Dianping
大众点评
Dianping (大众点评) is China's Yelp — restaurant reviews, photos, ratings, and booking for food, salons, and attractions. Browse photos to choose dishes, then navigate to the address in Amap or show the merchant page to a taxi driver.
At a glanceFree appNo English UIID needed for bookings
Before you install — what you need
Dianping is China's review app for restaurants, salons and attractions. A little setup goes a long way.
A
Sign in with a phone number
- Register with any mobile number. A China number is not required, but it makes sign-in smoother.
B
Turn on location
- Grant location permission so Dianping can rank restaurants near you and open the address in a map app.
C
You don't need to read Chinese
- Every page is a gallery of real customer photos. Scroll to choose what looks good — no reading required.
Step-by-step setup
1Install the official Dianping
- Search 大众点评 in the App Store or Google Play (free). The developer is Shanghai Dianping Information Technology Co., Ltd. Avoid "Dianping Pro" or any clone.
2Find a place near you
- Tap nearby and sort by rating. Open a listing to see photos, then tap the address to show it to a taxi driver or open Amap.
3Check before you walk in
- Street-front restaurants often have no English menu or clear sign. Dianping shows you what's inside before you go.
Daily use — real scenarios
Choosing a restaurant
- Search the dish or area in Chinese, then sort listings by rating and photo count. The busiest, best-reviewed spots rise to the top.
Showing the way
- Tap a listing's address to copy it or open Amap. Show the screen to a taxi driver who may not speak English.
Booking a table
- Some restaurants take bookings in-app. For others, the listing gives the phone number to call.
Troubleshooting — common problems and what to do
Common problems foreign visitors may run into
"The app is all in Chinese"
— Use the photo gallery first; you can pick a restaurant by pictures. For text, point your camera at the screen with a translator.
"I installed the wrong app"
— You want 大众点评 with the orange icon, the mainland version. Avoid "Dianping International" stripped-down builds.
"It can't find my hotel area"
— Switch to the city you're in (top of the screen) and allow location permission.
Need to talk to a real person?
- Dianping has in-app customer service (bottom-right person icon → help). Responses are in Chinese — use screenshots and a translator.
Your backup plan
Meituan covers the same restaurant data with an easier sign-up. Install both and use whichever loads faster.
Frequently asked questions about Dianping
Can I use Dianping without a Chinese phone number?
You can likely browse and read reviews without logging in. Registration (needed for vouchers/bookings) requires a phone number; whether an overseas number works was not device-tested.
Is the app fully in English?
The App Store lists English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Whether every menu and voucher screen is translated was not device-tested.
Can I pay with a foreign credit card?
The app collects payment/bank-card info for orders per its privacy policy, but which cards are accepted for voucher purchases was not device-tested. Prepare WeChat Pay or Alipay as the likely fallback.
Do I need real-name verification?
For some bookings (tickets, hotels, attractions) the privacy policy says passport/ID info may be collected.
What is the difference between Dianping and Meituan?
Same group, separate apps. Dianping is stronger on reviews and discovery; Meituan is stronger on delivery and broad lifestyle services.
Can I leave a review as a foreigner?
Leaving a review requires an account; account registration requires a phone number.
Sources
- Official name, developer, site, copyright · SRC-DP-001 Apple App Store / SRC-DP-005 Google Play
- iOS App Store identity, free, iOS 13+ · SRC-DP-001
- Android package and developer on Google Play · SRC-DP-005
- Supported languages (EN/JA/KO/ZH) · SRC-DP-001
- Core features: reviews, discovery, vouchers, booking · SRC-DP-001 / SRC-DP-005
- Phone number required for registration/login · SRC-DP-002 privacy policy
- Broad permissions incl. location, camera, contacts · SRC-DP-002
- Passport/ID may be required for some bookings · SRC-DP-002
- Payment/bank-card info collected for orders · SRC-DP-002
- iOS app available in US/global store · SRC-DP-001
- English UI advertised; full coverage not device-tested · SRC-DP-001
- Voucher purchase/redeem flow not device-tested · SRC-DP-001 / SRC-DP-005
- Official support via in-app help and dianping.com · SRC-DP-001 / SRC-DP-003
