Shigatse Food and Restaurants: the Best Guide to Dining in Shigatse

Shigatse food is typical Tibetan food, much like what you'll find across Tibet. Due to the geographic facts, the dishes are simple with ingredient like barley, yak dairy and meat, but rich in nutrition and calories, providing the energy needed at high altitudes.

As the second largest city in Tibet, you could find lots of decent restaurants in Shigatse since Tibetans are good at turning simple ingredient into delicious dishes. Beside the Tibetan food, there are good restaurant serves western, Indian and Nepali food that satisfy different guests.

Here, we’ve listed out must-try Tibetan dishes in the city, along with trusted local restaurants with location, their special dishes, and price. For those prefer western flavors, we’ve also included some recommended Western restaurants.

Read on to discover more details about the food and restaurants in Tibet’s second-largest city - and get ready for a journey filled with warm meals and unforgettable flavors.

Must-Try Tibetan Foods in Shigatse: Tsampa, Momo, Yak Meat, Sweet Tea, and Yogurt

Tsampa: Tsampa is a traditional Tibetan staple food. It is a kind of dough made from roasted barley flour, ghee (pure butter), and water. The main ingredient is highland barley. People grind it into flour using a water mill. The flour can be coarse or fine, depending on personal taste.

To make tsampa, we first pour a little buttered tea into a bowl. Then add some butter, fine milk sediments, and white sugar. After that, we add roasted tsampa flour. Hold the bowl with the left hand and mix everything with the right hand. We make the dough into small balls and eat them.

Tsampa is not only a staple food in Shigatse but throughout the entire Tibet region.

Tibetan Momo: Though Tibetan momo looks like Chinese dumplings or Japanese gyoza, it has its own style. Most Tibetan momos are half-moon shaped, and yak meat is often used as the filling. For vegetarians, common ingredients include cabbage, onions, mushrooms, and more.

In Shigatse, momo can be cooked in different ways, steamed, fried, or boiled. It is usually eaten with a special sauce made from tomato sauce and mustard or spicy sauce, and often served with cucumber. Among all the different flavor, steamed momo is the most popular among both Tibetans and travelers.

Steamed Tibetan momo and fried Tibetan momo served with sauce.

Yak Meat: In Shigatse, yak meat is commonly referred to as beef. It plays an important role in Tibet daily life and Tibet cuisine culture. Fresh yak meat is the main ingredient in Tibetan hotpot and other Tibetan dishes. It is also sun-dried to preserve it, making it a staple food for nomadic herders on the plains of the Tibetan Plateau.

To preserve yak meat for a long time, it is usually cut into chunks and boiled without any spicy seasoning. Then, the meat is hung in cool, shady places, often in special sheds, to dry. Once dried, the yak beef jerky is ready. People eat it with a sauce made from garlic, parsley, green onion, and vinegar. The dried meat has a unique taste and leaves a lasting aftertaste.

Yak meat hotpot in Shigatse.

Tibetan Sweet Tea: For Tibetans, sweet tea is like their coffee. There is a saying that "Tibetan sweet tea is the blood of Tibet," which shows how important it is in daily life. It’s a refreshing drink made from black tea, milk, and sugar, something you shouldn’t miss during your Tibet tour.

The making process is quite simple: boil the tea until it turns dark brown, remove the tea leaves, add sugar, pour in some milk, and mix everything well. More than a drink, sweet teahouses are also popular places for locals and tourists to relax and social.

Our guest is enjoying a great time at the Tibetan Sweet Teahouse in Tashilunpo Monastery.

Tibetan Yogurt: Tibetan yogurt is always regarded as one of the favorite pastime snacks for local Tibetans. It is a necessary food for Tibetans with more than 1,000 years' history. Fermented from yak milk, Tibetan Yogurt tastes mellower than ordinary yogurt we usually eat. The yak milk has a strong flavor, some people prefer to add sugar to it.

Either in the restaurant or small stands on the street, creamy white Tibetan yogurt sprinkled with lovely raisins can be easily seen. It also serves as the indispensable food on some particular religious celebrations for Tibet Buddhism, like the Shoton Festival.

Creamy Tibetan yogurt, a delicious specialty from Shigatse.

Experience Shigatse’s flavors and highlights on an 8-day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour.

Top Tibetan Restaurants in Shigatse: A Variety of Choices with Unique Local Dishes

Finding something to eat in Shigatse is never a problem - the only challenge is having too many great options to choose from. See the following decent Tibetan restaurants with specialties.

Wordo Kitchen: “Wordo” means herdsman, so the name reflects a traditional herdsman’s family kitchen. It is located on No.10, Zhade West Road, Samzhubze District, just several meters away from Tashilunpo monastery.The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with a spacious Tibetan-style dining area downstairs and a museum of folk heritage upstairs.

