Page 297 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

EATING MANDALAY AND AROUND 295
Smart new hostel offering a varied selection of attractive 22nd St T02 61177, Whotelredcanal.com; map
four- to eighteen-bed dorms (rates more expensive in pp.282–283. Gorgeous boutique hotel lurking away by a
smaller dorms), including a four-bed female dorm, plus a canal in the side roads east of the palace, with smallish but
few private rooms and a neat lobby café. Dorms $10, very chic rooms designed in cool contemporary Burmese
style, sporting lots of hardwood finishes, traditional fabrics
doubles $30
Royal City 27th St, between 76th and 77th sts T02 and (in more expensive rooms) beautiful outdoor showers
66559, Wroyalcityhotelmandalay.com; map p.288. Old and water features. Rates include free afternoon tea and
but well-maintained mid-range hotel offering comfortable, traditional snacks, plus evening cocktails, and there’s also a
good-value accommodation in a relatively peaceful area small kidney-shaped pool, spa, well-equipped gym and
just east of the railway tracks, conveniently close both to in-house Indian restaurant. $240
downtown and the clutch of good restaurants south of the Mandalay Hill Resort 10th St, by Mandalay Hill
palace moat. Rooms are bright and spacious (corner rooms T02 35638, Wmandalayhillresorthotel.com; map
– same price – are particularly nice) and have good views pp.282–283. Luxurious hotel in a large white eyesore at
from higher floors, while breakfast is taken on the lovely the foot of Mandalay Hill. The whole place is a study in five-
star bland: pleasant and totally unobjectionable, but with
rooftop terrace, with fine views. $35
about as much personality as a teabag, although plus 7
OUTSIDE THE CENTRE points include a lovely swimming pool (open to non-guests
Ayarwaddy River View Hotel Strand Rd, at the – see p.292), a good spa (p.292) and fine views from
corner of 22nd St T02 64945, Wayarwaddy upper-floor rooms. $200
riverviewhotel.net; map pp.282–283. Well-run four- Peacock Lodge 60th St, between 25th and 26th sts
star very convenient for the boat jetties (albeit a bit of a T02 61429, Wpeacocklodge.com; map pp.282–283.
way from town). Rooms are rather utilitarian, although Soothingly peaceful guesthouse east of town. The nine
some sport great Ayeyarwady views and there’s also a rooms (reserve ahead) are modern and lovingly decorated,
swimming pool (open to non-guests; see p.292). Rates while the main building backs onto a pleasant, mango
include free evening cocktail in the attractive rooftop tree-shaded garden. It’s a little hard to find; from 26th St,
Ayar Sky Bar (see p.297). $70 look for the sign heading north down a side road to Hotel
★ Hotel by the Red Canal 63rd St, at the corner of Treasure and Ma Ma Guesthouse. $40
EATING
Mandalay has surprisingly few good restaurants for a city of its size and, although things are slowly improving, for the time
being it makes even Yangon look like Paris. Western restaurants and upmarket Asian venues are still very thin on the
ground, although the city preserves a lively traditional teahouse culture now largely vanished from Yangon, as well as
plenty of no-frills buffet cafés and streetside food stalls – the downtown area west of the palace between 22nd, 24th,
84th and 80th streets is the best hunting ground, dotted with Shan-style buffets and Indian cafés, while the chapati snack-
shacks which spring up in the evening around the junction of 27th and 82nd streets are also fun places to fill up.

DOWNTOWN full of rich, French-influenced flavours. It’s pricey, with
Aung Lin 30th St, between 80th and 81st sts mains around K14,000–16,000, but you’ll not find this
T02 23151; map p.288. Simple little Chinese restaurant quality anywhere else in town. Daily 10am–10pm.
in an airy tiled dining room complete with lucky cats and Min Mahar 23rd St, at the corner of 86th St T09 508
Chinese characters and landscapes on the walls. Food 7882; map p.288. This large, always lively teahouse is a
comprises a good selection of meat, fish, seafood and veg good place for tea and a snack and also serves up excellent
Chinese standards (mains K4000–5000), with friendly Shan noodles at cut-throat prices (K1000), along with
service from the attentive English-speaking owners. Food assorted other dishes including local-style banana
can sometimes take a while to arrive, but is worth the wait. pancakes (banana parathas, effectively) and the oddly
Daily 11am–10pm. named “nutritious meal” – a curious mix of banana, boiled
★ Bistro @ 82nd 82nd St, between 30th and 31st sts egg, strawberry cream and sweetened condensed milk.
T09 250 121 280, Wfacebook.com/Bistro82nd; map Daily 5am–5.30pm.
p.288. One of Mandalay’s most unexpected finds, easily Mr Bar BQ 31st St, between 80th and 81st sts
missed on grubby 82nd St, but serving the best food in the T02 73920; map p.288. Cavernous place, somewhere
city in a cool modern dining room. The menu features between an upmarket beer station and a Chinese
mainstream European dishes such as Wiener Schnitzel, restaurant, serving up a vast selection of tasty Cantonese-
chicken with red-wine sauce, and salmon and seabass style meat, veg and seafood dishes (mains around K5000)
fillets – no culinary surprises, but beautifully prepared and to a lively crowd of locals and tourists. Daily 9am–11pm.