Lou Wai Lou

Lou Wai Lou was founded in 1848 by Hong Ruitang near Solitary Hill on West Lake. Its name borrows a line from the Southern Song poet Lin Sheng, and the house now carries more than 170 years of history.

Lou Wai Lou is the most emblematic old house of Hangzhou cuisine, where scholars and travelers have long dined over the water—making it a signature of West Lake's culinary culture.

Its signature West Lake vinegar fish uses live grass carp purged of muddy taste, cooked to a precise window and finished with a bright sweet-sour glaze; Dongpo pork and Longjing shrimp likewise follow seasonal, flavor-forward tradition.

Recognized as a Zhejiang time-honored brand and a flagship of Hangzhou cuisine, it still operates within the West Lake scenic area.