It serves a variety of Tibetan, Chinese, and Halal food. Among all the dishes, the sizzling yak meat, momos, lamb soup and vegetarian dishes are their specialties. Generally, it cost nearly 15$ per person. You could also enjoy a live show with local music, singing, and dancing, usually lasting about an hour during the night!

Third Eye Restaurant: The Third Eye restaurant is located on Zhufeng Road in Shigatse. Run by Nepali owners, it is popular with both local Tibetans and tourists. The menu features Chinese, Tibetan, Nepali, and Indian dishes. The restaurant also offers tasty hot drinks like ginger lemon honey tea, black tea, and coffee.

You can enjoy traditional Tibetan dishes like Tibetan noodles, momo, and yak meat steak, as well as popular favorites such as vegetable curry, kofta, chicken curry, and chicken tikka. And each dish cost around 5 to 7 dollars depends what you order.

Delicious Nepali food served at Third Eye Restaurant in Shigatse.

Tashi Restaurant: As one of the best restaurants in Shigatse, Tashi Restaurant is run by Nepali people. It is located 318 National Rd, Dingri County, Shigatse. The decor is Tibetan but the Indian films and Nepali music give it a head-waggling subcontinental vibe.

This restaurant offers Nepali, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Tibetan foods in a good ambiance. It is a popular travelers' hangout with various kinds of comfort foods. This Nepali-run restaurant has everything from yogurt muesli to pizza and Nepali curries to choose from. It also has the best range of western breakfasts. It usually cost around 10$ per person.

Fengsheng Restaurant: As the top Tibetan restaurant in the city, Fengsheng restaurant is located at No. 62, Pedestrian Street, in Samzhubze District, just a few hundred meters from Tashilhunpo Monastery. It stands out for its tasty Tibetan dishes, traditional Tibetan décor, and live music and dance performances.

The restaurant’s signature dishes have been improved to better suit tourists' tastes. For example, the Tibetan-style hotpot uses fresh vegetables and yak meat with light sauce. The lamb chops are first boiled until tender, then coated in egg batter and deep-fried. The meat is flavorful and chewy, while the crispy outer layer tastes a bit like bread. It cost around 20 dollars per person.

On most Everest Base Camp tours, we arrange for our guests to enjoy a celebratory meal at this Number 1 restaurant after returning from Everest. Not only will you enjoy a delicious dinner, but the lively Tibetan performance will also be one of the highlights of your Tibet tour.

Our guests enjoy a celebration dinner at Fengsheng Restaurant in Shigatse after returning from Everest Base Camp.

Discover the essence of Lhasa and Shigatse on our classic 6-day Central Tibet tour.

Western Dining Options in Shigatse: Where to Enjoy Familiar Western Flavors

If you want a quick western food like a hamburger, McDonald’s is a good choice. It is on the first floor of No. 14 Heilongjiang Middle Road, about 10 minutes by car from Tashilhunpo Monastery. The menu has the usual items like burgers, fried chicken, and coffee.

Located on Everest Middle Road, KFC is also close by. It serves common fast food such as burgers, fries, and fried chicken. Because Shigatse is in a remote area, prices at McDonald’s and KFC are about 30% higher than in other cities. A burger costs around $6.

For those want a refined Western meal, the Hilton Hotel, located at No. 12 Middle Shanghai Road, is a great option. The menu offers various Western dishes, including a signature breakfast and a dinner buffet. Meals cost around $30 per person, and it opens from 6:30 AM to 10:00 PM. - Click here to see western restaurants in Lhasa and other regions of Tibet

Savor a juicy steak served at the Hilton Hotel’s restaurant in Shigatse.

Explore both Shigatse and Namtso Lake with Holy Elephant Gate on our 8-day small group tour.

A Fun Food Experience in Shigatse: Visit a Tsampa Mill to See How Tsampa is Made

As the staple food of Tibet, tsampa plays an important role in the daily lives of Tibetans. While most barley flour is now made using electric machines, we’ve included a visit to a traditional tsampa mill in our Shigatse tour to help you better understand Tibetan food culture and history.

At the mill, you can see how locals still use water-powered stone grinders to slowly turn roasted barley into fine, nutty flour. This centuries-old method offers a fascinating glimpse into the past. You’ll be able to watch the process up close, chat with local, and taste freshly ground barley flour.

Visit a Tsampa Mill in Shigatse.

Enjoy a 7-day trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu, with stunning Himalayan views and tasty Shigatse cuisine.

Conclusion

Shigatse, an important stop between Lhasa and Everest, offers more than just beautiful views. It also has a rich and varied food scene. You can try traditional Tibetan dishes like tsampa and yak meat, enjoy international meals, or grab modern fast food.

No matter if you're continuing your journey to Everest Base Camp or returning to Lhasa, or extend your trip to Kathmandu, the delicious food in Shigatse will surely keep you fueled. Contact us to learn more about the best food experiences in Shigatse.