The signature restaurant of the Hyatt Regency is beautifully designed with slate walls, antique furnishings, and an ancient Chinese imperial courtyard ambience with a contemporary twist. It serves exquisite Hangzhou specialities and cuisines from neighbouring cities. The braised dong po pork with chestnut pancakes is so good, your taste buds will never get over it. Perfect for dining to impress, the wine cellar is held in illustrious esteem.

With a choice location on Bai Causeway, and fine lakeside views, the city's most famous restaurant has been going since 1848. It serves up expensive but delicious Hangzhou favourites such as Longjing shrimp and braised pork as well as reasonably priced standard Chinese dishes. There is an English menu available too, but expect to wait for a table.

If you don't have time to visit Beijing on this trip, then come here for the capital's signature dish, Peking duck. Nestled in the manicured greenery along the north side of the Grand Canal, this upscale restaurant serves the most authentic roast duck in the city. If you don't want to wait about an hour for your duck to roast, ask someone at your hotel to call ahead and reserve one for you, so it's ready for your arrival. There's an English menu here, plus plenty of other delicious dishes, but not too much English spoken.

Found in the Azure Qiantang luxury hotel, this restaurant features a lovely view of the Qiantang river. Perhaps the most expensive buffet in Hangzhou, the hefty price tag comes with the excellent service equally excellent food.

This world famous Taiwanese dumpling chain never fails to delight, and the Hangzhou branch, housed inside Mixc Mall about 4km (2.5 miles) east of West Lake, is no exception. The dumpling skin is especially thin and delicate on Din Tai Fung dumplings, allowing you to savour the sumptuous fillings fully. There's an English menu, but if you're stuck for choice, you can't go wrong with the Special Xiaolongbao - five delicious delicate dumplings with pork and vegetable fillings.

Haidilao Hotpot stands out from the crowd thanks to its superior service. You can't reserve, so you'll probably have to wait to be served, but there are complimentary snacks, shoe shines, manicures, computers and board games to pass the time. Once shown to your table, you'll be given an apron to protect your clothes from any unwanted hotpot splashes. Waitresses will then patiently help you through the menu, which although in Chinese only, is categorised with pictures. We recommend the yuanyang guo (split pot) which is half spicy, half not, plus a bunch of raw ingredients to cook in your pot at the table.

A broad menu of reliable, flavourful Indian curries and rice dishes is served in this friendly restaurant. There are plenty of vegetarian options available as well, with soft, warm naan breads to soak up anything your fork can’t manage. A little extra atmosphere is provided by the video screens showing Bollywood movies, and by staff occasionally singing along. You might even be lucky enough to get a belly dancer turn up before desert.

An array of spicy noodle dishes guaranteed to make your eyes water and huge fried-rice servings make this affordable Japanese chain an excellent lakeside Hangzhou restaurant choice. The service is quick and the setting is casual, but an English picture menu and free tea will help with any dining dilemmas. If stuck, try the Nanyang sour beef pho or crispy pork chop noodles. Pay up front.

A great choice for lovers of Chinese food, this restaurant is close to a number of bus stops as well as a shopping mall and the Post Office. Bailu is known for being cheap and full of traditional Chinese flavours. Arriving early is a must, as reservations do not guarantee a spot during peak hours.

With all the Hangzhou classics at unbeatable prices, this superb restaurant chain is a huge favourite with the locals. There's an English menu with photos of every dish, but if you can't decide for yourself, the braised pork and the chicken in Longjing Tea are both delicious. There's also a handy branch at the main train station for that final taste of Hangzhou cuisine before setting off.

Specialising in food from China's Muslim Hui minority, this friendly down-to-earth restaurant is located on one of Hangzhou's liveliest restaurant strips, Gaoyin Jie, and is just a stone's throw from the souvenir shops on Qinghefang Old Street. With a bit of a Turkish twist, the English menu includes juicy lamb skewers, freshly baked naan bread, hummus (a rare find in China) and falafel.