Sanya's abundant, pollution-free seafood resources are attributed to the bounteous South Sea which encircles this city. Abalone, sea cucumbers and sea urchins are three kinds of rare seafood in Sanya. In addition, shrimps, crabs, fresh fish, trumpet shells and other exotic foods are common dishes served in any star-rated and common restaurant in Sanya. Fresh is the most accurate word to describe the seafood of Sanya.

Resort Golden Palm, Resort Horizon, Gloria Resort, Sheraton Resort and the other star-rated restaurants assembled in Asian Dragon Bay each have their own high-class dining-rooms that serve top quality seafood dishes. Therefore, visitors have the convenience of tasting a variety of seafood without having to leave the one restaurant. Of course, the price of the dishes in this type of restaurant is higher than in other ones.

Sanya also has some restaurants that serve various seafood dishes at a reasonable price. Among them, Chunyuan Seafood Stall is the most popular one where more than 40 private stalls are assembled in one area. At night, throngs of locals and tourists come here to eat the locally harvested seafood. An important fact to remember is that each person must choose their seafood before coming here because the food is only cooked or prepared in each stall. The seafood can be purchased in the market close to Chunyuan and sometimes you can ask help from the stall-keepers who are willing to help you choosing some quality seafood. Usually, you have to pay CNY 4 per kilogram. On the other hand, there are two ways to eat seafood. One is Dabianlu (similar to eating hotpot) and the other one is fried dishes. Dabianlu is recommended because the original fresh flavor of the seafood can be preserved.
Address: Located at the north end of Hexi Road, Sanya City.

Tips: 1.Because there is no regular bus which can directly reach there, most of the visitors get there by taxi. Also, the taxi fares are not firmly set so please bargain with the driver to agree on your fare before you get into the vehicle.
2. When some taxi drivers see visitors in Sanya, they will try to take advantages of this and take them to stalls other than Chunyuan. (Some of their bosses will encourage them to do this so the boss as well as the driver can earn some 'extra' money.) To avoid this happening to you, please let the driver clearly know that you are aware of this less-than-honest practice. The other method is to tell the driver to take you to number 168 which is a restaurant facing Chunyuan.

Mingji Stall, which is noted for seafood gruel and fried seafood, is another recommended place to eat seafood in Sanya. You must try the Lailiao shrimp which is quick-fried with chilies.
Address: No.48, Yuejin Road.
Bus: First, you can take the No.2 and 4 buses to get to Binhai Cinema and then go south to the crossing. Turning to left, you will find the restaurant. If you take a taxi, it will cost CNY 5 from the city center.

Additionally, the high income people in Sanya often eat seafood in Dadonghai Coconut Seafood City because of its delicious specialties and comfortable environment. The price is higher than in Chunyuan and other stalls.
Bus: By taking the No.2 and 4 buses to get to Dadonghai City Hotel, you will find the restaurant at the opposite side of the road to the hotel.

Hainan dishes

If you want to taste other delicious food in Sanya besides seafood, there are still some other good specialties waiting for you. The four local specialties of Hainan are also available in Sanya.

Hai Ya Hotel is considered to be the most popular local place. Wenchang Chicken, Dongshan Mutton, Hele Crab and Jiaji Duck are the four famous local Hainan specialties that are served here. The reasonably priced home-style dishes of Sanya can also quench your hunger. Address: Near to the People's Public Government on Dayuan Heping Road

Western Food Restaurant

Mediterranea
Location: Xi He Xi Road, Sanya City
Specialties: Run by an Italian, this restaurant offers authentic food from the Mediterranean countries: Italian pizza and pasta, Spanish tapas, Greek grilled meat and barbequed fish, Arabian sauces and so on. It also has a choice of vegetarian dishes and a non-smoking area. At the same time, you can enjoy a number of good western drinks here. Mediterranea is completely decorated in Mediterranean style, taking you to another world.

Vegetarian Restaurants

Generally speaking, famous temples can cook the best vegetarian food. At least, this is true in the Nanshan Vegetarian Restaurant which is located in the Nanshan Temple of Sanya. Carefully selected food items are meticulously cooked to satisfy each customer's appetite.

Fast Food

The Sanya branch of KFC is located at the crossroads of Renmin Road and Xinfeng Street. And the Sanya branch of McDonald's is located opposite KFC. The Do & Me, found on Hexi Road, is another popular western fast food restaurant in Sanya which incorporates some traditional Chinese culinary skills on its menu.