First off the WHO insists that you should not be eating street food if you have not had your Typhoid and Hepatitis shots. Not so much a problem in developed cities in China but lets face it, this is Jinan. Now if youve had those shots it can be something of a challenge is you dont speak or read Chinese. Dont expect the Chinese takeaways you might get back home, the constituents and quality are vastly different; indeed, sometimes downright disappointing - ie unless you know he secrets of where to go, you can usually get better "Chinese food" back home! Dining is always better in groups, as plates are invariably "double-dipped" - ie shared by all hence the Hep and the typhoid. There is a great rush between 6pm and about 8pm, after which time everyone seems to disappear.

There are the usual mediocre international fast food chains, plenty of street food, scores of little restaurants, etc. Shandong cuisine may not appeal to some as most of the dishes are very oily.

The easiest is either street food or one of the many buffets where you can see the food and order that way. Or if you want expensive and exotic (eg Japanese, go to the 4-5 star hotels).

There are some nice local restaurants, but if you cant read Chinese it is not worth the hassle and the free entertainment you provide to onlookers. Each restaurant seems to specialise in a style of cooking and a special dish or two. However, finding what you might like can be quite a challenge. Half way down Heping Lu is a good roast duck restaurant (Quanjude).

There is a dingy-looking restaurant street just off of Quancheng Lu that snakes for about 2 blocks. Despite the narrow and pitted road, there are some nice restaurants here.

Behind the big mosque at Yongchang Lu is the muslim quarter of town where youll find tons of bbq places and beer. The food is fresh, as earlier in the day sheep where standing where you are now eating (look for the red stain on the ground). You cant get fresher than that. However, the smell is off putting in the summer.

There is a great Pakistani restaurant in the Muslim quarter which foreigners seem to frequent.

Jing Er Lu in the NW of the city is a night market with sidestreets full of food.