What are the best restaurants in Chengdu for foreigners?

Here are the best restaurants in Chengdu that are popular with and welcoming to foreigners:

🔥 Hotpot Restaurants
- Shu Jiu Xiang - Very popular, clean, modern, great quality ingredients. Menu sometimes has English. Locals love it.
- Da Miao Hotpot - Clean, modern, good for groups, relatively tourist-friendly.
- Xiaolong Kan - Famous chain, consistent quality, can get very crowded.
- Lao Ma Tou - Popular chain, good service, English menu available at some locations.

🍽️ Authentic Sichuan Cuisine
- Chen Mapo Tofu - The original home of mapo tofu. Been around since 1862. Very authentic.
- Meizhou Dongpo - High-quality Sichuan food, clean, comfortable, good for international visitors. Multiple locations.
- Sichuan Cuisine Museum - Learn about Sichuan food and eat excellent food there. Great experience.

🥢 Street Food
- Jinli Ancient Street - Great for trying many different street foods in one place
- Kuanzhai Alley - Mix of street food and sit-down restaurants
- University areas - The best cheap street food near Sichuan University

🌍 International & Western Food
- The Bookworm - Western food, coffee, bookstore, popular with expats
- Element Fresh - Healthy international food, multiple locations
- Various coffee shops - Good coffee is easy to find throughout the city

💡 Tips for Foreign Visitors:
- Most popular restaurants have at least some English on the menu these days
- You can always ask for "wei la" (mild spicy) if you don't handle spice well
- Credit cards accepted at most nicer restaurants
- Popular places get busy around 7:00 PM, go earlier or make a reservation