3 Best Restaurants in Suzhou, Beijing to Shanghai

Shelled river shrimp (wumen xiaren) are a light and delicate signature dish at this lovely restaurant, accessed via a narrow alley north of Lion's Grove Garden. The busy kitchen also pulls off a crisp rendition of the region's famous songshu guiyu (squirrel fish), scored and fried so that the white meat fans outward in chopstick-friendly mouthfuls; sweet-and-sour sauce completes the experience.

Locals squeeze around tables at this simple eatery, a quick hop from the Master of the Nets Garden, to lunch on mouthwateringly zingy wonton soup and xiaolongbao (freshly steamed, soup-filled pork dumplings). There is no menu—order at the entrance, take a number, and find a seat.

Ever since Emperor Qianlong, the Qing Dynasty's most famous tourist, declared the fish here a triumph, Songhelou has ridden on his yellow coattails. The town's most famous eatery, "Pine and Crane," as its name translates to in English, is pricey and overhyped—yet tourists still pack in to chow on braised tofu with crabmeat, pork belly with cherry sauce, and other local specialties.