In Xincheng, there's a small night market that sets up on the south side of the intersection between Xincheng Jie and Tiedong Jie (near the hotels), where you can get spicy grilled lamb kebabs and bowls of yoghurt. Walking east from this intersection, and taking the first right, takes you into a larger market street where you can buy food during the day and night. Otherwise, try the Muslim restaurant next door to the Taoyuan Hotel on Tiedong Lu. You can get standard Chinese fare here (though there is no English menu).

Rather better eating takes place in Laocheng. Just north of Nanmen, and to the west along Liqun Jie, is a good outdoor eating area . Round the corner, on Gulou Lu, the giant, air-conditioned fast-food Muslim restaurant , the Xikedeng Fast Food, is worth a visit for the ambience. Dine at spotless tables while classical music plays in the background. As well as Chinese food, it offers cakes, coffee, even hamburgers and fries. The food isn't brilliant, but at least there's a good range and it's easy to order - just point. A filling dinner won't cost more than ¥20. Inside the air-conditioned Xinhua Shopping Centre opposite, there's an area of tables and chairs where you can linger over a Coke.

On Jiefang Jie you'll find restaurants in all the hotels and quite a few more besides. One excellent example is the Xinyue Fast Food, serving delicacies in a very urbane atmosphere right next door to the Jinqiao Hotel just east of the Drum Tower. The Rainbow Bridge Hotel has a Western restaurant that's not too outrageously expensive - expect to pay around ¥80 per head for dinner. Still on Jiefang Jie, though much farther east, near the bank, there are a lot of small Hui restaurants, serving big bowls of noodles and cheap snacks.