Restaurant in Hangzhou, China
Michelin-starred Sichuan: book for milestones.
A Michelin-starred Sichuan tasting menu in Hangzhou's Shangcheng District, Yu Zhi Lan is the strongest case for a special occasion dinner in the city at the ¥¥¥ tier. Chef Lan Guijun delivers structured, course-by-course cooking in a composed, conversation-friendly room. Book at least three to four weeks out — availability is tight and there is no straightforward online reservation channel.
Yu Zhi Lan is the right call for a milestone dinner in Hangzhou: a birthday, an anniversary, a business meal where the choice of restaurant signals something. Chef Lan Guijun's Michelin-starred Sichuan table in Shangcheng District is one of a very short list of restaurants in Hangzhou where the format — a composed tasting menu , does the work of making an evening feel like an occasion. If you want a la carte Sichuan in the city, this is not it. If you want a structured, course-by-course progression through Sichuan technique at a high level, this is one of the few places in Zhejiang to deliver it.
Book it for a special occasion at the ¥¥¥ price tier. The 2025 Michelin star gives you a useful benchmark: this is formally recognised cooking that justifies the spend for the right diner. For everyday Sichuan or a casual group dinner, there are easier and cheaper options in Hangzhou. But for a celebratory dinner where the arc of the meal matters , where you want courses to build on each other rather than arrive at random , Yu Zhi Lan earns its place.
Sichuan cuisine in a tasting menu format is a deliberate editorial choice. Most Sichuan restaurants in China are built around the table ordering freely: communal dishes, bold flavours, no fixed sequence. Yu Zhi Lan takes a different approach. Under Chef Lan Guijun, the menu is structured as a progression, which means the kitchen controls pacing, contrast, and intensity across the meal. That structure is what makes it suitable for a special occasion: it removes the negotiation of ordering and replaces it with a composed experience where each course is framed in relation to the ones before and after it.
The Michelin recognition in 2025 confirms that the kitchen's technique is at a level where that ambition is being met. Michelin's China guide is not generous with stars in secondary cities, so a recognition for a Hangzhou Sichuan restaurant is a meaningful credential. It also tells you something about what to expect: precision over abundance, restraint alongside heat, and a kitchen that has thought about the full arc of the meal rather than just the individual dish.
The atmosphere at Yu Zhi Lan supports the occasion framing. The address on Pinghai Road in Shangcheng District puts it in one of Hangzhou's more polished commercial areas. Expect a quieter, more composed room than you would find at a traditional Sichuan hotpot house or a busy regional restaurant. The energy is measured rather than lively, which makes it a better fit for conversation-led dining , a dinner where you are trying to talk across the table, not compete with the noise of a full Sichuan dining room. If you are after the buzz of a high-energy dinner, this is not the venue; if you want a room where a celebration can actually be heard, that is a point in its favour.
Booking here is hard. A Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant with a single location in Hangzhou and no obvious online booking presence means you should plan well in advance. There is no phone or website listed in public records, which suggests reservations are handled directly and likely through a referral or WeChat channel. Treat this like any other starred tasting menu restaurant in China's tier-one or tier-two cities: assume you need to be booking at least three to four weeks out for a weekend table, longer for a Saturday dinner in peak season or around national holidays. Arriving without a reservation is not a realistic option for a restaurant at this level.
If you are visiting Hangzhou from outside the city, co-ordinate your booking before finalising travel dates rather than after. For more options across the city's dining scene, see our full Hangzhou restaurants guide.
Yu Zhi Lan is located at 124 Pinghai Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, within a commercial complex (利星名品). The cuisine is Sichuan, delivered in a tasting menu format. The price tier is ¥¥¥. The restaurant holds a Michelin 1 Star as of 2025. Chef Lan Guijun leads the kitchen. Google review data is limited (5.0 from 1 review), which tells you less about quality than the Michelin credential but does suggest the restaurant keeps a low public profile online , consistent with a reservation-only, word-of-mouth operation.
For context on what else Hangzhou offers beyond dining, see our Hangzhou hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.
If Sichuan tasting menus are your format and you are travelling beyond Hangzhou, the same chef operates Yu Zhi Lan in Chengdu , the original location in the cuisine's home city. For a different take on refined Sichuan in Chengdu, Fang Xiang Jing is worth considering. For broader regional comparisons at the same tier, Xin Rong Ji in Chengdu and Xin Rong Ji on Xinyuan South Road in Beijing represent the benchmark for refined regional Chinese cooking at ¥¥¥. For Macau and South China comparisons, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau and Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Guangzhou are the reference points. In the Yangtze Delta, 102 House in Shanghai and Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing round out the regional picture.
Within Hangzhou itself, Ambré Ciel offers innovative cuisine at a comparable level, while Guiyu (Xihu), Hangzhou House, and Jie Xiang Lou cover Zhejiang cuisine at varying price points. For a ¥¥¥¥ Zhejiang option, Ru Yuan is the most direct comparison at the leading of the market.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2025), Sichuan tasting menu, ¥¥¥, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. Book 3-4 weeks minimum; expect hard availability at weekends.
