Most Popular Food Streets Among Local People in Xian

Written by Candice Zhao | Updated April 28,2026

Do you want to taste the most authentic Xian food like local people? This guide will take you to walk into the famous food streets in Xian, where locals go for authentic flavors, such as Sa Jin Qiao and Da Pi Yuan. Though these restaurants are modest in appearance, they are the best places to enjoy local food.

The recommended restaurants, transportation, opening hours and average cost of these snack streets are listed below for your reference, so that you can choose based on your own preferences.

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• At a Glance: Best Places to Eat in Xi’an
• Yong Xing Fang
• Sa Jin Qiao
• Da Pi Yuan
• Xi Yang Shi
• Da Che Jia Xiang
• Muslim Street
• Shun Cheng Xiang
• Local Tips Before You Go
• Travel with China Xian Tour
• FAQs

At a Glance: Best Places to Eat in Xi’an

Yong Xing Fang – The Cultural Food Hub

• Location: At the intersection of Dongxin Street and Shuncheng East Road, Xincheng District
• Opening hoursfor stores: 10:00 – 22:00
• How to get to: Metro line 1: ChaoyangmenB exit, walk southward for about 15 minutes
• Per capita consumption range: 20 – 30 CNY

Yong Xing Fang is a well-known food street in Xian where people can try a wide variety of Shaanxi snacks that are honored as intangible cultural heritage foods. The block is divided into Central Shaanxi Lane, Southern Shaanxi Lane and Northern Shaanxi Lane, so that you can taste the flavors in all regions of the province.

Besides, there are also intangible cultural heritage performances like shadow puppet and Qinqiang Opera. The entire quarter is in Tang Dynasty style with antique buildings and historic landscapes, like Jingjian Square, offering you an immersive experience.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Guanzhong Tower Restaurant: in the northwest corner of Yong Xing Fang
• Zichang Pancake: in the northeast corner of Yong Xing Fang
• Qinzhen Rice Noodles: in the northeast corner of Yong Xing Fang

Sa Jin Qiao – Canteen for the Locals

• Location: Lianhu District
• Opening hours for stores:07:30 – 22:00
• How to get to: Metro line 1: Yongningmen B exit
• Per capita consumption range: 30- 50 CNY

Sa Jin Qiao is renowned as the “Canteen for the Locals”. With fewer tourists, it is less commercialized and retains the most authentic flavor of the Hui ethnic group.

This street can be divided into three sections: the north section provides more breakfast and snacks, the middle section gathers plenty of restaurants offering Paomo and Muslim dishes, and the south section is a great spot for late-night street food.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Liu Xin’s Beefand Lamb Paomo: No. 129, Sa Jin Qiao
• Ma Er’sDumpling House: No. 131, Sa Jin Qiao
• HasangBarbecue House: No. 125, Sa Jin Qiao

Da Pi Yuan – Gathering Place of Time-honored Restaurants

• Location: Lianhu District
• Opening hours for stores: 11:00 – 24:00
• How to get to: Metro line 6: Guangjijie D1 exit, walk northward for about 10 minutes
• Per capita consumption range: 30 – 50 CNY

Da Pi Yuan is a 398m long alley that lies in the Muslim Quarter. Compared with main street, this short alley is not crowded with tourists, but is preferred by the locals. Here gather about 40 time-honored restaurants.

You will experience a stronger marketplace atmosphere and you can also find various delicious local food and snacks, such as crispy fried pork, beef and lamb paomo, plum syrup. It’s an ideal place to explore different local specialties and discover your favorites.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Yizhenlou Restaurant: No. 18, Da Pi Yuan
• Dingjia Crispy FriedPork: No. 223, West Entrance of Da Pi Yuan
• Shi Family’s Steamed Buns: No. 224, Da Pi Yuan

Xi Yang Shi – Birthplace of the Lamb Paomo

• Location: Lianhu District
• Opening hoursfor stores: 10:00–22:00
• How to get to: Metro line 6: Guangjijie D1 exit, walk northward for about 7 minutes
• Per capita consumption range: 30 – 50 CNY

Xi Yang Shi is located north of Bell Tower with a length of 419m, which is also part of the famous Muslim Street. It is famous as the birthplace of the lamb paomo. Do not miss this street if you want to taste the authentic paomo.

Here gather many time-honored brands, whose reputation has undergone tests for decades of years. You will find that many stores sell only one or two foods, but they are considered among the best in Xi’an. You can taste both staple foods, like paomo and dumplings, and snacks, like cold noodles and persimmon cake.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Lao Mi Family’s Dayu Paomo: 127, Xi Yang Shi
• Liu Jixiao Cured Beef and Mutton: near the west entrance of Xi Yang Shi

Da Che Jia Xiang – Best Place to Taste Noodles

• Location: BeilinDistrict
• Opening hours for stores: 10:30- 22:00
• How to get to: Metro line 2: Yongningmen A2exit, walk for about 15 minutes
• Per capita consumption range: 20 – 30 CNY

Da Che Jia Xiang is an 800m long street that is best known for various noodles. You can find almost all kinds of special Shaanxi noodles here, including the famous Biangbiang Noodles and Oil-sprayed Noodles.

