While you might not associate Chinese cuisine with vegetarianism, there are lots of vegetarian restaurants and dishes around Xi'an. In this article, we will share with you the top 10 vegetarian restaurants in Xi'an.
1. Tianlong Baoyan Vegetarian Restaurant Ci'en West Road Branch
The dishes are mainly made of bean products. There are purely vegetarian dishes and meat-like dishes which are vivid in appearance and delicious in taste. The environment is elegant and quiet; very suitable for calming your soul.
Most of the dishes have a sweet and sour flavor. The manager and waiters are very enthusiastic and are praised by a lot of the customers. They are likely to ask for advice from the customers so as to improve the quality of the taste of the food and that of their service.
Recommended dishes: braised "pork" in soy sauce (红烧肉, potatoes and bean products with a pork taste), stewed crispy "meat" and mushrooms (酥肉烩菌王, gluten and bean products with a meat taste), "fish" fillets in hot chili oil (水煮鱼, dried tofu skin and fungus with a fish taste), crispy "meat" (小酥肉, fried mushrooms with a meat taste), Fo Tiao Qiang (佛跳墙, stewed dates and white fungus), honey and osmanthus cold cake (蜂蜜桂花凉糕), steamed "meat" (粉蒸肉, steamed bean curd and rice flour with a meat taste), dough twist "chicken" (麻花鸡, fried dried bean curd with a spicy taste)
- Chinese name: 天龙宝严素食馆 (慈恩西路店) Tianlong Baoyan Sushi Guan Ci'en Xilu Dian
- Average price per person: 52 yuan
- Opening hours: 10am – 10pm
- Address: 1 Ci'en West Road, Yanta District (雁塔区慈恩西路), near to Cuihua Road (翠华路)
- Tel: 029-85266880, 029-85267880
- Transportation:
- Take Bus 21, 22, 23, 24, 237, 242, 500 or 619 and get off at the west side of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda South Square (大雁塔南广场西)
2. Daxingshan Temple Baoyan Vegetarian Restaurant
It is located beside a temple where you can experience the special local culture. Sometimes monks come here for dinner. The furniture and lights are of an old-fashioned style and the environment is clean and comfortable. The meat-like dishes are so similar to the original meat dishes that the customers almost believe that they really are eating the meat version. A great many customers feel satisfied with and surprised by the dishes.
Recommended dishes: sizzling vegetables wrapped in vermicelli (铁板粉丝包菜), handmade vegetable dish in a sauce (随缘手拌菜), stewed crispy "meat" and mushrooms (酥肉烩菌王, gluten and bean products with a meat taste), sizzling "beef steak" (铁板牛牌, fried bean curd with a beef taste), celery "sausage" (西芹腊味, gluten skin with a sausage taste), "fish" fillets in hot chili oil (水煮鱼, dried tofu skin and fungus with a fish taste)
- Chinese name: 大兴善寺素香斋 Daxingshan Si Shuxiang Zhai
- Average price per person: 33 yuan
- Opening hours: 10.30am – 2pm, 4.30 – 9pm
- Address: Daxingshan Temple, 55 Xingshan West Street, Yanta District (雁塔区兴善西街55号大兴善寺内)
- Tel: 029-85361181
- Transportation: Take Bus 5, 12, 14, 26, 30, 34, 36, 215, 229, 323, 716, 722, K600 or K618 and get off at Xiaozhai station (小寨站)
3. Banzhou Vegetarian Restaurant
It is well known for its good environment, delicious vegetarian food and considerate service. It is a great place for relaxation and having meals.
The quiet environment makes you feel as though you are at the temple. The taste of the dishes is unique and unforgettable which appeals to a lot of regular customers. A good many customers say that the dishes become more and more delicious. There are also new dishes which are brought out gradually. What's more, it is convenient for car parking.
Recommended dishes: fried green beans and eggplant (豆角茄子), jackfruit in a sauce (菠萝蜜), dry fried green beans (干煸豆角), vegetarian "pork ribs" (素排骨, bean products with a pork taste), almond tofu pudding (杏仁豆花)
- Chinese name: 般舟素食坊 Banzhou Sushi Fang
- Average price per person: 49 yuan
- Opening hours: 9.30am – 10pm
- Address: 1-2, A6 Area, Great Tang All Day Mall, 6 Huantan South Road, Eastern Part, Yanta District (雁塔区环塔南路东段6号大雁塔南广场大唐不夜城A6区1-2号), near to the Bank of China (中国银行)
- Tel: 029-85578117, 13759923488
- Transportation: Take Bus 5, 19, 30, 34, 41, 400, K606 or 610 and get off at South Square (南广场)
4. Vegetarian and Fragrant Dishes
It is a real vegetarian catering enterprise which strictly follows the standards of temple vegetarian dishes by not including green onions, garlic, leeks and various animal oils or spices.
