There's an impressive selection of cuisines including Cantonese, Chaozhou, Sichuan, Hunan and seafood - the cuisines available are just as diverse as the make-up of its residents. Morning and afternoon dimsum is just as good as in Hong Kong for a fraction of the price. Restaurants are in abundance but for a unique dining experience head for Badeng Jie opposite the Municipal Government building or LeyuanLu in Dong Men. Both are lined up with Da Paidang, hole-in-the-wall restaurants line the street. Even at 3 am, Badeng Jie is teeming with hungry bar-hoppers, goldfish hawkers and fruit sellers. Leyuan Lu is especially worth going for its seafood, though hygiene is often second to flavor, business hours extends to the wee hours.

Zhenhua Lu Food Street offers a potpourri of dishes from every region in China in addition toIndian, Japanese and Western offerings. Shenzhen has great tropical fruits, try the deliciously nanshan lychee.