How to Find Restaurants in China 2026 - Foreigner Guide to Dianping, AMap & Rednote

Coming to China for travel, finding a really delicious restaurant can feel like a real challenge—especially when you're in an unfamiliar city, surrounded by Chinese speakers, with Chinese signs everywhere on the streets.

But don't worry! China is a vast country, and even Chinese people traveling between cities face the exact same problem.

That's why they've already solved it with a few powerful mobile apps. People share their food discoveries, rate every restaurant or attraction they visit, write reviews and tips, and post them online for others (including you!) who are looking for good places to eat.

In this guide, you'll learn how to efficiently find great restaurants using China's three most popular apps: Dianping (大众点评), AMap (高德地图), and Rednote (小红书).

Why These Apps Are Essential

Unlike many Western countries where Google Reviews or Yelp dominate, China has its own vibrant ecosystem of food discovery apps. These platforms are deeply integrated into everyday Chinese life and offer:

Millions of reviews from real Chinese users
Actual photos of the dishes, so you know exactly what to order
Detailed ratings covering taste, ambiance, and service
Built-in navigation to get you straight to the restaurant
App-exclusive deals and discounts
English translation features within the apps

Let’s dive into each app and how to use them effectively.

1. Dianping – China's #1 Restaurant Review Platform

iPhone users can also check restaurants via the built-in Apple Maps app, where the ratings and reviews are sourced from Dianping—but the data there is much simpler and more limited compared to the full Dianping app.

Dianping is like a powerful combination of Yelp and TripAdvisor. It’s China’s most trusted restaurant review platform, with over 150 million monthly active users, and it covers almost every major restaurant and local eatery across the country.

Dianping also covers hotels, attractions, beauty services, entertainment, shopping, and more local lifestyle categories, but in this guide we’re focusing only on how to find great restaurants—you can explore the other features later on your own.

How to Download and Set Up Dianping

Download the app: Search for "Dianping" in the App Store or Google Play Store
Sign up: You can register with an international phone number

Note: Some international phone numbers may not be properly recognized by the app, which can prevent registration. It’s a good idea to download and test the app before arriving in China. If your phone number doesn’t work for registration, you can get a local Chinese SIM card after arrival, or simply log in directly with WeChat.

For guides on getting a Chinese phone number or setting up WeChat Pay as a foreigner, check these two articles:
1. 2026 Full Guide - How Foreigners Get a Chinese SIM Card – Best Plans, eSIM, Airport vs City, Working VPNs
2. How Foreigners Can Sign Up for WeChat Pay (WeXin Pay) and Use It in China
Set the language: Tap 【Profile】 → 【Settings】 → 【Language】, then select your preferred language
Enable location services: This allows the app to show restaurants near you

Download Dianping

Finding a Great Restaurant

Make sure the app's location is accurate (if it's not, check that your phone allows Dianping to access location services)
- You can directly search in the search bar for what you want to eat or the place where you want to dine (the search engine is super powerful—try whatever comes to mind, it might just work 😂)
Tap 【Food】 on the home page to enter the dedicated food section
- You can still use the search box on this page to look for anything directly
- Or filter restaurants using the various options provided (distance, cuisine type, price range, business hours) to find ones that match your preferences
- The page also features different rankings, food maps, and other helpful formats to guide you toward the most suitable restaurants

How to Tell If a Restaurant Is Really Good

When filtering restaurants, judge them based on a combination of ratings and reviews. Note that brand-new restaurants often have higher scores but very few reviews—in general, places with more reviews and still solid ratings tend to be more reliable.

Pay special attention to negative reviews—they’re usually the most honest. In China’s rating system, some businesses offer discounts or perks to encourage higher scores, so locals have a half-joking but very real saying: “Don’t eat at places below 3.5, and don’t eat at places above 4.5 😂.” Of course it’s not a hard rule—it’s just a funny way to highlight that extreme scores can sometimes be misleading.

On the restaurant list page, you can already see:
- The overall rating (out of 5)
- Number of reviews (more reviews usually = more real customers)
- Average price per person
- Distance from your current location
Tap into a restaurant’s detail page
- You’ll find more granular ratings (taste, environment, service, ingredients)
- Business hours and exact location (you can start navigation, call a taxi, or even call the restaurant directly)
- Most importantly, scroll through real customer text reviews and photos — this is where you get the true picture

Filter Restaurants in Dianping

2. AMap – Navigation + Food Recommendations

AMap (高德地图) is China’s most popular navigation and maps app, but it’s also a powerful tool for discovering food. The app has its own dedicated food section with ratings and reviews for every restaurant.

