Top Chengdu Street Foods and Food Streets

Speaking of food, Chengdu is famous for spicy cuisine, and is officially recognized by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy. The city is packed with snacks and food streets, so you might ask yourself, how could I possibly choose just one?

That's why this article will help you navigate Chengdu's best and most unique snacks, find the food street that may suit you best, and show you some hands-on cooking experiences and immersive royal-style banquets.

What to Eat in Chengdu – According to Your Taste

For Mild Palates & First-Timers

While Chengdu is famous for its spicy food, there are plenty of flavorful yet milder dishes perfect for first-timers, such as:

• Sweet Skin Duck: Tender duck with a sweet, glossy skin, not spicy at all.
• Sweet Water Noodles: Thick noodles in a sweet-savory sauce with just a mild chili kick.
• Zhong Dumplings: Soft dumplings in a fragrant red oil, lightly spicy and tangy.
• Lai Tang Yuan: Glutinous rice balls with sweet sesame filling, served warm and comforting.
• Dandan Noodles: thin noodles topped with minced meat, greens, and red oil, offering a smooth and umami taste. You can adjust the spice level to your preference.
• Bean Jelly: a cooling, sweet treat tastes like jelly, paired well with spicy food like hot pot
• Yuanyang Hot Pot: Half spicy, half clear broth hotpot, great for mixed spice preferences.

Taste both spicy and mild flavored snacks

For Spice Lovers

If you love spicy food, then Chengdu is definitely your type. We recommend trying these popular snacks, and some of them might be a bit bold or challenging to try.

• Skewered Hot Pot: Skewered meats and veggies cooked in a fiery hotpot, full of numbing-spicy flavor.
• Spicy Rabbit Head: Braised rabbit head packed with Sichuan peppercorn and chili oil, bold and intense. It can be a bit challenging to taste.
• Fuqi Feipian: Thinly sliced beef and tripe in chili oil sauce, tasted spicy, savory, and addictive.
• Pig Brain: It's served in spicy sauce and tastes like tofu, also a bold snack to try
• Red Oil Wontons: Wontons with spicy red chili oil sauce, flavorful and satisfying.
• Boboji: Chilled skewers in a numbing chili oil marinade and sesame, spicy, and refreshing

Spicy skewer hot pot

For Families with Kids or Elderly Travelers

For kids or the elderly who can't handle spicy food, Chengdu also offers plenty of sweet desserts and milder dishes to enjoy:

• Baked Egg Cake: A fried folded thin cake made from egg and flour batter, tasted soft and warm. The fillings can be sweet or savory, such as Oreos, cheese, cream, diced ham, meat floss, etc.
• Qiaojiao Beef: Tender beef slices in a herbal soup, mild, comforting, and nourishing.
• Lao Ma Pig Trotter: Slow-cooked pork trotters in clear broth, gelatinous, soft, and collagen-rich.
• Douhua: Silky tofu pudding served sweet with brown sugar or savory with chili and herbs.
• Fried Glutinous Rice Balls: Fried in syrup oil and covered in sesame, so they tasted sweet and crispy
• Brown Sugar Guokui: Crispy flatbread stuffed with molten brown sugar, crunchy on the outside, gooey inside.

Fried Glutinous Rice Balls (Tangyou wanzi)

For Vegetarian or Halal

If you're a vegetarian or Muslim traveler, Chengdu also has plenty of vegetarian and halal restaurants that can cater to your taste. For example, for vegetarians, we recommend:

• Vegetarian Hot Pot: Light and nourishing, with fresh veggies, tofu balls, and fruits in clear, tomato, or mushroom broth.
• Maocai: boiled ingredient with sauce like red oil, chili, sesame, a hot version of Boboji.
• Mushroom Rice: A savory rice bowl with braised mushrooms in thick, gelatinous soup, springy and rich in flavor.

Where to Eat Street Food in Chengdu?

Chunxi Road, Wide and Narrow Alleys, and Jinli Old Street are must-visit spots in Chengdu. If you're short on time, these popular areas let you sightsee and snack at the same time. They're easy to get to, and if you stay nearby, you can even walk there. Just be prepared for crowds.

For a more local, less crowded, and budget-friendly experience, check out Jianshe Road, Fuqin Night Market, Yulin Street, or the Wenshu Monastery area.

Or try to cool local dishes in Sichuan Cuisine Museum, or at a local chef's home.

All of these food streets are easily accessible by car, taxi, and metro. So which one suits you best? Let's explore by area.

Chunxi Road Area: Most Central Area to Find Good Eats

If you're looking for a convenient location with local eats across all price ranges, dinner spots, photogenic corners, and trendy shopping, Chunxi Road is your best choice.

This commercial-style area offers a wider variety of flavors, from traditional Chengdu street food to modern snack and drink brands, along with both upscale and budget-friendly restaurants.

• Sansheng Street: Short but full of local, budget-friendly bites with a strong street food feel.
• Tangba Street: Don't miss the lovely panda-themed afternoon tea at Panda Bookstore.

