Spectacular seafood and light Chinese dishes are Hainan Island’s culinary delights; savour Sanya’s top dining hotspots for an appetising seaside vacation.

Known as ‘China’s Hawaii’, Sanya, on Hainan Island, transports you to a gloriously luxury escape of sandy beaches and scenic mountains. Breathtaking natural beauty inspires you to totally relax into the holiday vibe of this South China Sea beauty spot and what better way to immerse yourself in the nature and culture of Sanya then with delightful dining experiences?

Dining Delights in Sanya

Food glorious Hainanese Food

Sanya is renowned for its fresh seafood, such as the subtle flavours of Hele crab, as well as classics such as succulent Wenchang chicken and Hainanese chicken served with a garlic, chicken stock rice. Jiaji duck and Dongshan lamb delicate yet succulent taste delicacies from a unique Chinese cuisine. Anantara Vacation Club reviews some of the best eateries in this incredible luxury beach vacation destination of tropical bliss.

Seafood supper

Surrounded by the abundant South China Sea and two huge fisheries, Sanya is a seafood lover’s paradise and traditionally fish is served fried or in a delicious hotpot. From fine dining to indigenous market style dining, Sanya is brimming with quality fish restaurants. Driftwood, right by the beach at Yalong Bay, promises a laid-back, sedate, upscale dining experience, serving specialities such as Hainan baby lobster in a wooden boathouse setting, with wooden slats and shutter creating a vintage vibe.

Head to Sanya Red Sand Wharf and climb aboard a small Chinese wooden boat to discover the catch of the day and dine on fishing boats for an authentic culinary experience. Here you can find Sanya Marine Aquatic Restaurant too, a vast restaurant with wonderful, panoramic sea views and a romantic ambience.

For an authentic dining experience, choose from 90 stalls serving up the freshest seafood at Sanya’s Spring Garden Seafood Market, where you choose your seafood and then take it to a cooking station to be prepared just how you like it. Chunyuan Seafood Square is another popular and vibrant seafood dining scene.

Best restaurants in China

With so many eateries to choose from, Sanya can also boast two restaurants that have appeared in China’s Best 50 Restaurants. Cantonese Mansion in Phoenix Town, serves traditional chicken dishes with organically bred birds. Fresh takes you far away from China with an al fresco grill restaurant in Sanya City right on the beach, serving contemporary Australian cuisine and saltwater and freshwater seafood.

Book into a Two Bedroom Suite at Club Resort Anantara Vacation Club Sanya for a contemporary stay in mellow surrounds, near to Dadonghai Bay, with a spacious living area and balcony looking out to blue waters and a magical mountain landscape.

Dine at the resort and enjoy Oriental classics cooked to perfection in our open kitchen at Shi Yuan or savour a taste of Thailand at our renowned eatery Baan Rim Nam, with indoor or terrace seating overlooking gardens and the sparkling waters beyond.

What are your favourite dining options in Sanya?

Share your best culinary experiences with us by posting it on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Weibo pages!