Yes, it is one of the stronger special occasion choices in Hangzhou. The Michelin star (2025), tasting menu format, and composed atmosphere make it a better fit for a celebratory dinner than most restaurants in the city. At ¥¥¥ it is priced below Ru Yuan (¥¥¥¥) while still delivering formal, structured cooking with a recognised credential behind it.
For a diner who wants structured Sichuan cooking with a clear progression across courses, yes. The 2025 Michelin star is the most reliable external signal that the kitchen is operating at a level that justifies the format. If you prefer the freedom of ordering a la carte or sharing dishes at the table, the tasting menu structure will feel constraining , in that case, a more traditional Sichuan restaurant in Hangzhou is a better fit.
At ¥¥¥ with a Michelin star, the price-to-credential ratio is reasonable for a tasting menu restaurant in China. Compare it against Ru Yuan at ¥¥¥¥ if budget is a deciding factor. Yu Zhi Lan sits at a tier where you are paying for kitchen precision and formal occasion framing, not just a large meal.
Because Yu Zhi Lan operates as a tasting menu restaurant, the menu is set by the kitchen rather than selected by the diner. You are not choosing individual dishes. The format is the point: Chef Lan Guijun constructs the progression. If you have dietary restrictions or strong preferences, communicate them at the time of booking rather than on arrival.
Unknown from available data , seat count and private room availability are not publicly listed. For a group booking at ¥¥¥ tasting menu level, contact the restaurant directly well in advance. Tasting menu restaurants of this type in China often have limited capacity, and a large group booking may require a private room arrangement or a specific seating configuration. Do not assume walk-in group seating is possible.
No dress code is listed, but a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in a commercial luxury complex in Shangcheng District warrants smart-casual at minimum. For a special occasion dinner , which is the primary use case for this venue , err towards smart. You will not be turned away for business casual, but you will feel underdressed in jeans against the formality of a structured tasting menu service.
No specific dietary policy is published. Given the tasting menu format, dietary restrictions are leading communicated at the time of booking rather than on the day. Sichuan cuisine relies heavily on chilli, Sichuan peppercorn, and sometimes peanuts and sesame, so if you have allergies or aversions to any of these, flag them explicitly when making your reservation. A kitchen at Michelin level will generally accommodate restrictions with advance notice, but there is no guarantee without direct confirmation.
For Zhejiang cuisine at a comparable tier, Guiyu (Xihu) and Jie Xiang Lou are strong local options. If you want to spend more for the leading of the Hangzhou market, Ru Yuan at ¥¥¥¥ is the step up. For innovative cuisine rather than regional tradition, Ambré Ciel is the alternative. Hangzhou House covers accessible Zhejiang cooking if you want something less formal. See our full Hangzhou restaurants guide for the complete picture.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yu Zhi Lan | ¥¥¥ | Hard | — |
| Xin Rong Ji | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| 28 Hubin Road | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Ru Yuan | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Jin Sha | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Song | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Hangzhou for this tier.
Yu Zhi Lan is a tasting menu restaurant, which typically means a fixed format designed around smaller parties. Large groups are generally a poor fit for this format — the structured pacing and single-location setup at 124 Pinghai Road suggest tables of two to four are the intended scale. If you're planning a group dinner of six or more, call ahead directly to confirm availability and whether a private arrangement is possible.
Yu Zhi Lan holds a 2025 Michelin star and operates at the ¥¥¥ price tier, which puts it in the same bracket as other formal tasting menu restaurants in China where neat, polished attire is the norm. Business casual at minimum — dress as you would for a serious client dinner. Nothing in the venue record specifies a dress code, so when in doubt, err toward slightly overdressed rather than casual.
Sichuan tasting menus are built around a specific culinary logic — chilli, Sichuan peppercorn, pork, and alliums are structural ingredients, not optional additions. Significant dietary restrictions may conflict with the format in ways that are difficult to work around. check the venue's official channels before booking; the address is 124 Pinghai Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, within the 利星名品 complex.
Xin Rong Ji is the go-to alternative for refined Zhejiang cuisine at a comparable price point. 28 Hubin Road and Jin Sha both offer upscale dining experiences near West Lake with different cuisine focuses. Ru Yuan and Song lean into local Hangzhou culinary traditions and are worth considering if you want something more regional and less format-driven than a Sichuan tasting menu.
Yes — this is exactly the use case it fits. The 2025 Michelin star, ¥¥¥ pricing, and tasting menu format all signal a deliberate, occasion-worthy meal rather than a casual dinner. Birthdays, anniversaries, and business dinners where the restaurant choice carries weight are the right context. Book it when the occasion justifies the effort required to secure a reservation.
If Sichuan cuisine in a structured, chef-driven format is what you're after, the 2025 Michelin star confirms the cooking clears the bar. The format itself — a fixed tasting menu rather than table ordering — is the deciding factor. If you prefer to order freely or are unfamiliar with Sichuan flavour profiles, you'll get more from the experience at a restaurant built around shared plates.
At ¥¥¥ and with a 2025 Michelin star, Yu Zhi Lan is priced where the recognition justifies the spend for the right diner. The value proposition depends on your appetite for Sichuan cooking in a tasting menu format — it is not a general-purpose fine dining option. For Zhejiang-focused cuisine at a similar price, Xin Rong Ji gives you more regional relevance if you're eating in Hangzhou specifically for the local food culture.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
