Restaurant in Chengdu, China
Back-alley Sichuan, twice Michelin-recognised.
Nian Feng Restaurant has earned consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, making it one of Chengdu's strongest arguments for mid-range Sichuan cooking that punches above its price tier. At ¥¥, it sits well below the city's fine-dining bracket while delivering cooking that has passed two full Michelin inspection cycles. Book it if you want credentialed Sichuan food without the formality or cost of Yu Zhi Lan.
Most visitors assume that finding serious Sichuan cooking in Chengdu requires either a long queue at a street stall or a reservation at a white-tablecloth destination like Yu Zhi Lan. Nian Feng Restaurant corrects that assumption. Tucked into Nianfeng Lane in the Jinjiang District, this is a mid-range Sichuan restaurant that has earned consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in both 2024 and 2025 — the guide's designation for exceptional food at moderate prices. That back-to-back credential is the only verdict you need to decide whether this is worth your time: it is, especially if your interest is in eating well without absorbing the full cost of Chengdu's fine-dining tier.
The Bib Gourmand double-stamp positions Nian Feng clearly in the city's mid-market, and that positioning matters for managing your expectations correctly. This is not a destination for an elaborate tasting menu or chef's counter theatre. It is a neighbourhood-rooted Sichuan restaurant where the cooking — classical, regional, and technically grounded , is the reason to go. At the ¥¥ price range, it sits well below the ¥¥¥¥ brackets occupied by Yu Zhi Lan and the city's more formal dining rooms, making it one of the more accessible Michelin-credentialed options anywhere in Chengdu. The chef on record is Michele Gilebbi, a name that stands out against the typical profile of a Sichuan neighbourhood kitchen , though without further sourced detail, the cooking itself is the more reliable guide to what you'll find on the plate.
The address , Nianfeng Lane, Jinjiang District , puts you in a riverside pocket of the city, close to the Hejiang Pavilion area. The lane itself sets a visual tone before you arrive at the door: this is not a polished restaurant-row address, and the setting does much of the work in signalling the kind of experience on offer. You are here for the food, not the room. For a food-focused traveller who has already seen the grander side of Chengdu's restaurant scene, that directness is part of the appeal. Compare it with the refined interiors at Silver Pot or the considered ambiance at Fang Xiang Jing and the contrast is instructive: Nian Feng puts its budget on the plate, not on the fit-out.
Sichuan cuisine at the ¥¥ level rarely anchors itself around a formal bar program, and there is no sourced evidence of a dedicated cocktail offering at Nian Feng. What you should expect, given the cuisine type and price positioning, is a serviceable selection of Chinese spirits , baijiu foremost among them , alongside tea, beer, and possibly a modest wine list. Baijiu's high-proof, grain-forward character is the traditional pairing for Sichuan's numbing heat and fermented funk, and any serious visit to a restaurant of this kind warrants ordering by that logic rather than expecting a Western-style cocktail menu. If a structured drinks program matters as much to you as the food, Chengdu's bar scene is a separate category worth exploring through our full Chengdu bars guide , Nian Feng's draw is the kitchen, not the back bar.
Back-to-back Bib Gourmand listings , 2024 and 2025 , are not handed out for consistency alone. They signal a kitchen that has maintained its standard through at least two full Michelin inspection cycles, which in a competitive city like Chengdu is a meaningful bar. For the explorer traveller building a Chengdu itinerary around the city's Sichuan cooking depth, this two-year track record is more persuasive than a single-year listing would be. It also sets Nian Feng apart from newer entrants in the city's mid-market, where quality can be inconsistent from season to season.
For broader context on where Nian Feng sits within Chengdu's restaurant ecology, see our full Chengdu restaurants guide. If you are building a multi-day itinerary, our Chengdu hotels guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide round out the picture. Travellers interested in how Sichuan cooking translates to other Chinese cities should consider Five Foot Road in Macau and Song in Guangzhou for comparison points outside Sichuan province. For the broader fine-dining tier across mainland China, Xin Rong Ji in Beijing, 102 House in Shanghai, Ru Yuan in Hangzhou, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, Imperial Treasure in Guangzhou, and Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing give useful reference points for what Michelin recognition means at different price tiers.
Reservations: No booking method is listed in available data; walk-in is likely viable given the neighbourhood format, but calling ahead is advisable for groups or weekend visits. Budget: ¥¥ , expect a mid-range spend per head well below Chengdu's fine-dining tier. Dress: No dress code on record; casual is standard for this price range and setting. Location: Nianfeng Lane, Jinjiang District, Chengdu , close to the Hejiang Pavilion riverside area. Booking difficulty: Easy. Leading for: Focused food explorers, solo diners, and couples who want Michelin-credentialed Sichuan cooking without the cost or formality of the city's top-tier rooms. Less suited to: Large groups requiring advance private dining arrangements, or travellers whose priority is a curated drinks program alongside food.
See the comparison section below for how Nian Feng sits against Chengdu's broader mid-market and fine-dining options. Chengdu neighbours Fu Rong Huang and Ma's Kitchen also operate in the mid-range and are worth considering for itinerary variety.
No sourced information is available on dietary accommodation. Traditional Sichuan cooking makes heavy use of chilli, Sichuan peppercorn, pork, and fermented ingredients , communicating restrictions directly with the restaurant before arrival is the practical approach. With no phone or website on record, arranging this in advance may require arriving early and speaking with staff on the day.