Panda-Themed Afternoon Tea

Beyond food, Chunxi Road is a shopping paradise. You can find major malls like IFS and Taikoo Li, international brands, and popular photo spots like the "climbing panda" sculpture.

Wide and Narrow Alleys: Old Chengdu Flavor Food Stalls

If you prefer having a food tour in a photogenic street with a vintage vibe, doing some souvenir shopping, and also wanting to explore local Chengdu, here is your place.

Wide and Narrow Alleys, or Kuanzhai Alleys, are packed with traditional Sichuan snacks, hotpot restaurants, specialty stores, and classic teahouses. You'll also find retro-style shops, artsy boutiques, and many internet-famous cafes.

Street food in Wide and Narrow Alleys

It's a great place to experience local culture and shopping, such as watching a Sichuan Opera with face changing, strolling 10 minutes to People's Park for a glimpse of locals' daily life, or browsing craft stores, souvenir shops (like Panda or Pop Mart), and more.

However, it can be crowded and a bit pricey to eat there. We usually recommend visiting Wide and Narrow Alleys for sightseeing, photos, and souvenirs, then walking to nearby Kuixinglou Street or Jixiang Street for a food exploration.

Jinli Ancient Street: Find Heritage Snack in Historical Vibe

Since Jinli Anicnet Street is a major tourist attraction, many food stalls are more tourist-oriented. The prices are also a bit higher, and flavors may be adjusted for broader appeal.

But if you're not chasing ultra-local taste and just want to sample a variety of classic Chengdu snacks in a beautiful setting, Jinli still offers a fun and photogenic foodie experience.

Traditional snack, sugar painting in Jinli

Jinli is best known for its intangible heritage snacks like sugar figurines (Tangren). Most stalls are set in quaint old-style storefronts, and you'll also find common Chengdu street food and local product shops here.

You'll also find artisan handicrafts, live folk performances, and visit the next door Wuhou Shrine, to explore the Three Kingdoms history and culture. It's easy to turn your food trip into a full cultural and flavor-filled day out.

Jianshe Road: From Casual Food Stalls to Stylish Cafes

Jianshe Road is ideal if you're after both down-to-earth street food and exquisite restaurants, or if you're planning to try Shu Yan Fu.

Jianshe Road offers both authentic local eats popular with students and locals, and boutique cafes loved by young people and photo lovers. It's usually affordable and less crowded.

It's quite a big area, and here are 2 top picks to find good eats:

• Jianshe Middle Road: Lined with open-air food stalls and local product stores. It's best if you want to eat and explore like a local or look for a local flavor and dining environment.
• Eastern Suburb Memory: Full of boutique cafes, trendy shops, and internet-famous photo spots, perfect for eating, shopping, and photos. You'll find Shu Yan Fu here, an immersive traditional banquet with both cuisine and performance, and you can also dress in Hanfu.

Fuqin Night Market: Night Snacks and BBQ Paradise

If you're a night owl, prefer an open-air seating and laid-back local vibe, or a barbecue enthusiast, Fuqin Night Market is a great place to soak in the night market atmosphere.

It's one of the most famous night markets in Chengdu, offering plenty of late-night eats. You'll find everything from traditional street snacks to BBQ stalls and dessert stands. It usually opens around 5 pm and runs till late at midnight.

If you want to discover more about the nightlife in Chengdu, check out our Where to Go at Night in Chengdu.

Yulin Community Area: Street Food and Bars with Local Vibe

If you want to get into locals' daily life in a much quieter way, explore the affordable street food at a slow pace, or prefer artsy cafes and small bars, Yulin Community is the place to be.

Yulin Community is a more local and down-to-earth area, with many food carts, community canteens, vintage or colorful decor cafes, market stalls, and cozy bars.

The streets here are perfect for a slow-paced city walk. You'll also walk past and explore some artsy boutiques, quiet corners, and internet-famous photo spots.

Wenshu Monastery Area: Vegetarian Delights

If you look for veggie food or a serene area for dining, Wenshu Monastery area is the perfect place to slow down.

There are a lot of vegetarian restaurants and time-honored snack shops in or around Wenshu Monastery, such as vegetarian hotpot and traditional pastries, and the dining environment is much greener and peaceful here.

Wenshu Monastery is also a worthwhile spot. You can light incense, take photos, sip tea, or pick some traditional crafts.

Sichuan Cuisine Museum: Cook Chengdu Flavors by Yourself

This is a museum where you can taste it. Here, you'll not only learn the stories behind famous Sichuan dishes, sample all kinds of snacks made by pro chefs, and even get hands-on in the kitchen.

Cook Sichuan Cuisine in the museum

You'll dress up as a chef, try to cook dishes like flaming Kung Pao Chicken, learn techniques like stir-frying under the guidance of the chef, and get an official certificate after your class.

If you want something even more local, we can also arrange a local market exploration. You'll pick out fresh ingredients, cook together with a Chengdu family, and have dinner with them.