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Rangoon’s café culture actually revolves around tea. If you want to sample an authentic teahouse visited throughout the day by locals for a quick bite and some milky Burmese brew, this is the place. Waiters will bring you plates of sweet and savory foods when you sit, but don’t feel under any obligation to down them all—you are charged only for what you eat.

For most visitors, one of the most captivating parts of Rangoon is the regimented grid of streets known as Downtown, with a large concentration of colonial-era buildings built during British rule from 1824 to 1948 (when this was briefly one of the busiest ports in the world). The edifices’ faded grandeur is undeniably evocative, but after decades of neglect, many are dilapidated. The Yangon Heritage Trust is a nonprofit organization leading the charge to preserve the structures. Pansodan Street is lined with some fine colonial-era buildings including the Telegraph Office, the former Accountant General’s Office and the High Court Building, while the vast, red-hued Ministers’ Building occupies an entire block on Maha Bandula Road.

Built on scrub ground amid rice paddies at great expense (some reports have it at around $4billion), Naypyidaw has been Myanmar’s seat of government since 2005. Despite all the investment, it is not what you would call an enthralling city. Nevertheless, the vast, empty highways, grandiose government buildings and sights such as a giant gilded pagoda and a zoo and safari park make it a worthwhile stop on the road from Yangon to Mandalay.

A traditional teahouse reimagined for a globe-trotting crowd, this airy space can be found up a flight of creaky stairs inside a colonial-era building. Black-and-white vintage films of the city flicker on one wall and there is an excellent version of the Burmese staple mohinga—a soupy stew of rice noodles and fish—as well as curries, salads, traditional tea, coffee, cocktails, wine and craft beers.

Dining venues that really scale the highest of international standards are few and far between in Yangon. One such options, however, is the long-standing Le Planteur. Set in a mansion with a lovely garden, the restaurant specialises in intricate fusion creations with dishes running the gamut from foie gras to prime rib.

Along with tea leaf salad, Shan noodles is one of the most ubiquitous (and delicious) dishes to be found in Myanmar. There are different versions, but common threads usually involve chicken, garlic, turmeric, tomatoes and fish sauce with Chinese greens to garnish. A popular venue for the dish in Yangon is 999 Shan Noodle Shop, which has the tourist stamp of approval.