There are wild vegetable ingredients which are very healthy and the dishes are very delicious. The environment is quiet with a Buddhist sensation which makes you feel very comfortable. You can read books or surf the internet while you are waiting for your meal or drinking your afternoon tea.
Recommended dishes: stuffed pillow eggplant (鱼香茄盒), Lian Chi Shuang Zhen (莲池双珍, fried mashed taro and tomato), mashed taro with tomato (芋泥藏珍), fried banana with flour (肉桂香蕉), Chan Ji (禅机, fried mushroom balls with vegetables), vegetarian "seafood" with spiced salt (椒盐素鲜, mushroom and rice flour with a seafood taste), pine "fish" (松树鱼, bean products with the appearance and taste of fish), Cure-all tonic soup (十全大补, stewed with dates, mushrooms, wolfberries and others), spicy smoked "fish" (五香熏鱼, fried eggplant with a spicy sauce), Le Bu Si Shu (乐不思蜀, stewed tofu soup), Yi Pin Dong Er (一品东茸, white fungus and wolfberry soup)
- Chinese name: 素食香膳 Sushi Xiangshan
- Average price per person: 31 yuan
- Opening hours: 8am – 10pm
- Address: 2 Dianzi Four Road, East Exit, Yanta District (雁塔区电子四路东口2号), near to Beishan Gate (北山门)
- Tel: 13909272033
- Transportation:
- 1.Take Bus K5, K205, 225, 312 or 706 and get off at Beimenshan station (北门山)
- 2.Take Bus 716 and get off at Dianzi Four Road (电子四路)
- 3.Take Bus K5, 32, 205, 210, 212, 219, 225, 312, 706, 716, 905, 908, 921, 922 or 928 and get off at Dianzi Two Road (电子二路)
5. Suxinming Vegetarian Restaurant
The environment is plain and elegant. You can hear the sound of Buddhist music and smell the light sandalwood which can make you feel quiet and peaceful.
The waiters and waitresses are specially dressed and are very considerate. The dishes are cooked delicately and are attractive which is strongly praised by the customers. The meat-like dishes made of vegetarian ingredients are quite vivid and alike in appearance and taste. It is the perfect place for a business dinner, a family gathering and for a date.
Recommended dishes: fried mushroom with gluten (香菇面筋), fried nuts and cucumber (果仁煎青瓜), walnut cookie (核桃酥), fried cucumber with cashew nuts (青瓜腰果), round roasted bread (锅盔)
- Chinese name: 素心铭 Su Xin Ming
- Average price per person: 53 yuan
- Opening hours: 10am – 11pm
- Address: Zone A, Crap Myrtle Garden City, Boshi Road, North Exit, Yanta District (雁塔区博士路北口紫薇田园都市A区), opposite Tianliang Sunshine (田亮阳光)
- Tel: 029-88175988, 029-88170101
- Transportation:
- 1.Take Bus 608 (inter-zone vehicle) and get off at Boshi Road, north exit
- 2.Take Bus 4-18 (one-way lane) and get off at Fucun Garden (付村花园). It is about 300 meters away.
6. Eight Fairies Regimen Vegetarian Restaurant
The main feature of this restaurant is the unique environment in which it is located - in the woods - where you can see the colorful flowers and plants and hear the birds singing. When tasting the delicious food, you can also have a chance to get closer to nature.
Therefore, the environment is evoking and contextual. The dishes mainly have a light taste and are cooked delicately. The meat-like dishes look so real both in appearance and taste that the customers almost believe that they really are eating meat dishes. The prices are reasonable. A great many customers like going here and enjoy the quiet and comfortable atmosphere.
Recommended dishes: Yin Yang Shuang He (阴阳双和, cold white and black fungus with mustard sauce), "Eight Fairies Regimen" soup (八仙养生煲, various kinds of stewed mushrooms and fungi), green bamboo shoots in a sauce (凉拌青笋), stewed tea tree mushrooms and dry bean curd (茶树菇相干), dry fried shredded "intestines" (干煸金钱肚, bean curd and gluten with a meat taste), Kirin Dragon "fish" (麒麟龙鱼, bean products with the appearance and taste of fish)
- Chinese name: 八仙养生斋 Baxian Yangsheng Zhai
- Average price per person: 42 yuan
- Opening hours: 8:30am – 9pm
- Address: Eight Fairies Temple, Beihuo Alley, Beilin District (碑林区北火巷八仙庵)
- Tel: 029-82491723
- Transportation: Take Bus 8, 27, 37, 102, 602, 604, 704, 714, 715, 903, K43, K203 or K630 and get off at the chicken market (鸡市), then walk to the Eight Fairies Temple.
