Order food in China

Choose restaurant ordering or delivery. Open only the steps you need.

At a restaurantFood delivery

Ordering food is one of the first places the language barrier hits. Menus are often Chinese-only, many restaurants use QR-code ordering at the table, and delivery apps assume you have a Chinese phone number. This guide splits the problem in two: eating at restaurants and ordering delivery. For restaurants, you will learn the three reliable moves — ask for a menu, point at what you want, or scan the table QR code — plus how to handle the bill and what to do when nothing is in English. For delivery, it covers which apps foreigners can actually use, why a Chinese mobile number matters, and how to get food sent to a hotel front desk. Each section opens only the steps you need, so you are never reading a wall of text while hungry. One habit solves half the problem: keep the Chinese name of your dish or your hotel saved on your phone, and show it to staff instead of trying to pronounce it.

At a restaurant

  1. Ask for a menu or show the dish you want.

  2. If the restaurant gives you a QR menu, ask which app to scan with. Confirm your table number before adding dishes.

  3. Review quantities and the total before submitting. If the menu or payment fails, ask staff to take your order.

  4. Confirm ingredients with staff. Use your allergy card when relevant.

Food delivery

  1. Prepare your destination address, a reachable phone number and a working payment method. Ask your hotel where deliveries should be collected.

    Chinese address

  2. Choose one delivery app

    Meituan

    In Meituan, open the food delivery tab, choose a restaurant and add dishes.

    Taobao Flash Shopping

    On Taobao Flash Shopping, select a restaurant and dishes, then enter the delivery contact and detailed address.

  3. Check the address, order total and payment screen before confirming. Follow order tracking to arrange collection.

  4. If registration, SMS or payment does not work, ask your hotel for help or order at a nearby restaurant.

Food phrasesAllergy cardChinese addressSet up payments
Official delivery instructions

Reviewed 14 October 2026. App screens and available payment methods can change.

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