Top 10 restaurants in Xiamen, China

January 8, 2018 Phylicia Berquist

The livable, lovable city of Xiamen teems with university students buzzing amid Buddhist temples, art galleries and beautiful parks. The city is actually comprised of islands; one of which, Gulangyu, is a peaceful bohemian oasis that's completely vehicle-free. Nibble on some glass noodles or juicy dumplings while perusing shops stuffed with antiques, delicate beads or ceramics.
Things to do in Xiamen

1. Portofino Italian Restaurant

1/F, Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen, No.12-8 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen 361001, China Takeout, Reservations, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Delivery, Seating, Validated Parking, Accepts Credit Cards Italian, Pizza, Seafood, International Dinner, Lunch, Late Night HK$251 - HK$628 +86 592 202 3333
Excellent
63%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
7%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 80 reviews

Portofino Italian Restaurant

The newly refurbished Portofino Italian Restaurant, with elegant floor-to-ceiling windows allows a wonderful streetscape glance out before your eyes. The soft lighting and dark brown European style furniture help to highlight the Italian inspired design. The Chef has the insight and exquisite culinary skills to create innovative cuisines with his skillfully prepared combinations of rich authentic flavors from Italia, your body, mind and tasty buds, our guests will enjoy the amazing food in an elegant environment along with the unique charm of Italian styles.

Reviewed By XmHans - Xiamen

The nice thing about Portofino is that it is in the Millennium Hotel, so if you change your mind, you can try their Harbourview Cafe (great buffets), or Japanese and Chinese restaurants.
I most like Portofino's menu, which allows you to pick and mix pastas and sauces to create something unique. I especially liked the cannelloni. They have nice desserts as well.
Xiamen, by now, probably has over 100 Italian restaurants, so there may well be better ones. The problem is that they come and go--but Portofino has been here for years, and has become a favorite for us on special evenings (anniversaries, holidays).

2. Coyote Cafe and Cantina

No.20-22 Jianye Road, Siming District, Xiamen 361022, China Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Television, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Reservations Mexican, Southwestern, Bar, Pub Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night HK$78 - HK$157 +86 592 508 0737
Excellent
36%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
15%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 140 reviews

Coyote Cafe and Cantina

Welcome to Coyote. Located in the center of Xiamen, China; walking distance from the Marco Polo and The Pan Pacific hotels. Comfortable and relaxing dining or "enjoy a Margarita" atmosphere. Coyote serves up Xiamen's finest Tex-Mex foods with exciting dishes and unique ambiance. At Coyote, every dish is created using only the freshest, finest ingredients. We serve only the choicest meats and seafood, freshest rice and beans, and tortillas that are baked fresh daily. Our authentic menu with some special "fusion" and atmosphere create a truly enjoyable dining experience.

Reviewed By Bayouexec - Lafayette, Louisiana

Well, it's been almost a year since I last visited Coyote, whereby I tried the Cheese and Jalapeno Chicken Quesadilla's...which at that time were "micro pieces of chicken!" Almost invisible!
Here we are in China...with 100x as many chickens and pigs as there are people, and they can't load up a quesadilla with chicken! How insulting!
This visit, was an improvement from the last visit...... they now have added more chicken, but they had no flavor and no jalapeno pepper taste! It's real simple to make....in a hot skillet or on the grill...you stir peppers, some hot sauce and chicken for 20-seconds, then add the cheese and bake in oven with thin tortilla bread until the cheese melts! And the bread has a little crust....how simple is that!!
Then my friend ordered the Fried Chicken Nuggets! They were nuggets alright...and almost as hard as gravel or a rock! Here again, we are talking about chicken...which should be the easiest to find and freshest on earth! But, these little nuggets...about the size of your big finger nail...were over-cooked and tasted like they were soaked in oil! I suspect the chicken nuggets were frozen and the grease they used for cooking...was not hot enough to flash fry the nuggets quickly. This is not rocket science! Down the street is a KFC and they have no problem with chicken!!
Not sure when I'll make it back again to try their other dishes, but it would be nice to try some tasty Mexican food...but then I remind myself...you're in China!!

3. INDIANO JOHN's SAMRAT

69, Jiang Tou Bei Lu | Kai Ming Theatre Complex, Xiamen, China Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi Indian, Asian, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night HK$157 - HK$314 +86 592 555 7699
Excellent
70%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 296 reviews

INDIANO JOHN's SAMRAT

INDIANO JOHN's SAMRAT in its 10th year of operation is XIAMEN's First and Only INDIAN dining which is Owned and Run by Chef/Sommellier John Solomon aka INDIANO JOHN. SAMRAT, specializes in Northern Indian Cuisine, mainly focused on grilled food prepared in the traditional charcoal oven called THE TANDOOR. SAMRAT also takes pride in providing the widest selection of Fine Wines and an unique choice of Gourmet beers from around the World. SAMRAT is a limited 50 seater, so advance bookings are highly recommended.

