How to Use Dianping: Find the Best Restaurants in China

You're standing on a busy Shanghai street corner, surrounded by dozens of restaurants, noodle shops, and hole-in-the-wall eateries. The signs are all in Chinese. The menus taped to windows mean nothing to you. How do you know which place serves amazing xiaolongbao and which one will give you food poisoning?

Welcome to the problem that Dianping solves.

Dianping (大众点评), often called "China's Yelp," is the country's dominant platform for restaurant reviews, ratings, and deals. With over 600 million users and reviews for millions of businesses, it's the app that locals use to find everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to the best street food stalls. And yes, foreigners can use it too—even without reading Chinese.

This guide will show you exactly how.

What Exactly Is Dianping?

Think of Dianping as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Groupon combined into one super-app. Founded in 2003, it was one of China's earliest user review platforms and has since evolved into the go-to resource for:

• Restaurant ratings and reviews (its core function)
• Deals and coupons (often 20-50% off)
• Photo galleries of dishes and restaurant interiors
• Wait time estimates and table reservations
• Services beyond food (spas, salons, entertainment, hotels)

In 2015, Dianping merged with Meituan to form Meituan-Dianping, now one of China's largest tech companies. While Meituan focuses on food delivery, Dianping remains the review and discovery platform. They share the same app ecosystem, which can be slightly confusing at first.

The key thing to understand: if you want to eat well in China, Dianping is your best friend.

How to Download and Set Up Dianping

Option 1: The Standalone App

Search for "Dianping" or "大众点评" in your app store. The icon is an orange square with a white speech bubble containing a fork and knife. Make sure you're downloading the one published by "Shanghai Hanlian Information Technology Co., Ltd."

After downloading:

1. Open the app and it will ask for location permission—grant it
2. Skip the login for now (you can browse without an account)
3. Allow notifications if you want deal alerts

You can create an account later using your phone number if you want to save favorites or write reviews.

Option 2: Through Meituan or WeChat

If you already have the Meituan app (common if you've ordered food delivery), Dianping is integrated into it. Look for the "Dianping" section in the app.

Alternatively, search for the Dianping mini-program inside WeChat. This lightweight version works well for quick searches without installing another app.

Understanding the Dianping Interface

Yes, Dianping is primarily in Chinese. No, this doesn't make it unusable. The app is highly visual, and with a few key terms memorized, you'll navigate it like a local.

The Home Screen

When you open Dianping, you'll see:

• Location selector (top left): Shows your current city. Tap to change if needed.
• Search bar (top): Where you'll type your searches.
• Category icons (grid below search): Visual shortcuts to different types of businesses—restaurants, coffee shops, bars, attractions.
• Recommended restaurants (scrolling feed): Algorithmically suggested places based on your location and browsing history.

Key Chinese Terms to Recognize

Memorize these, and you'll understand 80% of what you need:

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
美食	měishí	Food/Restaurants
评分	píngfēn	Rating
人均	rénjūn	Average price per person
距离	jùlí	Distance
营业中	yíngyè zhōng	Currently open
休息中	xiūxi zhōng	Currently closed
排队	páiduì	Queue/Wait
预约	yùyuē	Reservation
优惠	yōuhuì	Deal/Discount
团购	tuángòu	Group buying deal
好评	hǎopíng	Positive review
差评	chàpíng	Negative review

How to Search for Restaurants

Method 1: Category Browsing

The easiest way to start is through the category icons on the home screen.

1. Tap "美食" (Food) to see all restaurant categories
2. Browse sub-categories: You'll see icons for Chinese cuisine (中餐), Western food (西餐), Japanese (日本料理), Korean (韩国料理), hotpot (火锅), BBQ (烧烤), desserts (甜点), coffee (咖啡), and more
3. Tap any category to see restaurants near you

This visual browsing works even if you can't read Chinese—just tap the icons that look like what you want to eat.