7. God Cabinet Vegetarian Restaurant
The environment is good in the restaurant which stays quiet even though it's in a noisy neighborhood. It is well-known for the Buddhist tea and vegetarian dishes. The waiters and waitresses are considerate, enthusiastic and professional, and they can make tea on the spot for you.
Recommended dishes: Buddhist tea (斋茶), Guanyin wet tea (湿茶观音), fried vegetables (炒时蔬)
- Chinese name: 神阁素斋 Shenge Suzhai
- Average price per person: 50 yuan
- Opening hours: 8:30am – 9pm
- Address: 55 Defu Alley, Beilin District (碑林区德福巷55号), near to Fen Alley (粉巷)
- Tel: 029-87257322
- Transportation:
- 1.Take Bus 603 and get off at Nanmen station (南门站)
- 2.Take Bus 706 and get off at Fen Alley station (粉巷)
8. Suxin Tea Restaurant
The dishes prepared at Suxin Tea Restaurant are not only delicious but also highly nutritious. The restaurant guarantees quality and only uses organic, locally sourced vegetables purchased daily from the local market with no artificial additives added to anything.
Recommended dishes: Kung Pao Chinese yam (宫爆山药), oil splash noodles (油泼面), and fried mushrooms with spicy salt (椒盐蘑菇).
- Chinese name: 素心茶房 Su Xin Cha Fang
- Average price per person: ¥80 or about 11 USD
- Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Address: 888 Xin Kai Men North Road, Yanta District (雁塔区新开门北路• 888号).
- Tel: 029-89552377
- How to get there: Take bus 21, 237, 24, or 501 and get off at Bei Chi Tou Er Lu Li Jiao (北池头二路立交).
9. An Duo Vegetarian Dishes
The Lianhu district oozes culture and An Duo Vegetarian Dishes is no exception. Located by a Lama temple, An Duo is an excellent place to take it all in and dine with the locals. Even the nearby monks and nuns sometimes find it too hard to resist An Duo's tempting dishes!
This clean and comfortable restaurant maintains a traditional style, complete with old-fashioned furniture and light fixtures, and never ceases to surprise its patrons with high-quality mouthwatering food. Enough to satisfy even the pickiest of vegetarians!
Recommended dishes: Peach and white fungus soup (桃花泪), braised imitation pork in soy sauce (红烧肉), Tian Su steamed dumplings (天素蒸饺), and fried bread (泡泡油饼).
- Chinese name: 安多素食 An Duo Su Shi
- Average price per person: ¥80 or about 11 USD
- Opening hours: 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
- Address: 136 Northwest One Road, Lianhu District (西北一路136号).
- Telephone: 029-87365585
- How to get there: Take bus 703 and get off at Guang Ren Si station (广仁寺) or bus 2, 18, 21, 50, or 104 to Railway West station (火车西站).
10. Tea Garden Restaurant
Tea Garden Restaurant is without a doubt one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Weiyang. Service is second to none, dishes are top-notch, and there's no shortage of menu options either! The restaurant prides itself on the freshness of its ingredients and the professionalism of its chefs, adhering to the highest standards and ensuring that each dish that leaves the kitchen is visually appealing, flavorful, and tasty.
Perhaps more importantly, Tea Garden strives to offer the healthiest and most nutritious meals possible and use an abundance of tofu, mushrooms, and green leafy vegetables, as well as the occasional fresh fruit, when preparing their dishes.
Recommended dishes: Fried vegetables (健康养生时蔬), vegetarian "pork" (素红烧肉), juicy plum "fish" (梅子汁年年鱼), and bamboo fungus and mushroom soup (竹荪香菇汤).
- Chinese name: 茶见小院Cha Jian Xiao Yuan
- Average price per person: ¥65 or about 9 USD
- Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
- Address: 3rd Floor, Bai Hua Lin Ju Commercial Street, Wenjing Road, Weiyang District (未央区文景路白桦林居商业街3楼).
- Tel: 029-86215223
- How to get there: Take bus 108, 117, 163, or 182 to Wenjing Lu Feng Cheng Ba Lu Kou (文景路凤城八路口).
Discover Chinese Vegetarian Food with China Highlights
When it comes to vegetarian food in China, you're spoiled for choice. Practically every provincial or regional cuisine features the local take on traditional Chinese vegetarian dishes, and most have a couple of unique ones too. Be sure to ask your friendly guide about the local vegetarian specialties when visiting a new region!
If you're looking to embark on a culinary adventure across China, check out the following tours for some inspiration or get in touch with our one of travel experts today to create a personalized China itinerary.