Totally agree. In Guangzhou, you've got to hit up the 'fly restaurants' (local dives); most of the big, fancy restaurants aren't actually that good. If you're set on a fancier meal, you're better off heading out to Foshan.
Ours wasn't too expensive. We stayed at the Yangguang Heyi Tarim Hotel in Beishatan. It's a bit of a walk to the subway, maybe 10-15 minutes, but because it's a bit further out, the environment was actually quite nice.