Method 2: Direct Search

For more specific searches:

1. Tap the search bar at the top of the screen
2. Type in English or Chinese: Surprisingly, English searches work fairly well. Try "pizza," "sushi," "hotpot," or "Italian restaurant"
3. Or search by restaurant name: If someone recommended a specific place, search for it directly

Pro tip: If English searches aren't giving good results, use Google Translate to convert your query to Chinese, then copy-paste it into Dianping's search bar.

Method 3: Map-Based Search

1. Tap the map icon near the top of the screen
2. Browse restaurants shown as pins on the map
3. Tap any pin to see the restaurant's rating and basic info
4. Useful when: You're in a specific area and want to see what's nearby

Understanding Ratings and Reviews

Dianping's rating system is the heart of the app. Here's how to interpret what you see:

The Star Rating

Restaurants are rated on a 5-star scale, displayed as orange stars. However, the rating culture in China differs from Western platforms:

• 4.5+ stars: Excellent, highly recommended
• 4.0-4.4 stars: Good, worth trying
• 3.5-3.9 stars: Average, proceed with caution
• Below 3.5 stars: Generally avoid

Chinese users tend to be harsher critics than American Yelp users. A 4.2 on Dianping often corresponds to a 4.5+ on Yelp.

The Review Count

Look for the number next to "条评价" (reviews). More reviews generally mean more reliability:

• 500+ reviews: Very popular, rating is trustworthy
• 100-500 reviews: Well-established, good sample size
• 50-100 reviews: Decent data, but ratings may fluctuate
• Under 50 reviews: Take ratings with a grain of salt

Reading Individual Reviews

Tap on a restaurant to see its full profile, then scroll down to the review section. Each review shows:

• User's star rating for this visit
• Review text (in Chinese—use screenshot + Google Translate)
• Photos from the reviewer (extremely helpful)
• "Recommended dishes" mentioned by the reviewer (look for dishes in quotes or highlighted)

Photo Tip: Dianping reviews are photo-heavy. Even without reading Chinese, you can scroll through review photos to see exactly what dishes look like, portion sizes, and restaurant ambiance.

Key Features for Tourists

Deals and Coupons (团购/优惠)

One of Dianping's killer features is its deals section. Many restaurants offer set menus, discount vouchers, or special packages exclusively through the app.

1. On a restaurant's page, look for orange banners or a section labeled "团购" (group buy) or "优惠" (deals)
2. Tap to see available offers: These might be "¥99 for a ¥150 meal" or "4-person hotpot set for ¥298"
3. Purchase through the app: You'll need Alipay or WeChat Pay linked
4. Show the QR code to the restaurant when you arrive

Deals typically save 20-50% off regular prices. The catch: they often require ordering a specific set menu rather than ordering a la carte.

Photo Galleries

Every restaurant page has a photo section (look for "图片" or a camera icon). This is gold for visual decision-making:

• Dish photos: See exactly what you might order
• Menu photos: Sometimes users photograph the entire menu
• Interior shots: Judge the ambiance before visiting
• Food presentation: Quality check before committing

Check-In Feature

Dianping encourages users to "check in" at restaurants. For tourists, this feature shows:

• How many people visited today: Indicates current popularity
• Peak hours: When the restaurant is busiest
• Wait times: Estimated queue length at popular spots

Wait Time and Reservations

Popular restaurants in China can have serious queues, especially on weekends. Dianping helps with:

• Real-time wait estimates: Look for "排队" with a number (e.g., "排队 45桌" means 45 tables waiting)
• Remote queuing: Some restaurants let you join the queue through the app before arriving
• Reservations: Look for "预约" to book a table in advance (usually requires a Chinese phone number)

Using Dianping with Translation Apps

Since most content is in Chinese, having a translation strategy is essential.

The Screenshot Method

1. Take a screenshot of whatever you need translated (menu, review, deal details)
2. Open Google Translate (download the offline Chinese pack before your trip)
3. Tap the camera icon, then select "Import" to choose your screenshot
4. View the translated overlay

This works remarkably well for menus and reviews.

