Many people come to China expecting the food to be awful…they could not be more wrong. 

It is difficult to overestimate the primacy of food and dining in China. This was taken to an extreme by China's best known gourmands, the Emperor Qianlong and more infamously his descendant, the Dowager Empress Cixi (r.1861-1908). She was served more than one hundred dishes a day and spent some 50,000 taels of silver or about US$70,000 a week on her meals!

The wealth and internationalism of today's China have created an exciting, fast -developing food culture. Besides the rich array of traditional, regional cuisines, in major cities one can sample a fine selection of Western restaurants as well as those conjuring up an eclectic fusion of Chinese and Western traditions.

From Michelin Stars to Mandarin Chefs, you will be amazed by the gourmet restaurants in China. Imperial Tours provides the finest available Western and Chinese restaurants at every destination. In Beijing and Shanghai our restaurants include establishments of the caliber of Maison Boulud, Lan Club, Sens & Bund, M on the Bund, Jean Georges and more that have been featured in well-known luxury travel magazines and guides. Apart from these, Imperial Tours also provides many excellent Chinese restaurants and dining venues that are not generally known, such as exclusive private clubs like The China Club, or the private home of Chairman Mao's personal chef. Your fondest memories will however probably be of banquets we privately cater at various cultural sites. These are often under the direction of Imperial Tours' chef*.

A number of principles inform our restaurant and menu choices for an itinerary:

• Chinese meals introduce you to a range and balance of regional dishes through the tour (Please note that the China Host can alter menus while on tour to cater to your palate).
• Western meals are interspersed regularly throughout the tour (especially if you need a break from Chinese food) and are typically served a la carte.
  

*Our chef is also available for private dining arrangements in destinations with limited restaurant facilities such as Lhasa.

EMAIL

US TEL: 888 888 1970