How to Order Food in China: Restaurants, Apps, Street Food and Trains

You don't need to read a single character of Chinese to eat well in China. Between scan-to-order menus, translation apps, and a couple of habits picked up on day one, most travelers stop worrying about ordering food by their second meal. Here's exactly how it works: restaurant table, street stall, delivery app, and dining car alike.

First, set up mobile payment

Before you worry about menus, sort out how you'll pay. China runs on mobile payment: link a foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB, or similar card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before or soon after you arrive, both now accept most major foreign cards, and neither needs a Chinese bank account or phone number to get started. It's a passport photo, a card, and a few minutes. Most restaurants, stalls, and delivery apps won't take your physical foreign card directly, so the wallet apps do the heavy lifting; our Alipay setup guide walks through the verification steps. Carry a little cash as a rare backup, but expect to scan a QR code to pay almost everywhere.

Ordering in a sit-down restaurant

Many restaurants now use scan-to-order: a QR code on the table opens a digital menu inside WeChat or Alipay, usually with photos. Inside the mini-program you can normally switch the interface to English or tap a built-in translate button, add dishes to a cart, and pay from your phone, no waiter needed.

If there's a paper menu instead, look for one with pictures and point. Chinese meals are shared family-style, so order a few dishes for the table rather than one plate each; a reasonable rule of thumb is roughly one dish per person plus a rice or noodle dish. Tea or hot water usually comes free; tap water usually isn't served, so order bottled water or a soft drink if you want one. (Sharing plates and chopsticks the right way has its own small etiquette, covered in Chinese dining etiquette.) Hotpot restaurants layer on their own ordering steps on top of this, see the hotpot guide if that's on your list.

Street food and markets

Street stalls are where some of China's best, cheapest food lives. You rarely need words: point at what you want, hold up fingers for quantity, and scan to pay. Choose busy stalls with visible turnover, a moving queue is your best guarantee of freshness over an empty one. Night markets in cities like Xi'an, Chengdu, and Chongqing are a good first stop for exactly this reason.

Food delivery to your hotel

Too tired to go out? China's delivery apps are fast and convenient. The two biggest names are Meituan and Ele.me, though Ele.me itself changed in December 2025: Alibaba folded it into Taobao and renamed it Taobao Flash Sale, swapping the familiar blue Ele.me icon for Taobao's orange one. If you're hunting for it in an app store or inside WeChat, that new name and icon are what to look for now. The easiest route for travelers is the mini-program version inside Alipay or WeChat rather than a standalone app: these offer on-demand menu translation, photo-based browsing, and payment through your linked card. In WeChat, search for the Meituan food-delivery mini-program and use the menu's translate option. Enter your hotel name and room as the delivery address.

Eating on high-speed trains

On long G and D high-speed trains you can have a hot meal delivered to your seat. Open the official 12306 app (or its WeChat mini-program), go to the dining and specialties section, enter your train and seat, and it shows upcoming stations and participating restaurants. Availability depends on participating merchants and stations. The ordering interface is mostly in Chinese, so a translation app helps. If you're still getting the hang of 12306 for booking tickets in the first place, our 12306 guide for foreigners covers that separately. Trains may also carry a dining car or a snack trolley, depending on the service.

Translation and dietary needs

Download a translation app: Google Translate (with the Chinese pack saved offline), Baidu Translate, or Pleco for food-specific vocabulary. The camera or photo feature on most of these can translate a printed menu instantly. For dietary restrictions or allergies, write the ingredients or foods you need to avoid in a translation app before ordering. Show the written request to staff, ask them to confirm that they understand, and check the dish when it arrives. For serious allergies, choose restaurants that can clearly explain their ingredients and do not rely on a verbal explanation alone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I order food in China without speaking Chinese? Yes. Picture menus, scan-to-order with built-in translation, pointing at street stalls, and translation apps mean you can eat well with zero Chinese.

Do I tip at restaurants in China? No. Tipping isn't customary in mainland China and isn't expected at restaurants, stalls, or for delivery.

How do I pay for food in China as a foreigner? Link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay and scan the QR code to pay. Physical foreign cards are rarely accepted directly, and both apps support eligible international cards.

Can I get food delivered to my hotel? Yes. Use Meituan or Taobao Flash Sale through Alipay or WeChat, subject to current app access, payment, and delivery requirements. Enter your hotel address and room as the delivery address, then pay in-app.

How do I order food on a Chinese high-speed train? Use the 12306 app's dining and specialties section, enter your seat, and choose from participating merchants and stations. Availability varies by route and service.