It also features a unique recent addition called AMap Street Ranking (高德扫街榜). This is a dynamic list of local services generated from real user navigation data, actual visits, and AI algorithms (e.g., “Local Favorites,” “Hidden Gems,” “Repeat Visitors”). It emphasizes authenticity—no paid promotions, no fake reviews—and helps you find reliable restaurants, hotels, attractions, and more.

While the AMap Street Ranking sounds great, don’t rely on it 100%. Some truly amazing spots are places locals go so often they don’t even need navigation anymore. Always cross-check with other sources when discovering a restaurant.

How to Download and Use AMap to Find Food

Download: Search for "AMap" in your app store
Sign up: AMap supports fewer international phone numbers than Dianping, so test it in advance. If it doesn’t work, get a local Chinese SIM after arrival.

For details on getting a Chinese phone number, see: 2026 Full Guide - How Foreigners Get a Chinese SIM Card – Best Plans, eSIM, Airport vs City, Working VPNs
Switch to English: AMap supports an English interface, but the Street Ranking section is still only in Chinese—you’ll need a translation app for that part.
- Open the app → Tap 【Settings】 → 【General】 → 【Language Settings】, and set the app to English
Allow location access: Make sure the app can use your current location for the best results

Download AMap

Finding Food on AMap

Just like Dianping, you can search directly in the home page search bar
Tap 【Food】 on the home screen to enter the dedicated food section, where you can search and filter restaurants
Restaurants show similar info as in Dianping: ratings, business hours, price range, exact location, reviews, etc.
Once you pick a restaurant, you can navigate there directly

Search for Restaurants in AMap

3. Rednote – Instagram Meets Food Discovery

Friendly reminder: Rednote also has commercial/sponsored content, so be sure to spot and filter it out.

Rednote is a social media platform where Chinese users share lifestyle content, including tons of food reviews and recommendations. You can think of it as a blend of Instagram and Pinterest.

Why Use Rednote for Food Hunting?

Visual-first platform: Perfect if you don’t read Chinese—just enjoy the beautiful food photos
Detailed photo guides: Many posts show exactly what to order, with pictures of every dish
Honest local opinions: Users share real experiences, not just star ratings
Trendy and up-to-date: Discover the newest restaurants and food trends
Neighborhood guides: Find hidden gems in specific areas

How to Use Rednote to Discover Food

Download the app: Search for "rednote"
Sign up: Supports international phone numbers for registration
Set language: Tap 【Me】 → 【Settings】 → 【Language and Translation】, then set the app language and content translation to your preferred language
Search: Go back to the home page and search for what you want

Download and Use Rednote

Finding Restaurant Recommendations

Search Strategies

Use these search terms (copy-paste them straight into the app):

[City Name] + 美食推荐 = Food recommendations in [City]
[Area Name] + 餐厅 = Restaurants in [Area]
外国人推荐 = Foreigner recommendations
必吃榜 = Must-eat lists

Reading Posts

Look for posts with high engagement (lots of likes and comments)
Swipe through photos to see different dishes
Posts usually include:
- Restaurant name and location
- Specific dish recommendations and prices
- Ordering tips
- Atmosphere photos
Bookmark interesting posts (bookmark icon) for later reference

Rednote’s Advantages

Discover trendy and brand-new restaurants that might not have many reviews on Dianping yet
See the real presentation of dishes before ordering
Learn about seasonal specials and limited-time menu items
Find English-friendly restaurants (some users will note this in their posts)

Search for Restaurants Using Rednote

Practical Tips for Combining All Three Apps

For the best results, use all three apps together:

Start with Rednote: Get inspiration from stunning photos and spot trending spots
Verify on Dianping: Check ratings, read detailed reviews, and look for deals
Confirm and navigate with AMap: Cross-check the restaurant and get directions right there

Payment

Once you've found a delicious spot, it's time to pay! Here's what you need to know:

Most restaurants accept WeChat Pay, Alipay, and increasingly international credit cards
Some small local eateries may only accept Chinese mobile payments

For detailed setup guides, check these:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a Chinese phone number to use these apps?

For Dianping and AMap, you can register with an international phone number. Rednote also accepts international numbers, but some may not be recognized by the app—so it's best to download and try registering before you arrive in China.

Q: Do these apps have English versions?

Yes—Dianping, AMap, and Rednote all support English interfaces, but some pages or user-generated content may still be in Chinese only, so you might need to use a translation tool for those parts.

Q: Can I use these apps without WeChat or Alipay?

A: Absolutely! These are standalone apps. Having WeChat or Alipay just unlocks extra deals and makes paying much smoother and more convenient.

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