There are plenty of cafes on Xi Jie offering Western, Chinese, and local dishes at very reasonable prices. Although such alfresco dining is extremely pleasant and allows for good people-watching, some tourists have recently complained about being harassed mid-bite by over-eager vendors or would-be English practitioners offering their services as tour guides.
Yangshuo abounds with great cafe food. TheKarst Cafe(Xianqian Jie 42; tel.0773/882-8482) still hangs on the title of best pizza in town, but its enormous "Full Monty" breakfast is worth investigating. At the corner of West Street and Xianqian Jie is the internationally owned and operatedCafe China(tel.0773/882-7744). The ground floor offers typical West Street fare from rich, creamy cheesecake to thick banana pancakes. Its second and third floors are much more elegant: spacious tables, Asian art, and an atmosphere more inclined toward traveling gourmands than backpackers. The rooftop is one of the best locations in town, with excellent mountain views. Local specialties such as deliciouspijiu yu(fish cooked in beer and spices) andbaochao tianluo(Li River snails stuffed with pork) are extremely reliable here but it might be wise to book a table in advance as this is the number-one choice for Western tour groups.
The Italian gelato stalls around town are worth avoiding as both the cones and the gelato taste unpleasantly chemical. While many places do pancakes, onlyThe Balcony,at the bottom of Xianqian Jie (tel.0773/881-2331), does exquisite crepes. Sit outside on the balcony terrace for breakfast, or in evening join the French owner Nico, for a drink.
For more elegant dining, charmingLe Vôtreat Xi Jie 79 (tel.0773/882-8040), occupying half of the former Ming dynasty Jiangxi Guild Hall, offers everything from T-bone steaks to Chinese dishes, but signature specialties include escargots,moules chaude(steamed mussels), andfilet du canard grille(grilled duck filet). Finish off with a creme brûlee or the crêpes suzette. A full bevy of Italian and French wines is available. Main courses range from ¥30 to ¥80 ($3.75-$10).
In answer to requests from visitors for more fine Chinese dining, the owner at Cafe China opened a new restaurant in May 2005, just outside of town in the small village of Liu Gong. Ask at Cafe China or the Magnolia Hotel and staff will organize a boat (¥100-¥150/$13-$19) to take you to this converted village watch tower, less than an hour downstream from Yangshuo. Tourist boats rarely come down this far, so you may have the entire Li River to yourself as you pass the disused sugar refinery that still sits nestled between riverside peaks.Liu Gong Pavilion (Zhi Huan Xuan;www.yangshuoren.com) overlooks the river with a backdrop of mountains so spectacular that it almost answers the question of divine existence. Recommended are the stir-fried sweet-potato shoots and the Yao minority-style braised pork wrapped in rice stalks. Two people can eat here very well for less than ¥100 ($13) and even a pot of fresh coffee is only ¥22 ($3). You might like to take your bikes with you on the boat and then ride home via Fuli. Don't leave too late, though: only a few houses in Liu Gong village have electricity, and one of the Pavilion staffers might have to guide you over the cobbles by flashlight.
To eat where the locals eat, head 1 block north of Xi Jie toDiecui Lu.Walk down past the Magnolia and turn left where the buildings end, where the old market was knocked down to make room for new development. The third shop along is a scary-looking noodle store that's popular with local waitresses. Few locals eat banana pancakes, but with thesespicy snail noodles (luo si fen)this is an opportunity to see what people really eat in Yangshuo, and for just ¥2.50 (30¢).