Live Camera Translation

1. Open Google Translate's camera function
2. Point at your phone screen showing Dianping
3. Get real-time translation of visible text

This is faster but less accurate than the screenshot method.

WeChat's Built-In Translation

If you're using Dianping through WeChat:

1. Long-press any Chinese text
2. Select "Translate" from the menu
3. View the translation in-app

Tips for Finding Foreigner-Friendly Restaurants

Not every highly-rated restaurant on Dianping will be a comfortable experience for non-Chinese speakers. Here's how to find places that work well for tourists:

Look for English Menu Indicators

In the restaurant details, look for "英文菜单" (English menu) or similar tags. Some restaurants specifically note they have English-speaking staff or multilingual menus.

Check the Location

Restaurants in tourist areas (like Shanghai's French Concession, Beijing's Sanlitun, or Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley) are more likely to accommodate foreigners. Use the map view to find restaurants in these areas.

Prioritize Chain Restaurants Initially

While street food and local holes-in-the-wall offer authentic experiences, chain restaurants (even Chinese ones like Haidilao Hotpot or Xibei) often have:

• Picture menus
• Standardized service
• Staff trained to handle non-Chinese customers

Look for International Cuisines

Western, Japanese, and Korean restaurants in China almost always have staff accustomed to international customers and often have English menus.

Read Between the Photos

When browsing review photos, look for:

• Photos showing English text on menus
• Images of foreigner-friendly signage
• Pictures showing a diverse clientele

Practical Example: Finding Dinner in Shanghai

Let's walk through a real scenario:

1. Open Dianping and confirm your location shows Shanghai
2. Tap the search bar and type "hotpot" or "火锅"
3. Results appear: You see a list of restaurants with ratings, prices, and distances
4. Tap the filter button and select "评分" (rating) to sort by highest rated
5. Choose a restaurant with 4.5+ stars and 200+ reviews
6. Tap into it and scroll through photos to see if the food looks appealing
7. Check the "团购" section for any deals
8. Note the address (tap the address to copy it or open in maps)
9. Check "营业时间" (business hours) to make sure they're open
10. Navigate there using Amap or Baidu Maps

Total time: About 5 minutes. Result: A restaurant that locals love, possibly at a discount.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Trusting Only the Star Rating

A 4.8-star restaurant isn't always better than a 4.3. Check the review count and read recent reviews. Some highly-rated places are tourist traps with inflated scores.

Ignoring the "人均" (Average Price)

Always check the per-person price before visiting. A ¥500 per person restaurant is very different from a ¥50 one.

Not Checking Business Hours

Chinese restaurant hours can be unusual—many close between lunch and dinner (2-5 PM). The "营业时间" section shows exact hours.

Skipping the Photos

Photos tell you more than ratings. A restaurant might have great reviews but serve portions that are tiny, or have an atmosphere that doesn't suit your preferences.

Assuming All Deals Are Worth It

Some "团购" deals restrict what you can order or require minimum group sizes. Read the deal details carefully (use translation) before purchasing.

Beyond Restaurants

While this guide focuses on food, Dianping is useful for much more:

• Coffee shops with wifi for remote work
• Bars and nightlife with reviews and photos
• Massage and spa services (very popular category)
• Tourist attractions with visitor reviews
• Hotels (though Trip.com is usually better for booking)

The same browsing and rating principles apply across all categories.

Final Thoughts

Dianping might seem intimidating at first—an entirely Chinese app with millions of listings and no obvious "tourist mode." But once you understand its visual nature and learn a handful of key terms, it becomes an incredibly powerful tool.

The difference between eating randomly and eating with Dianping is the difference between hoping for the best and knowing you're getting the best. In a country with one of the world's most diverse and delicious food cultures, that's a difference worth the 10-minute learning curve.

Your stomach will thank you.

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Want more tools for navigating China? The China Survival Kit includes restaurant translation cards, food ordering guides, and dozens of other practical resources for your trip.