Guilin's most famous dish is Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉, guìlín mǐfěn) — a bowl of smooth white rice noodles in a rich pork or beef broth, topped with a spoonful of chili paste, sliced meat, peanuts, and pickled vegetables. You customise it yourself from a row of condiment jars. Breakfast noodle shops are open from 6am and a bowl costs very little. Try them at least once for breakfast.
Other local dishes include braised pork with preserved vegetables, fried river fish, and beer fish — river fish braised in local beer, a Yangshuo specialty that has spread throughout the region. Zhengyang pedestrian street has dozens of restaurants and is easy to navigate; the small alleys around the central lakes have more local-feeling options.