Most of Dalian people are descendants of Shandong people. Because of this, Dalian cuisine, to some extent, belongs to Shandong cuisine. As an important base for aquatic products, Dalian is rich in fishes, shrimp, scallops and seaweed, which are the main materials for Dalian cuisine. Besides, they combine both foreign and domestic styles, forming their unique styles.

The famous dishes are: braised prawns with soy sauce, steamed abalone, steamed sea bream, colorful scallops, Dalian shrimp sauce, quick-fry conch and so on. In addition, barbecue in Dalian is renowned at home and abroad—for instance, broiled cuttlefish is delicious in the country. The barbecue restaurants in Dalian are good places for gathering friends, since it is closed till midnight. The recommended barbecue restaurants are Wuyve Seafood Barbecue Restaurant, Taoyuan Barbecue Store, and Seafood Buffet in Prince Hotel.

The catering places in Dalian are plentiful. Some of the first class ones are Everyday Fishery Restaurant, Wanbao Seafood Restaurant, Fuge Seafood Restaurant, Zhongshanyuan Shark's Fin & Stew Store, Store for Seafood-Tasting, and Mr. Ma's Seafood Restaurant. Other popular ones are Guangcai Restaurant, Dalian Bay Restaurant, Heishijiao Restaurant, Shuangshengyuan Food Court, Lao Restaurant, Dapan Fishery Store, Nantuo Fishery Store in Developed Zone, Xiaojiuzhou Seafood Restaurant, and Jinshitan Chunni Seafood Restaurant. The popular restaurants and local flavors are mainly located in business streets, near the railway station. For example, the underground of Shengli Square, 5th Floor of New Mart, "One-hundred Shopping Mall", Bayi Street, is fantastic for catering.

Tips: There is almost no fresh seafood between July and August, and therefore it is not suitable to lick the seafood. When eating the seafood or barbecue in the summer, garlic is a must, to help one adjust to the climate, and avoid having loose bowels due to stale seafood.