Suzhou Food and Restaurants
Suzhou Cuisine
Suzhou cuisine excels in every branch of culinary art - stewing, braising, quick-frying, stir-frying, steaming, roasting, and deep-frying. During your China tours to Suzhou, you’ll find that the local dishes tend to be sweet. The soups are clear, but not thin; the gravy is rich, but not heavy. Suzhou cooks are especially good at preparing dishes using freshwater products.
The eastern Chinese cuisine of Suzhou enjoys a significant position in China's culinary culture. Together with classic Suzhou gardens, silk embroidery, and handicrafts, Suzhou cuisine is one of the four major cultural heritages. It has a long history, dating back to 5000-6000 years ago. Archaeological finds showed that the local people around 4000 BC began to prepare and eat cooked food in Suzhou.
In the Tang Dynasty, the "boat dishes" became popular as the rich people liked to hold banquets on boats so as to enjoy the beautiful scenery and food at the same time. After thousands of years of development, Suzhou cuisine has formed 12 categories, and more than 1200 different dishes, which follows the tradition, and is sweet, light in taste, uses high-quality ingredients, and exquisite cooking. Its vegetarian and aquatic dishes are especially famous.Best Food in Suzhou
1. Squirrel Mandarin Fish
As one of the most popular Chinese foods, this Suzhou food is a masterpiece of knife work and beauty. The fish is carved into delicate petals, deep-fried until crisp and fluffy, then drenched with glossy sweet-and-sour sauce. It pops and crackles like a “squirrel,” and the sweet tang with tender white meat is unforgettable.
2. Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab
If you travel to Suzhou in autumn, this is your religion. The golden crab roe is creamy and rich, the meat is sweet and delicate, and dipping it in ginger-vinegar unlocks the flavor of the lake itself. It’s seasonal, luxurious, and one of Suzhou’s famous food icons. So don’t miss it on your food tour of China.
3. Wansan Pork Hock
Deep, glossy, soy-braised pork perfection. The skin is ruby red, the meat falls apart with a spoon, and somehow it’s rich without being greasy. This dish is a full-on flavor bomb and a local legend for good reason, embodying the delicate and savory charm that makes Suzhou food truly unforgettable.4. Muyou Boat Duck
A classic Suzhou winter dish served in many Suzhou restaurants—comforting, warming, and bursting with umami. Made with large Taihu ducks and “muyou,” the original soy sauce brewed under the scorching summer sun, this stew has a jujube-red broth and unbelievably tender meat.5. Cangshu Lamb
This is a centuries-old Chinese food with cultural heritage status. Whether white-braised, stewed into a milky soup, or cooked dark and caramelized, the flavor is clean and soothing. If you’re traveling to Suzhou in winter, nothing warms you up faster, making it a must-try highlight of Suzhou food for every visitor.
>> Recommended 10-day Taste of China Culinary Tour with Suzhou
Best Restaurants in Suzhou
Whether you want traditional Suzhou classics, modern dining, Chinese vegetarian cuisine, or international flavors during your Suzhou tours, these restaurants in Suzhou, China deliver.Top Chinese Restaurants in Suzhou
1. Songhelou
This is one of those classic, can’t-go-wrong Suzhou restaurants—super old-school, elegant, and perfect if you want a real taste of traditional Su-style cooking on your Suzhou food tour.
2. Deyuelou
Another legendary Suzhou restaurant on Guanqian Street, known for refined Jiangnan dishes and a nostalgic old-world vibe.
3. Xin Jufeng Restaurant
A century-old local favorite and a Black Pearl 4-diamond pick for delicious Suzhou food. Amazing value, traditional flavors, and zero tourist traps.
Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Suzhou
These are also great picks for Suzhou halal food—many dishes can be prepared in a Muslim-friendly way. Ideal for Muslim tours in China or travelers seeking clean, plant-based options.1. Dashu Wujie
High-end creative vegetarian dining with a peaceful, zen-like setting. Every plate in this Suzhou, China restaurant is artistic—almost too pretty to eat.
2. Hanshansi Vegetarian Hall
Located inside the famous Hanshan Temple, this place serves comforting, traditional Buddhist food in Suzhou.
