Dianping 大众点评

Where people in China look up restaurants: real photos, scores, rankings and the Must-Eat List. The app has an English setting; reviews stay mostly in Chinese.

UsefulBefore you fly or after you landWorks with your own phone numberTakes foreign cards

App Store Android

Set it up at home

1
Install and switch to English
Install “Dianping: Discover Good Places” (it belongs to Meituan). The app lists English, Japanese and Korean. The English setting covers menus and buttons; many shop pages and reviews stay in Chinese.
2
You can browse without an account
Searching, photos, scores and rankings work without logging in. Sign in only if you want group-buy deals or queue tickets; buying deals with a foreign phone number may not always work.

Using it in China

Find good food nearby

Look at the photos, the score and the 必吃榜 (Must-Eat List) badge rather than the review text. The Must-Eat List also has an English version.

Get there with the Chinese address

Copy the Chinese address from the restaurant page and paste it into DiDi or Amap, or show it to a taxi driver. Check that the shop is marked open and that recent reviews exist.

Problems and fixes

Reviews are all in Chinese

Use your phone’s screen translation (on iPhone, select text and tap Translate; on Android, Google Lens may not work in China, so try the camera’s built-in translator). Photos and scores already tell you a lot.

A group-buy deal won’t go through

Choose Alipay as the payment method. If it still fails, skip the deal: just order in the restaurant and pay there with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Deals are only discounts.

Sources

App Store: Dianping: Discover Good Places (apps.apple.com)
Google Play: Dianping (play.google.com)
The Paper: Dianping’s overseas push and English version (2025-12-03) (thepaper.cn)
People’s Daily Online: Must-Eat List adds English version (2025-11-11) (world.people.com.cn)

Checked against these sources on 2026-10-01. Rules change often, so confirm on the official site before you go.

Other apps

AlipayThe payment app most visitors rely on in China. Pay shops by QR code with your own card, ride the metro and call taxis from inside the app.

WeChatHow people in China message each other, plus Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) and the mini-programs that restaurants, museums and sights use for ordering and booking.

DiDiChina’s main ride-hailing app. It works in English with your own phone number and card, or inside Alipay with no extra account.

AmapChina’s most detailed map for walking, metro and buses, with an English version. Since August 2026 you can also book rides in English, paid through Alipay or WeChat Pay.

Railway 12306China Railway’s official ticket app and website, in English and with no booking fee. Register with your passport; your passport is then your ticket.

Trip.comBook China’s trains, flights, hotels and attraction tickets in English and pay with your own card, Apple Pay or PayPal. The easy fallback when 12306 or a Chinese booking site will not work for you.

TenPayGoTencent’s payment app for visitors, launched on 24 September 2026. Sign up with an email address and pay at any Weixin Pay merchant without a WeChat account. A good backup wallet.

MeituanChina’s food delivery app, also for groceries and local deals. The easiest way for visitors is the Meituan mini-program inside Alipay: no new account, your card is already linked, and it can switch to English.

RedNoteOptional. China’s favourite app for travel tips: recent photos of places, queues, food and what is worth it, posted by people who were there this week. Mostly in Chinese, with a translate button.