Restaurant in Hangzhou, China
Michelin value at Hangzhou's best price point.
Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan is Hangzhou's clearest value case for Michelin-recognised cooking, earning a Bib Gourmand in 2025 after a Michelin Plate in 2024. At ¥¥, it delivers serious Hangzhou cuisine in a neighbourhood setting in Xiacheng District — a more compelling option than the ¥¥¥ and ¥¥¥¥ alternatives for most diners.
Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan is the clearest value-for-money case in Hangzhou's Michelin-recognised dining scene. At a ¥¥ price point, it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 after holding a Michelin Plate in 2024 — a trajectory that confirms this is not a one-season fluke. If you want to eat Hangzhou cuisine at a credible standard without paying ¥¥¥ or ¥¥¥¥ prices, book here first.
The Bib Gourmand designation exists specifically to flag places where quality outpaces price, and Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan earns that classification in a city with genuine competition. Hangzhou cuisine — sometimes called Hang Bang cuisine , is built around freshwater fish, preserved vegetables, red-braised pork, and the kind of restrained sweetness that distinguishes Zhejiang cooking from the bolder profiles of Sichuan or Cantonese kitchens. This is not a cuisine that announces itself loudly. Its quality shows in technique and ingredient sourcing, which is exactly what a Bib Gourmand signals: serious cooking at accessible prices.
On a first visit, the move is to work through the kitchen's core Hangzhou repertoire and get a baseline read on the cooking. On a second visit, you can go wider , test the kitchen's range, order dishes you passed over the first time, and assess consistency. The 2024-to-2025 award upgrade suggests the kitchen is improving rather than coasting, which is a useful signal for repeat visitors: you are likely to find the food in better shape than it was twelve months ago.
The address , Zhijiechansi Lane 18, Building 6, Xiacheng District , places the restaurant in a quieter residential pocket of central Hangzhou rather than in the tourist-facing lakeside corridor. That matters for the experience: expect a neighbourhood-scale room and a local clientele rather than a dining room designed around West Lake visitors. For food-focused travellers, this is an advantage. The crowd eating here is largely Hangzhou residents who have chosen this place on merit, which is a stronger endorsement than any review.
Chef Salvatore Agate is named in the record, though detailed biographical information is not available in our database. The Michelin progression from Plate to Bib Gourmand over a single cycle suggests consistent kitchen leadership, and the award framing , which recognises value as much as technical achievement , implies the pricing is deliberately accessible rather than a function of compromise.
Hangzhou has two peak visitor periods: the spring weeks around West Lake's cherry blossom season (roughly late March to mid-April) and the National Golden Week holidays in October. During both windows, restaurant demand across the city spikes and booking windows extend. Outside these periods, Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan's Bib Gourmand status means it will draw attention from Michelin-aware visitors year-round, but lead times should be shorter. For a repeat visit focused on depth rather than novelty, mid-week in the shoulder months , November through February, excluding Chinese New Year , gives you the leading chance of a relaxed room and attentive service.
Lunch service at Hangzhou neighbourhood restaurants of this type typically offers better value and a less pressured pace than dinner, though confirmed hours are not in our database. If you are planning a multi-visit strategy, consider splitting your visits between a weekday lunch and a weekend dinner to see how the kitchen performs across different service conditions.
See the comparison section below for how Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan sits against Hangzhou's other Michelin-recognised options.
If Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan is your anchor reservation, build the rest of your Hangzhou dining around complementary options. 1913, Hang's Delicacy (Xihu), Hao Shi Tang 1987 (Wensan Road), Fu Yuan Ju (Shangcheng), and Bao Zhong Bao Shi Fu all sit within Hangzhou's recognised dining circuit and offer different price points and styles for a longer trip. For broader trip planning, see our full Hangzhou restaurants guide, our full Hangzhou hotels guide, our full Hangzhou bars guide, our full Hangzhou wineries guide, and our full Hangzhou experiences guide.
For Zhejiang-style cooking in other cities, 102 House in Shanghai and Tien Hsiang Lo in Taipei offer useful reference points for the regional canon at different price levels. Further afield, Xin Rong Ji in Beijing, Xin Rong Ji in Chengdu, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Guangzhou, Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing, and Le Bernardin in New York City round out a broader view of how technique-driven cooking operates across different culinary traditions.
Yes, clearly. The Michelin Bib Gourmand exists to flag restaurants where the cooking quality is high relative to what you pay. At ¥¥, this is one of the more affordable ways to eat recognised Hangzhou cuisine. Compare it to 28 Hubin Road or Ru Yuan at ¥¥¥ or ¥¥¥¥ and the value gap is substantial. Book here if price efficiency matters.
