapore Food Court , 237 Dong Dajie. The only notable thing about this Asian fast-food place is that it is open 24 hours.

Sushi Restaurant , 223 Dong Dajie. Authentic and reasonably priced sushi bar. You can either sit and select from the conveyor belt, or order pricier options from one of the booths.

Tang Dynasty , 39 Chang'an Dajie. Speciality dumplings and a daily Cantonese lunch buffet. Dinner is a Feng Wei banquet followed by a cultural show, which will set you back ¥391.

Wuyi Fandian , 351 Dong Dajie. Offers steamed buns and dumplings which you buy on the street, then take inside to the canteen. The third floor of the hotel upstairs has a restaurant with a more sedate atmosphere specializing in Jiangsui and Anhui cuisine. The speciality Banpo fish is highly recommended.

Xianghelou Roast Duck , 365 Dong Dajie. The entrance to this second-floor place is on the west side of an alleyway just off Dong Dajie. Specializes in Beijing duck and is good value at ¥80 for a set meal for two.