Reviewed By Rob_around_the_globe - Vienna, Austria

...a bit expensive for China. Ok, the English Menu is a real treat for foreigners. However, regarding the price level, I missed the comfort of a western restaurant. The room temperature in the restaurant was chilly, you have to use your jacket (like in almost every Chinese place) during winter time.
Staff was very friendly and helpful, food was good. Menu offered a lot of choices.
Overall a nice place to go if you look for some good Indian food or want a change to your usual Chinese food and are willing to pay a bit more.

4. Greg's restaurant

1C,No 10,Hubin Bei Road, Xiamen 361012, China Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Valet Parking, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Delivery, Reservations, Private Dining, Parking Available, Highchairs Available French, European Lunch, Dinner HK$149 - HK$628 +86 592 531 6600
Excellent
63%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 109 reviews

Greg's restaurant

Greg's restaurant is a modern French restaurant and the first concept of its kind in Xiamen. It serves contemporary French inspired cuisine and is committed to provide the highest level of cuisine to the most discerning guests, both international and local. Located adjacent to the Yundang lake it provides a unique environment including a Terrace for alfresco dining. The restaurant was created in 2011 by Executive Chef Gregory Louraichi, bringing with him more than 16 years of experience in restaurants and hotels. The idea behind the restaurant is to offer a new experience in the Xiamen restaurant scene with carefully selected products and creativity in every plate.

Reviewed By XiaomeiLi - Florence, Italy

Been here quite a few time and the food it's always superb! The chef really knows what's he is doing, and to please customers he often talks to them to understand their personal taste. The staff always welcomes you with some small interesting appetizers, and sometimes they also offer small portions of desserts at the end of meal. The best creme brulee I have ever it's here, a taste that I can't forget.
If I have to list two defects, I would say that spaghetti ( or pasta in general) could be better, but I am italian so maybe my expectations are too high for a French restaurant) and they could add some fresh seasonal soup, instead of having the same soups all year around.
Pay a visit here if you are around, you will appreaciate it.

5. Tutto Bene Restaurant and Bar

Jien Ye Road 1-16, Xiamen 361000, China Full Bar, Delivery, Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards Italian, Pizza, European, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night HK$110 - HK$196 +86 592 504 6026
Excellent
56%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 195 reviews

Tutto Bene Restaurant and Bar

Located in the heart of Xiamen across from the Marco Polo Hotel, Tutto Bene features authentic Italian cuisine in a relaxed, casual setting.

Reviewed By Luke L - Xiamen, China

Most of the dishes here are not bad at all, but they can be rather bland and ordinary, thus the flavor is not special enough to match the prices. The bruschetta and chicken Caesar salad were both quite good and fresh and the bread tasted homemade, but 65 yuan for bruschetta and 88 yuan for a salad seem a bit too much. The minestrone was bland and it didn't taste different from those I've had from cheap Chinese imitations of Italian restaurants. The casareccia di gragnano, which was a tube-shaped pasta in tomato sauce, was quite disappointing as it also had very little flavor, spices, or vegetables, and cost 85 yuan. My fiancee had the "spicy" peperoncino pasta, which was not spicy at all, just noodles in olive oil with no vegetables, meat, or spices for 75 yuan. It also had a slight seafood flavor, despite having no seafood at all. We couldn't even eat half of it between the two of us. I'm wondering if perhaps we just had bad luck in choosing dishes. For dessert, I had the tiramisu which was actually quite good and tasted authentic.
Despite the problems with the food, the atmosphere in Tutto Benne is quite relaxed and romantic. White orchids adorn every table and because it was Chinese Valentine's Day, there were also single red roses on each table. On some of the walls are cute Cultural Revolution posters. The service is quite friendly, though some waiters' English are a bit limited. I was impressed by how quickly the food was served.
The restaurant is quite easy to find as it's right across from the Marco Polo hotel, which every taxi driver knows (in Chinese).

6. Chao Fu Cheng (HuBin North Road)

HuBin North Road 28, JianYe Mansion Podium Building 1 Floor, Xiamen, China Seating, Waitstaff Chinese, Asian, Fujian Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner +86 592 505 8688
Excellent
44%
Good
47%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 43 reviews

Chao Fu Cheng (HuBin North Road)

Reviewed By HpLian - Singapore, Singapore

Was brought to this restaurant for lunch. Pleasantly surprised to find such good dim sum outside Hong Kong. No reservation by phone. You have to go personally to get a queue number. It has 2 large floors of restaurant space and yet it is fully packed with diners. The wait is about 30 to 50 minutes. We enjoyed so much that we went there again. Was not disappointed.
Highly recommended to go if you are in Xiamen. Steamed pork ribs with yam is a must.

