"Guilin’s old-line Guangxi kitchen, Lipu taro pork under 70 yuan a head — book a round table for the team dinner."
About Jinlong Zhai
The Lipu taro pork arrives as a dark dome of alternating slices, taro and pork belly steamed together until the two are hard to tell apart. That dish, kou rou to every table in the room, is the reason Jinlong Zhai has held its place among Guilin’s local institutions while the tourist rooms around Zhengyang Road turn over. The name translates as Golden Dragon Stockade, and the cooking is the Guangxi canon done at volume: river snails, cask chicken, taro in every register. Start with our Guilin dining guide for how the city eats.
The Kitchen
There is no celebrity chef and never has been; Jinlong Zhai is an old-line local chain, and the kitchen cooks from the northern Guangxi repertoire rather than from one cook’s biography. The benchmark plates are the Lipu taro pork, the wooden-cask chicken lifted whole from its steaming barrel, stuffed Guilin river snails, and a mushroom and duck soup that does the work of a course on its own. The taro dish carries real credentials: Lipu taro braised pork was named one of Guangxi’s ten classic dishes in 2018 and entered the region’s intangible cultural heritage register in 2020, and this is the room where most Guilin locals would send you to eat it. Dinner runs 50 to 70 yuan a head, which is the other argument; the downtown branch at 24 Zhongshan Middle Road in Xiangshan district fills nightly on that maths. For the wider field, see our guide to the best Chinese restaurants worldwide, and compare the city’s other benchmark bird at Chunji Roast Goose.
The Room
The room is loud, bright and built for groups: big round tables, lazy susans, tea poured before you sit, service that moves at Guangxi speed. Sound holds a steady hum that climbs to properly loud by eight; lighting is canteen-bright rather than romantic; spacing is generous because the tables are. Nobody dresses up. The crowd is families, work units and the occasional traveller steered in by a hotel concierge, and the staff are used to the picture menu being pointed at. It is the opposite of a hushed tasting room, and that is the point.
Best for a Team Dinner
Book Jinlong Zhai for a team dinner because the format does the organising for you: round tables seat ten, the canon is built for sharing, and the bill for eight with beer rarely clears 600 yuan. Order the taro pork, a cask chicken and the snails, and let the lazy susan run the meeting. Payment is WeChat Pay or Alipay, so one phone settles it. More rooms built for groups are in our team dinner guide; for a milestone night, the birthday list has the city’s dressier options.
Not for
Not for a quiet date or a long Western-paced evening. The room is bright and loud, dishes land as they are ready, and the kitchen winds down before 9pm.
Frequently Asked
Is Jinlong Zhai worth it?
Yes, for classic Guangxi cooking at local prices. The Lipu taro pork and wooden-cask chicken are the plates the restaurant is known for, dinner runs 50 to 70 yuan a person, and the downtown branch at 24 Zhongshan Middle Road is the most convenient of its rooms. It is the benchmark for the regional canon in Guilin rather than a refined tasting room, so come hungry and bring a group.
What should I order at Jinlong Zhai?
Start with the Lipu taro braised pork, the dish named one of Guangxi's ten classics in 2018 and a regional intangible cultural heritage entry since 2020. Add the wooden-cask chicken, the stuffed Guilin river snails and the mushroom and duck soup. Portions are built for sharing, so a table of four can cover the canon for well under 300 yuan.
Do I need a reservation at Jinlong Zhai?
Usually not. The branches are large and turn tables quickly, and walk-ins are normal for smaller parties. For a round table of eight or more on a weekend, call ahead or arrive before 6.30pm. Note that the kitchen stops taking orders before 9pm, early by Western standards, so plan an early dinner rather than a late one.
How much does dinner cost at Jinlong Zhai?
Expect 50 to 70 yuan per person without alcohol, and not much more with local beer. The signature dishes are the most expensive plates on the menu and still land well under what a hotel dining room in Guilin charges. Payment is effectively cashless; WeChat Pay and Alipay are expected, and no tip is added or wanted.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Jinlong Zhai
No online booking. Walk-ins are normal; call ahead for a weekend round table at the Zhongshan Middle Road branch.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address24 Zhongshan Middle Road, Xiangshan, Guilin
NeighbourhoodXiangshan, Guilin
CuisineClassic Guilin / Guangxi
Price¥50–70 per person, ex-drinks; no service charge, no tipping
Dress CodeNo-rules / casual
SeatingLarge rooms set with shared round tables; several branches across Guilin
ReservationWalk-in / phone
