Restaurant in Hangzhou, China
Bib Gourmand two years running. Book it.
A two-time Michelin Bib Gourmand winner on Hangzhou's Qingtai Street, Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu delivers precision Hangzhou cuisine at a ¥¥ price point that makes repeated visits easy to justify. Michelin has recognised it for both 2024 and 2025, signalling real consistency. Easy to book, neighbourhood-facing, and a stronger value proposition than most Hangzhou dining at this tier.
Picture Qingtai Street on a weekday afternoon: the canal-side lane is quiet enough that you can hear the cooking from the doorway. That image matters at Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu because everything here is about accessibility — the address is approachable, the price tier is ¥¥, and the booking situation is far less fraught than the awards would suggest. Michelin awarded this Hangzhou specialist both a Plate and a Bib Gourmand for 2025, on leading of a Bib Gourmand in 2024. Two consecutive Bib Gourmand recognitions at this price point is a meaningful signal: the inspectors came back, and the kitchen held its standard. If you've eaten here once and filed it away as a casual lunch option, it's time to return with more intention.
This is a Hangzhou-cuisine specialist on Qingtai Street in the Shangcheng District, priced at ¥¥. At that tier, the Bib Gourmand distinction is doing real work , it means Michelin's inspectors found quality that punches past the price. Hangzhou cuisine sits within the broader Zhejiang tradition: mild, precise, often sweet-savoury, with an emphasis on freshness over heat. Think braised pork, steamed fish, lotus root preparations, and dishes that read simply on a menu but require careful execution to land correctly. This is not a cuisine that hides behind bold seasoning; technique is visible on the plate.
If you visited once and ordered cautiously, the second visit is the one that counts. Return with a clearer sense of the kitchen's register , order widely, share across the table, and pay attention to the steamed and braised sections of the menu, where Hangzhou cooking tends to show its precision most clearly. The ¥¥ pricing means the risk of over-ordering is low.
The assigned editorial angle here is wine program depth, and the honest answer at a ¥¥ Hangzhou restaurant is to calibrate expectations accordingly. Restaurants at this tier in China's regional cuisine category typically focus budget on the kitchen rather than a formal beverage list. Hangzhou cuisine's flavour profile , gentle sweetness, clean umami, delicate aromatics , actually pairs well with light white wines, dry sparkling options, or quality Chinese yellow wine (huangjiu), which is the more traditional pairing choice and often the more interesting one at this price point. Shaoxing-style huangjiu, produced nearby in Zhejiang Province, has a regional logic to it: the mild oxidative character and restrained sweetness mirror the cuisine's own flavour register rather than competing with it. If the restaurant carries it, order it. If you're approaching this as a wine-first evening, the ¥¥¥ venues in the comparison section below will serve that purpose better , but for food-led dining with a sensible drink alongside, Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu delivers the right balance.
The Shangcheng District contains some of Hangzhou's most concentrated traditional dining, and Qingtai Street specifically has a reputation for canal-side restaurants that serve the city's own food to a local crowd rather than to hotel guests. That geographic positioning matters for the experience: this is not a restaurant designed around international visitors. The clientele shapes the kitchen's instincts , the cooking stays true to local palate rather than softening for outside expectations. For a visitor who has already done the obvious Hangzhou dining (a lakeside meal, a hotel restaurant), Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu on Qingtai Street represents the more grounded, neighbourhood-facing version of the city's cuisine. Compare that orientation with 28 Hubin Road or Jin Sha, both ¥¥¥ operations with a more formal register , and you'll understand what you're choosing between.
Other Pearl-listed Hangzhou restaurants worth knowing in the same neighbourhood tier include Fu Yuan Ju (Shangcheng), Hang's Delicacy (Xihu), and Hao Shi Tang 1987 (Wensan Road) , all operating in the accessible tier and worth cross-referencing when planning a multi-day Hangzhou itinerary. For a broader view of the city's dining options, see our full Hangzhou restaurants guide.
If Hangzhou cuisine is new to you, it helps to know where it sits relative to adjacent traditions. It is lighter and less fishy than the Taizhou style you'd find at Xin Rong Ji, and more ingredient-forward than the heavier Shanghainese preparations you'd encounter at 102 House in Shanghai. Internationally, Tien Hsiang Lo in Taipei represents how Hangzhou-style cooking travels; the Hangzhou original has a different register entirely , less formal, more direct. Closer to home, Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan and 1913 offer additional reference points within the city for how local restaurants interpret the same culinary tradition at different price and formality levels.