7. XiaoYan Jing DaPai Dang (HuBin Middle Road)

HuBin Middle Road 7, Xiamen, China Chinese, Seafood, Fujian Dinner +86 592 205 4568
Excellent
34%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
14%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 67 reviews

XiaoYan Jing DaPai Dang (HuBin Middle Road)

Reviewed By MIKELOW - Singapore, Singapore

Hanyu pinying for Small Glasses seafood restaurant is 'Xiao-Yen-Chin' seafood restaurant. The taxi driver drove us to the branch store at Wan-Jia-Tongfung branch instead of the main store at Hubin Middle road which is usually very packed.
The new store was also crowded but at least no need to wait for seats.
The restaurant is big with 2 floors and fully air-conditioned. Seafood tanks and selections/orders are located on the ground floor. So for convenient , it is wise to be seated on the ground floor. Seafood are very fresh here and the cooking is excellent. Except for the 2 flower crabs which cost us RMB-110, all the other items were inexpensive and some very cheap. Also do not forget to order the Fujian-style fried noodles --- very delicious.
Service-wise- was not up to expectation, maybe because the restaurant were very busy and lack of manpower. Other than this little setback, it's a thump-up for this
seafood restaurant.

8. GoldenOlives Greece Restaurant

Golden Street No.1076, Wanda Plaza, Huli District | Xianyue Road, Wanda Plaza,, Xiamen 361000, China Takeout, Seating, Waitstaff, Serves Alcohol, Reservations Mediterranean, European, Greek, Vegetarian Friendly Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night +86 592 553 1910
Excellent
54%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
2%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 77 reviews

GoldenOlives Greece Restaurant

Reviewed By G039260 - Shenyang, China

I had pretty high hopes about this place. Maybe I just got my hopes up too high.
The good: the pita bread was warm and tasted pretty fresh. The meat was pretty good. Pork better than chicken. The two sauces were both mayonnaise based rather than a nice homemade aioli or yogurt based sauce. The salads were fresh and nice and spot on. The meatballs were pretty nice but tasted like they had a lot of breadcrumbs mixed in.
The not so good: the meat was pretty dry and just warm not hot. The meat had very little flavor. I had the gyro Sandwich and it was very dry. The tsatsiki sauce was yogurt based but lacked basic seasoning. It was very sour.
Overall I'd probably return and try some other stuff but this time I spent a lot with little outcome.
I'd love to see them do some more sauces for the pita like the eggplant based one or the sauce that is a little spicy with feta cheese and yogurt.
The food didn't taste bad so if you aren't a picky eater like I am you might enjoy it just fine. It just needed better attention to the small details that make a meal great.

9. The F Bistro

No.152 Building 124,No.1 Yundang Road, Siming District | Near Gugond Road, Xiamen 361000, China Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Serves Alcohol French, European, Vegetarian Friendly Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night HK$102 - HK$314 +86 592 228 1102
Excellent
70%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
5%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 59 reviews

The F Bistro

At The F. Bistro, you can enjoy from lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and late, a selection of typical French Bistro food and bevrages. Coffee, Tea, Pastry & Desserts... Beef Bourguignon, Duck Confit, Homemade Foie Gras, Chateaubriand... Pinot Noir, Saint Emilion, Chardonnay, Chablis... Cheese & Coldcut Platter, Belgian Premium Beers...

Reviewed By Globaljourney187373 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands

I Need To admit a hidden secret in The Heart of Xiamen i have been Here now For Brunch, lunch and Dinner At IT was ALWAYS an very nice experience The ATMOSPHERE The Team The Food

10. Jacky Angela Steakhouse

0102 Donggang Road International Cruise Terminal Ground Level, Xiamen 361012, China Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Validated Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Parking Available American, Steakhouse Lunch, Dinner, Late Night +86 592 601 6038
Excellent
74%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 205 reviews

Jacky Angela Steakhouse

Reviewed By DVVLAP

I wasn’t sure if I would go, to many times disappointing experience in China when not in an international hotel or western brand.
But trusting the trip advisor community I went for it.
What a surprise this must be at least a top 3 steakhouse in the world!
Look at my reviews you’ll see I love steak and visited steakhouses all over the globe !
This is unbelievable
If you like meat this is the place to be !

So great

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