Seating configuration is not in our database. The neighbourhood setting and price point suggest a small, table-focused room rather than a counter-seating format. Check with the venue directly when booking.
Menu format is not confirmed in our database. Hangzhou neighbourhood restaurants at this price point more commonly operate à la carte or set-meal formats than elaborate tasting menus. The Bib Gourmand award assesses value across the menu rather than a specific format, so the à la carte approach is likely the primary experience here.
Booking difficulty is rated easy outside peak periods. During Golden Week (early October) and spring blossom season (late March to mid-April), book at least one to two weeks ahead. The Bib Gourmand listing will drive some Michelin-tracker visitors year-round, so a few days' notice is advisable even off-peak.
No dress code is specified. The Xiacheng District neighbourhood location and ¥¥ price point point toward a relaxed, casual room. Smart casual is a safe default if you are coming from a business or evening context.
For Zhejiang cuisine at a higher price point, 28 Hubin Road (¥¥¥) and Ru Yuan (¥¥¥¥) are the main comparisons. For Taizhou cuisine at ¥¥¥, Xin Rong Ji is worth considering. If you want French Contemporary at the leading of the market, L'éclat 19 at ¥¥¥¥ is the alternative. Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan remains the clearest value option in this set.
It depends on what the occasion calls for. If you want recognised cooking in an intimate local setting without a large spend, this works well. If the occasion demands a formal room, private dining options, or a wine programme, the ¥¥¥¥ options , Ru Yuan or L'éclat 19 , are more appropriate. For a food-focused celebration where quality matters more than ceremony, Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan is a defensible choice.
No information on dietary accommodation is available in our database. Hangzhou cuisine relies heavily on freshwater fish, pork, and soy-based preparations, which limits options for some dietary requirements. Contact the restaurant directly before visiting if you have specific needs. Phone and website details are not in our current database , check Michelin's Hangzhou listings for current contact information.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | ¥¥ | — |
| Xin Rong Ji | Michelin 1 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
| 28 Hubin Road | ¥¥¥ | — | |
| Ru Yuan | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| L'éclat 19 | Michelin 1 Star | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Song | Michelin 1 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
Comparing your options in Hangzhou for this tier.
Yes, without qualification. At a ¥¥ price point, a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025) signals that quality is running ahead of what you're paying — that designation exists precisely to flag this situation. It upgraded from a Michelin Plate in 2024, which means the quality trajectory is moving in the right direction. For Hangzhou Cuisine at this price, it is the clearest value case among Michelin-recognised options in the city.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in available venue data for Datou Yingshi Xiaoguan. Given its Xiacheng District address and ¥¥ positioning as a xiaoguan (small restaurant), counter or informal seating is plausible, but call ahead or plan to arrive early if solo dining flexibility matters to you.
Specific menu format details are not confirmed in the venue record. Xiaoguan-style restaurants in Hangzhou typically operate à la carte rather than set tasting menus, so if a structured multi-course format is what you're after, a tasting-menu-focused venue like Ru Yuan or L'éclat 19 may be a better fit. Datou's Bib Gourmand award points to value-driven dining rather than prix-fixe formality.
Book at least one to two weeks out, and further in advance if your visit falls during Hangzhou's peak periods: late March to mid-April (West Lake cherry blossom season) or the Golden Week national holidays. Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2025 will have increased demand noticeably. Walk-ins may be possible on slower weekday lunches, but given the small-restaurant format, it's not a risk worth taking.
Dress code details are not specified in the venue data, but a ¥¥-priced xiaoguan with a Bib Gourmand designation points to relaxed, neighbourhood dining rather than a formal setting. Clean, casual clothing is appropriate. Leave the suit at the hotel.
For a step up in occasion and format, Xin Rong Ji and 28 Hubin Road are the higher-end Michelin options in the city. Ru Yuan covers traditional Hangzhou Cuisine with more formal service. L'éclat 19 targets a Western fine-dining crowd. Song offers a quieter, more contemplative experience. If budget and Hangzhou Cuisine authenticity are your priorities, Datou remains the most direct choice among Michelin-recognised venues.
It works for a low-key celebration where the food does the talking, but it's not a special-occasion venue in the formal sense. At ¥¥, it's better positioned as a standout meal than a milestone dinner. For a significant occasion where setting and service formality matter as much as the food, 28 Hubin Road or Xin Rong Ji will serve you better.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
