Where to eat in Kunming

11 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Kunming. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Eat Not mapped
Flavor Street
味的道; Wèi de dào
Restaurant with good pizza and amazing Thai hot pot. The owner is very friendly and the service is superb.
Eat Not mapped
French Cafe
Offers free Wi-Fi internet and serves a list of French options that cannot be found elsewhere in Kunming. Great homemade baguette, real French pastries, good coffee. The lovely atmosphere and the good music is a plus. It has become a popular spot to hang out and have a beer or two in the evenings.
Eat Not mapped
Games Cafe
Run by a Frenchman and his local wife, this place offers a stunning collection of boardgames in a few languages (mostly English and Chinese), and is popular with both foreigners and locals. Local and imported beers, home made noodles, various French food and amazing meal-portioned salads.
Eat Not mapped
Heavenly Manna
吗哪; Mǎnǎ
Yunnan style restaurant in the very trendy and fashionable Wenlin Street area. Fantastic food at reasonable prices. The drinks are less than ¥10. The cakes are also worth trying.
Eat Not mapped
Insane Wontons
疯狂馄饨
A delicious insanely spicy dumpling (wonton) soup with other (including non-spicy) options as well. Try the Sichuan Spicy Wontons (MaLa HunDun) 麻辣馄饨 or the Strange Flavor Wontons (GuaiWei HunDun)怪味馄饨 for the two best.
Eat Not mapped
Makye Ame
玛吉阿米
A Tibetan restaurant with fantastic atmosphere and design, and nightly stage performances of Tibetan songs and dances. Some dish with yak meat must of course be tried; there is plenty in the menu.
Eat Not mapped
Mazagran Cafe
Has a good selection of Western meals and some delicious cakes and cookies (the millionaire shortbread is a favourite). The clientele is a mix of Westerners (lots of students looking for an afternoon study spot and enjoying the free Wi-Fi) and locals. Its second floor location (the stairs are around the back of the building) and open frontage makes it a good place to people watch. The restaurant was set up by a New Zealand couple who have since moved, but in terms of quality Western food it's one of the best.
Eat Not mapped
Prague Cafe
Cute cafe with an upper level, has books and magazines. Has a variety of meals including Japanese and Western. While this place largely remains a Chinese hangout, several foreigners looking for a quieter lunch or place to study Chinese can be seen. The staff are friendly and the coffee is probably second best in the area. Food is mediocre, pizza is microwaved from a box. Pricey drinks. Disgusting bathroom, ¥50 fine if you poop or throw paper in the toilet.
Eat Not mapped
Salvadors
Wide variety of western food and imported beer. They make excellent ice cream. A local favorite.
Eat Not mapped
Shiping Huiguan
石屏会馆
Traditional Yunnanese restaurant in an old courtyard; the amazing building is reason enough for a visit, though the food is also very good. The plate of various fried insects is interesting to try; the river shrimps and the baked fish is also a must.
¥50-100/person
Eat Not mapped
Yuanxi Lu
员西路
A street full of small restaurants and shops. There's a good place hidden behind an entrance with a small Chinese-style roof on top, selling chou doufu in the entrance. One shop to the left you can try pork brain or just some tasty dumplings. On the opposite side of the street there's a Dai minority restaurant. You can recognize it by its bamboo-style walls.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kunming (CC BY-SA 4.0).