Editor’s Note
The latest Black Pearl Restaurant Guide reveals a significant national expansion of China’s fine dining scene, with 263 restaurants from 32 cities making the list. This year’s selection highlights a growing diversity of regional cuisines and cultural flavors, signaling a broader geographic appreciation for high-end culinary experiences.
On January 27, the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide released its annual list in Fuzhou, Fujian. A total of 263 restaurants from 32 cities across mainland China were selected, covering 45 cuisines. Compared to previous years, this list shows a clear trend of geographical expansion and highlights regional cultural characteristics. Particularly noteworthy is the performance of Shandong Province: Qingdao made its debut on the list with two restaurants, while Jinan increased its number of listed restaurants to three after a new restaurant was selected.
The most significant breakthrough is the collective rise of regional cuisines. “Liaocai” (Liaoning cuisine) made its first appearance on the list, with two restaurants from Shenyang receiving one diamond each. Hebei Province saw a key breakthrough in fine dining, with two restaurants from Shijiazhuang making the list.
In this year’s Black Pearl list, Shandong Province’s performance was particularly eye-catching. This year, Qingdao was newly added as a city, with two restaurants, “Qingdao Food Collection · Pavilion Restaurant” and “Mengxiangcai · Haixian Qingdao Cuisine,” newly listed. Jinan, after having two restaurants listed for three consecutive years, increased its number to three this year.
It is worth mentioning that within the fine dining scene represented by the Black Pearl list, the development momentum of regional cuisines is particularly noteworthy. Meituan data shows that over the past three years, the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide has cumulatively added 11 regional cuisines. Deeply rooted local flavors have become a clear trend in fine dining.
In addition to the sudden emergence of regional cuisines, the consumer demographic for fine dining is also undergoing structural changes. 2025 data shows that the consumption share of post-95s and post-00s has expanded to 37%. At the same time, the number of consumers aged 60 and above increased by 115% year-on-year, showing a “dumbbell-shaped” consumption structure.
This change is evident in the Shandong restaurant market.
Ye Guobang, Product Director of Qingdao Food Collection Restaurant, said in an interview.
Facing market changes, fine dining restaurants are constantly adjusting their strategies. Meituan Vice President Zhang Chuan summarized three major industry change trends:
In Shandong, this transformation showcases unique local characteristics. Wang Qilong, founder of the newly listed “Jinan Yanxia Restaurant,” and Wang Taizhen, head chef of Yanxia Restaurant, both came from another Black Pearl restaurant in Jinan—”Lu Cai.”
Wang Qilong said that the overall style of “Lu Cai” leaned more towards business, while Yanxia targets more young groups, pursuing a better cost-performance ratio.
Fine dining is transforming from an unattainable business banquet into a quality lifestyle choice accessible to the masses. This is not only a market choice but also an embodiment of cultural confidence—fine dining does not have to imitate the West; it can be rooted in local flavors. The practices of Wang Qilong and Wang Taizhen are highly representative. During the restaurant’s preparation period, they spent a lot of time “traveling around Shandong, searching for local ingredients.”
They discovered and used a type of peanut from the Tai’an Yanshan area with very small heads but extremely high oil content.
Wang Taizhen said,
Their development process for a candied hawthorn head dish更能说明问题: carefully selecting “pure red seed” hawthorn from Mount Tai and adding Pingyin roses.
Wang Qilong explained.
This kind of localized expression is not limited to Jinan. Qingdao Food Collection Restaurant has deeply processed the local representative ingredient, abalone.
Ye Guobang introduced.
This极致运用 of local ingredients is the code to the revival of Lu cuisine. In Wang Qilong’s view, promoting Lu cuisine cannot rely on imitating the West; it can be rooted in local flavors.