Panxi Restaurant: Dim Sum in a Lingnan Garden
Guangzhou's most scenic yum cha: pavilions over a Liwan lotus pond. Touristed and pricier, but the setting is unmatched.
Duration
1.5-2 hours
Cost
¥80-140 ($11-19) per person
Hours
Roughly 07:30-14:30, 17:00-21:00
Booking
No booking needed
Panxi Restaurant 泮溪酒家 (Pànxī Jiǔjiā) has been serving yum cha beside Liwan Lake since 1947, in a complex of pavilions, bridges and courtyards draped over a lotus pond. It is Guangzhou's most scenic tea meal — and knowingly leans on that setting.
The food is classic rather than cutting-edge: shrimp dumplings, siu mai, roast meats, and proper Cantonese banquet dishes at lunch and dinner. Expect ¥80–140 ($11–19) per person — two to three times a neighbourhood teahouse, and the wrappers aren't actually better than Dian Dou De's. What you're paying for is the view: morning light on the pond, banyans hanging over the water, and the most photographed dim sum setting in the city.
Honest take: Panxi is touristed, and everyone knows it. But "touristed" in this case means well-run rather than predatory, and if you only do one scenic meal in Guangzhou, this is the one. It also anchors a perfect Liwan morning — yum cha here, then the qilou lanes and Yongqingfang on foot.
Getting there: Metro Line 1 to Changshou Road 长寿路站; the restaurant sits beside Liwan Lake Park on Longjin West Road.
Practical tips
- Request a table by the pond windows when you're seated — it's the whole point.
- Weekend yum cha queues are long; arrive before 08:30 or book ahead.
- Pair with a Liwan morning: Yongqingfang and the qilou lanes are next door.
- Metro: Changshou Road station (Line 1), beside Liwan Lake Park.
- Prices run 2-3x Dian Dou De — you're paying for the garden, not better dough.