For Chinese fine dining with comparable Michelin credentials in other cities, Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Guangzhou, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, and Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing each show how the Michelin framework applies across the region , though none of them operate at the ¥¥ price point, which makes Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu's repeated Bib Gourmand recognition the more meaningful comparison. A Bib Gourmand is specifically Michelin's signal for quality at a price that doesn't require a special-occasion budget. Le Bernardin in New York and Xin Rong Ji in Beijing represent what higher-tier Michelin recognition looks like in practice , useful calibration if you're building a broader picture of the guide's standards.
There is no confirmed tasting menu format in the available data. At ¥¥ pricing with a Bib Gourmand rating, the more likely format is à la carte or set meals rather than a structured omakase or tasting sequence. The value case is strong regardless: two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand recognitions signal that the kitchen delivers quality well above what the price tier would predict. Order broadly rather than relying on a fixed menu, and you'll get a better read on the kitchen's range.
No confirmed signature dishes are listed in the current data. Hangzhou cuisine generally rewards attention to braised and steamed preparations , dishes in those categories tend to show the kitchen's precision most clearly. Avoid over-relying on anything deep-fried or heavily sauced; the cuisine's strength is in restraint. If you visited once and played it safe, the second visit is the time to order more adventurously across the menu, particularly anything lake- or freshwater-sourced, which is central to the Hangzhou culinary tradition.
Yes , the ¥¥ price tier makes solo dining low-risk financially, and Hangzhou-style cuisine works well as individual portions rather than requiring a large group to share widely. The Qingtai Street location in Shangcheng is accessible and local-facing, which means the atmosphere is unlikely to feel formal or uncomfortable for a single diner. For solo visitors to Hangzhou who want a reliable, Michelin-recognised meal without the overhead of a ¥¥¥ or ¥¥¥¥ booking, this is a practical choice.
At ¥¥, the answer is yes , and the Michelin Bib Gourmand is the clearest evidence. The Bib Gourmand is specifically awarded for quality at accessible prices; it is not a consolation prize but a distinct recognition. Two consecutive years of that award means the kitchen is consistent, not a one-season outlier. If you're comparing against ¥¥¥ Hangzhou options like Jin Sha or 28 Hubin Road, the trade-off is formality and room polish versus price , Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu wins on value per yuan spent.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. At ¥¥ pricing and without a high-profile waiting list, you are unlikely to need weeks of advance planning. That said, Michelin recognition does increase foot traffic at any price tier , calling or checking availability a few days ahead is sensible, especially for weekend visits. Confirm hours directly before going, as they are not publicly listed in current data.
No dress code is specified. At a ¥¥ Hangzhou restaurant on a canal-side street in Shangcheng, smart-casual is the safe default , tidy but not formal. This is not a white-tablecloth environment in the way that Ru Yuan at ¥¥¥¥ would require. Dress comfortably for the neighbourhood rather than for a special-occasion meal.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu | Hang Zhou | ¥¥ | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| Xin Rong Ji | Taizhou Cuisine, Taizhou | ¥¥¥ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| 28 Hubin Road | Zhejiang | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — | |
| Ru Yuan | Zhejiang | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Jin Sha | Zhejiang cuisine, Zhejiang | ¥¥¥ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Song | Ningbo | ¥¥¥ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
There is no confirmed tasting menu format in the available record for this venue. What is confirmed is a ¥¥ price point backed by two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025), which signals strong value in an à la carte or set-meal format typical of Hangzhou specialists at this tier. If a structured multi-course experience is what you need, Jin Sha or 28 Hubin Road operate at a higher price bracket and are better suited.
Specific menu items are not documented in the available record. As a Hangzhou-cuisine specialist at ¥¥, the kitchen will likely anchor on dishes that earned the Bib Gourmand recognition: expect lighter, sweeter preparations typical of Zhejiang cooking rather than bold or spicy flavours. Ask staff what the kitchen is known for — that question lands well at focused regional specialists like this.
At ¥¥ with a neighbourhood specialist format on Qingtai Street, solo dining is a reasonable fit — you can work through a few dishes without committing to large-format sharing portions. The Bib Gourmand designation points to a relaxed, accessible environment rather than a formal table-service setting where solo guests can feel out of place.
Yes, at ¥¥ with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands in 2024 and 2025, this is one of the stronger value cases in Hangzhou. The Bib Gourmand is specifically awarded for good food at a moderate price, so the recognition directly validates the spend. For comparison, Jin Sha and 28 Hubin Road offer more formal settings but at a substantially higher price point.
Booking windows are not publicly documented for this venue. That said, Bib Gourmand recognition in China routinely increases foot traffic, so booking a few days ahead for weekends is a sensible precaution. For weekday visits to Qingtai Street, same-day availability is more likely given the neighbourhood character of the area.
No dress code is documented. At ¥¥ on a canal-side street in Shangcheng District, this is a neighbourhood dining context — clean and presentable is sufficient. There is no basis for expecting formal attire at a Bib Gourmand-level restaurant at this price tier.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