It works well for a food-focused celebration where the cooking is the occasion itself. The consecutive Bib Gourmand awards (2024, 2025) give the meal a credential worth marking. That said, the neighbourhood setting and ¥¥ price point mean the atmosphere is unlikely to match the formality of a white-tablecloth event. For a higher-ceremony special occasion, Yu Zhi Lan at ¥¥¥¥ is the stronger call.
No capacity data or group booking policy is available. At the ¥¥ level in a lane-side setting, larger tables are possible but not guaranteed. Groups of four or more should attempt to contact the restaurant directly before arriving , without a listed phone number, the most reliable approach is to visit in person during off-peak hours to confirm arrangements.
No tasting menu is confirmed in available data. If one exists, the back-to-back Bib Gourmand record suggests the kitchen delivers consistent quality , at ¥¥ pricing, even a set-menu format would represent strong value by Michelin-credentialed standards in China. For a confirmed tasting menu experience in Chengdu's premium tier, Yu Zhi Lan is the reference point, though at a considerably higher price.
Yes. The ¥¥ price range, neighbourhood format, and à la carte style (assumed at this tier) make Nian Feng a practical solo choice. Chengdu is generally a solo-friendly dining city, and a mid-range Sichuan restaurant with Michelin recognition is a sound anchor for a solo food itinerary. The lack of a formal booking system also makes spontaneous visits more feasible than at reservation-heavy fine-dining rooms.
At the same ¥¥ price tier, Ma's Kitchen and Fu Rong Huang are worth considering for Sichuan cooking without the premium. For a step down in price, Chen Mapo Tofu on Qinghua Road is the standard reference for a single iconic dish done at scale. If your budget allows the ¥¥¥¥ tier, Yu Zhi Lan is the city's prestige Sichuan address. Vegetarian travellers should look at Mi Xun Teahouse at ¥¥ for a parallel price point with a different focus. See our full Chengdu restaurants guide for the complete picture.
At ¥¥, with consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand listings in 2024 and 2025, yes. The Bib Gourmand is specifically awarded for value , it is the guide's explicit signal that a restaurant delivers above its price weight. In a city where serious Sichuan cooking at the top tier commands ¥¥¥¥ spend, Nian Feng represents a meaningful step down in cost without dropping out of Michelin's recognised quality band.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nian Feng Restaurant | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | ¥¥ | — |
| Xin Rong Ji | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Yu Zhi Lan | Michelin 2 Star | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Mi Xun Teahouse | Michelin 1 Star | ¥¥ | — |
| Chen Mapo Tofu (Qinghua Road) | ¥ | — | |
| Co- | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
Comparing your options in Chengdu for this tier.
Sichuan cuisine at this price point is built around bold, chile-forward and numbing-spice profiles — it is not a format that naturally suits low-heat, allergen-sensitive, or vegetarian-restricted diners without upfront communication. No dietary accommodation policy is listed for Nian Feng. If restrictions matter to your group, check the venue's official channels before visiting, as the Jinjiang District location is not set up with an online booking or communication channel in available records.
At ¥¥ pricing, Nian Feng is the right call for a low-key celebration where the food is the point, not the setting. Back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025 gives it genuine credibility as a dining destination, but if you need private dining, tableside ceremony, or a wine list, look at Yu Zhi Lan instead. Nian Feng works well for occasions where the story is 'we found serious Sichuan cooking in a Chengdu back lane.'
No group booking policy or room configuration data is available for Nian Feng. Given its back-lane neighbourhood format and ¥¥ positioning, large groups should call ahead rather than assume capacity. For groups that want guaranteed space and a more structured experience, Mi Xun Teahouse offers a more bookable format in the Chengdu mid-market.
No tasting menu is confirmed in available data for Nian Feng. At the ¥¥ price range, the format is almost certainly à la carte or set-meal rather than a structured tasting progression. If a multi-course Sichuan tasting experience is your goal, Yu Zhi Lan is the Chengdu reference point at the higher end of that format.
Yes, for a solo diner who wants credible Sichuan food without spending heavily, Nian Feng at ¥¥ with two consecutive Bib Gourmand stamps is a strong choice. The neighbourhood back-lane format typical of this category in Chengdu suits solo visitors who are exploring the city independently. Chen Mapo Tofu on Qinghua Road is a useful solo alternative if you want a single-dish, counter-style format instead.
For à la carte Sichuan at a comparable price, Chen Mapo Tofu on Qinghua Road is the obvious peer and has a longer track record of international recognition. For a step up in formality and price, Yu Zhi Lan represents Chengdu's fine-dining Sichuan tier. Mi Xun Teahouse offers a teahouse-and-food format that suits a different kind of afternoon visit. Xin Rong Ji covers Cantonese rather than Sichuan, so only consider it if you want a cuisine change.
At ¥¥ with two Michelin Bib Gourmand listings in consecutive years (2024 and 2025), Nian Feng is priced well below the recognition it carries. The Bib Gourmand designation specifically signals good cooking at accessible prices, so the value proposition is built into the award. If you are in Chengdu and want serious Sichuan food without the cost of a fine-dining seat, this is a straightforward yes.
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