Noodles are the favorite main food among Xian people, so you will find the street is packed with diners in both day and night. If you want to explore Shaanxi’s noodle culture, here is the best place to go. During a visit to the street, the tailor’s stall, the locksmith store and the hardware store will also make you feel like experiencing the local life of old Xian.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Liu Ji Braised Pork Noodles: No. 33, Da Che Jia Xiang
• Tongwen Noodles: 108, Da Che Jia Xiang
• Halal Kunkun Spinach Noodles: No. 84, Da Che Jia Xiang

Muslim Street– Most Famous Food Street in Xian

• Location: Bei Yuan Men, Lianhu District
• Opening hours for stores: 10:00–24:00
• How to get to: Metro line 2 or 6: Zhonglou C exit, walk westward for about 6 minutes
• Per capita consumption range: 50 – 80 CNY

Muslim Street is widely regarded as the best-known food street in Xian and has been the must-visit place for lots of people during their Xian tour. It is located in the northwest of Bell Tower and consists of about 10 streets, including the above Da Pi Yuan, Xi Yang Shi and Bei Yuan Men, etc.

Bei Yuan Men is the main street known to all tourists. So there are more stores and it is usually full of people all the time. It is suitable for first-timers to experience the lively and unique atmosphere here. As the residential quarter of the Muslims, you will feel a profound Muslim cultural atmosphere and taste various kinds of Muslim food here.

Recommended Restaurants:

1. Jia SanHalal Steamed Buns with Soup: No. 93, Bei Yuan Men
2. Lao SunFamily’s Paomo: No. 68, Bei Yuan Men
3. Yiguzhai Osmanthus Persimmon Cake: No. 119, Bei Yuan Men

Shun Cheng Xiang – A Ring Road of Diverse Restaurants, Bars and Stores

• Location: Beilin District
• Opening hours for stores:06:00 – 23:00
• How to get to: Metro line 2: Yongningmen D2 exit, walknorthward for about 5 minutes
• Per capita consumption range: 20 – 100 CNY

Shun Cheng Xiang is a ring road around the city, which lies inside the foot of Xian City Wall. Here is a great destination to walk along the foot of the Xian city wall. You will not only feel the thick cultural atmosphere of the city, but also you will be delighted by the various eateries, bars, cafes and romantic souvenir shops. Besides local food, there are also Western cuisines. So, it is an amazing place for young people.

In different sections and times, you will have quite different experiences. The highlights along the road include Small South Gate Morning Market, Academy Gate Cultural Street, Old Market Cultural and Creative Street, etc. With a length of 13.7 km, it is not recommended to complete the tour at once. If you are interested in it, choose the section from Yongning Gate to Anding Gate or from Changge Gate to Jianguo Gate to explore.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Chang An Zao Shaanxi Cuisine Restaurant: on the 2^ndfloor of Yongningli Shopping Mall
• Ma Le Roast Meat: 300 meters west of the Yongning Gate
• Zhu Xiuying Bangbang Meat: No. 6, Xiamaling, Baishulin Street

Local Tips Before You Go

• If you want to avoid crowds, go to these Xian food streets before 18:00 for easier walking;if you want to experience the bustling atmosphere, visit after dark.
• Besides Yongxingfang, all other food streets are the gathering places for halal restaurants. Please do not bring non-halal foods and drink alcohol.
• The taste of most food in Xian features spicy, salty and oily. When ordering the food, you can tell the servants your preferred flavors, such as “less salt”, “mild spicy” or “no spicy.
• Most cuisine contains peanuts, sesame seeds and nuts. If you are allergic to them, let the server know in advance.
• The classic drinks paired with the local cuisine is the Ice Peak orange-flavored soda or plum soup, which is an iconic local drink and is really refreshing.
• In these food streets, you will find that most are hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Their facilities are simple and the service is average, but do not worry, they meet the standards for local street dining. If you seek for good environments and experience, the restaurants in the shopping malls are better.
• When eating Paomo, you need to tearthe buns by hand. For the best flavor, the size should be as small as soybeans.

Travel with China Xian Tour for a Memorable Food Adventure

Xian food is famous all over China because of various kinds of noodles and local snacks. For tourists who do not know much about the local food and restaurants, China Xian Tour can recommend some famous ones according to your interests and customize a food tour based on your demands. Of course, we can also combine the food adventure with must-visit scenic spots to ensure you can experience the charm of Xian completely. Just contact us right now to start your Xian tour.

FAQs about Where Locals Really Eat in Xi’an

1. What is the difference between the main Muslim Quarter street (Beiyuanmen) and the side alleys like Sajin Qiao or Dapiyuan?

The main street is more like a tourist street with a strong business atmosphere, while Sajin Qiao and Da Pi Yuan have fewer tourists and are preferred by locals.

2. What are the opening hours and peak hours for the food streets in Xian?

The stores inside most food streets usually open from 10:00 – 22:00 and they usually reach the peak hours after 18:00.

3. How can you tell if the restaurant is truly authentic or not?

The simplest way is to check whether the restaurant is crowded with local people or not.