3. Nature’s Own
One of the best chic plant-based restaurants in Suzhou Center Mall, with creative dishes like truffle vegetarian “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” that sells thousands each month.
>> Recommended 8-day East China delight tour for Muslims
Popular Western and International Restaurants in Suzhou
1. Sizzzling Steakhouse
A favorite Suzhou restaurant for premium steaks and an elegant date-night setting. Quality ingredients, great wine, and consistent service.
2. Old Shark
Casual Western dining with hearty portions—perfect for travelers craving comfort food in Suzhou. Burgers, pizza, pasta… they nail it all.
3. Ganesh Indian Restaurant, Suzhou
If you’re in Suzhou and in the mood for Indian vibes and lake-side chill, this is a pretty cool spot — lively, with decent Northern-India style food and a location right by the water.
Suzhou Famous Food Streets
Pingjiang Road
Ranked one of the most beautiful historical streets in China, Pingjiang Road is that dreamy old canal lane you see on postcards—tiny, artsy, and kind of addictive to stroll. It’s a great place to grab cute souvenirs, then immediately reward yourself with snacks like sticky rice cakes, crab-shell pastries, or a warm bowl of noodles in a tucked-away Suzhou restaurant.Guanqian Street
Guanqian Street is basically Suzhou’s classic shopping-and-eating runway. It’s been buzzing since the Qing Dynasty days. The whole street is about 800 meters, but feels longer because there’s so much going on: malls, old-time brands, trendy snack shops, and that constant “something smells good over there” vibe. If you want a mix of famous Suzhou food plus modern dessert hits, this is your spot.Shantang Street
Shantang Street is seven li long, and it’s been capturing hearts for more than a thousand years. The night view here is next-level, so you can visit Suzhou Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Suzhou Museum during the day and show up Shantang Street around late afternoon, snack your way into sunset, then keep eating under the lights.Fengmen Hengjie
This one feels the most “real Suzhou”. Fengmen Hengjie isn’t polished or touristy—it’s loud, smoky, and totally about everyday local life. Think cheap, cheerful snacks, aunties running tiny stalls, and the kind of Suzhou food that’s made for people who eat here weekly, not once in a lifetime.Shuangta Market
Shuangta Market used to be a regular neighborhood market, and then it got a glow-up. Now it’s a super fun mix of fresh produce, local snack stalls, flower shops, and cute little cultural-creative stores. Visiting there on your Suzhou tours, you can snack on Gu Su-style pastries, sip something chill, and then wander into a corner selling vintage-inspired crafts.
>> Recommended 2-day Suzhou culture tour with food streets
Must-Try Suzhou Street Food
1. Shengjian Bao
These pan-fried buns are pure crispy-bottom joy. You’ll smell the sesame and scallions first, then you take that first bite and—boom—hot soup everywhere in the best way. The bottom is crunchy, the pork is juicy, and the moment you taste it, you’ll get why people call this one of the best Suzhou foods.2. Paper-thin Shaomai
The wrapper is so thin it’s almost see-through, and you can literally spot the pink shrimp inside. Dip it in a little vinegar, and the sweetness pops even harder. Locals love adding ginger shreds to cut the richness, which makes it fresher and lighter. It’s the kind of Suzhou food that you immediately want “just one more.”3. Crab Roe Noodles
This is luxury in noodle form. Every strand is wrapped in crab roe and crab paste, so the flavor is just ridiculously rich and ocean-sweet. Pro tip: add a splash of vinegar to wake everything up, then a pinch of white pepper if you want that cozy warmth.
>> See top 10 Chinese noodles
4. Fresh Meat Mooncakes
These aren’t dessert mooncakes—they are savory, juicy mooncakes, one of the best foods in Suzhou. Fresh out of the oven, the crust is crispy but slightly chewy, and the pork filling is hot, fragrant, and not greasy at all. Bite in slowly, and the meat juice soaks into the pastry like it was meant to be there.5. Fish-flavor Spring Rolls
This is one of the most popular kid-friendly Chinese foods in Suzhou. Don’t judge these spring rolls by the looks—they’re low-key on the outside but full of flavor. The filling is made from perch and shrimp, the skin is thin and crackly, and the whole roll feels light but really satisfying.