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Huā Jiā Yí Yuán
This landmark Běijīng restaurant takes in various Chinese styles, from Cantonese to Běijīng cuisine via Shāndōng. The seafood is particularly good. Otherwise, you can take your pick from hotpot, dumplings, ribs. The desserts are justly popular. This place gets busy at peak times but it never closes, so it's particularly useful for night birds. English/picture menu.
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Huang Ting
Faux Old Peking is taken to an extreme in the courtyard setting of Huang Ting - it's like a Fifth Generation film set. In the bowels of a five star hotel, caressed by the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments, you can dine from the comfort of this simulacrum while Běijīng's hútòng fall to the sledgehammers of property developers. Dishes include whole Peking duck and roast suckling pig.
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Hutong Pizza
Nestled in a hútòng that was one of the locations for the movie Beijing , Hutong Pizza is hard to find but worth the effort. The large pizzas will easily satisfy two hungry people. There are salads, burgers and pasta options, as well local and foreign beers. It gets busy, so it's advisable to book at peak times. They do deliver though.
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Isshin Japanese Restaurant
Isshin is well worth tracking down. With its thoughtful design, laidback atmosphere and reasonable prices, it's a place where business types, expat Japanese and students can all feel at home. The sushi starts from around Y20 , or you can just a order a plate of Isshin sushi or sashimi (around Y68 ). The menu includes hotpots, Udon noodles and teriyaki dishes. The set meals are good value.
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Jenny Lou's
The most popular deli for expats and locals in the area alike, thanks to the fresh meat and the array of cheeses, as well as an impressive selection of wine. It stocks all the usual staples as well. Not cheap but they cater to a captive market. There are six branches. The most convenient are this one and the one by Chaoyang Park (west gate of Chaoyang Park; - ).
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Jīn Dǐng Xuān
A giant, busy restaurant on three floors serving up reliable and cheap dim sum, as well as standard Chinese dishes and good cakes around the clock. There's another branch in Cháoyáng (15 Tuanjiehu Nanlu).
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Kempinski Deli
Just off the shuddering Third Ring Rd, the deli in the Kempinski Hotel is well liked for its desserts, breads and cakes (discounted after ). Tables are available for patrons to park themselves for coffee and a chat in a smart environment.
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Kiosk
The perfect place for a quick lunchtime snack, or for early evening, pre-drinking sustenance, Kiosk serves up burgers, chips and sandwiches from a tiny hut just off Sanlitun's bar street. The big bite burger is a classic, as is the grilled sausage sandwich. You can get a salad and a beer here too. There's a little outside area to eat at.
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Kosmo
This trendy and relaxing café serves up ultra-health conscious organic herbal teas, fruit juices, smoothies and a range of coffees. Smokers are segregated here. You can also purchase a variety of organically grown coffee from around the world.
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Le Bistrot Parisien
This restaurant has traditional French bistrot décor and an able French chef who flawlessly weaves local flavours into classic French dishes from the entrees down to desserts like pineapple crème brûlée. English menu available.
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Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant
Set deep down the hutong , this restaurant is the neighbourhood's pride. The service may be curt, the atmosphere frenetic, but the duck lives up to its stellar reputation. If you want to eat between and or and you'll need reservations. It takes about an hour to prepare and serve each bird.
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Lotus In Moonlight
Běijīng isn't the best place in the world for vegetarian dining. Vegetarianism is a puzzle to most Chinese (with the exception of Buddhist monks). This smart place will satiate those in search of meat and fish-free dishes. There's a wide variety of tofu-dominated options.
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Makye Ame
This atmospheric Tibetan restaurant has the best of everything: welcoming staff, traditional decorations and all the classics including yak meat, momo (Tibetan dumplings) and yogurt. Dinner reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday.
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Manchurian Special Flavour Jiǎvozi Restaurant
With its singing waitress in their colourful qípǎo and a menu that proclaims, 'We all love you', this is a friendly, noisy place. As the name suggests, it specialises in the cuisine of northeastern China, a region of icy winds and biting cold. That means lots of hearty meat dishes but the real deal here is the delicious and cheap dumplings, jiǎozi . Wash the meal down with a few bottles of Hapi, Harbin's very own beer. English menu.
Read more about Manchurian Special Flavour Jiǎvozi Restaurant
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Mare
Don't be fooled by what you see through the front windows of Běijīng's best Spanish restaurant. The seemingly cramped space opens out into a big dining area. The tapas are authentic and include sizzling garlic prawns, stir-fried chorizo with potato and patatas bravas , while the Sunday paella is justly popular. Extensive, but expensive wine list. The set lunch doesn't include dessert.
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Megabite
This hygienic fast food emporium puts Cantonese, Yúnnán, Sìchuān, teppanyaki, clay pot, Korean and porridge (粥; zhōu ) outlets all under one roof. One outlet, Chinese Dumplings puts together great dumplings (饺子; jiǎozi ) and buns (包子; bāozi ). Sichuan Delights serves up a fine chilli-oil red dàndanmiàn (担担面; Sìchuān noodles in peppery sauce). You can eat very well for around Y20 . Buy a food card ( Y5 deposit) at the entrance kiosk to pay for your meal.
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Middle 8th
The pace of reconstruction has forced this sophisticated Yúnnán restaurant to shift locations many times. Nevertheless, it's a comfortable place with an authentic, wide-ranging menu. The deep-fried bamboo worms with spiced pepper and salt make for an interesting starter. The mains include signature Yúnnán dishes but if you're feeling less adventurous, there's always the scrambled eggs topped with jasmine buds. English menu.
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Mima
If you're visiting the Old Summer Palace (Yuánmíng Yuán), then be sure to check out this great, eccentric café. From the bar made up of books, to the most memorable toilet in Běijīng, this place is all about creative design. It's particularly nice in the summer, when you can sit outside surrounded by a small army of cats.
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Morel's
Top-notch steaks and fine fresh fish are the trademark of this homely Belgian eatery. The food is pricey, but you get a lot of it. The Brussels pepper steak (around Y120 ), Flemish beer beef stew (around Y68 ) and the pot of mussels (around Y98 ) are deservedly popular. Good desserts and a vast selection of Belgian beers. It's advisable to book in the evenings. Near the Lufthansa Centre, you'll find another branch (27 Liangmaqiao Lu).
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Niúgē Jiǎozi
This pocket-sized and homely restaurant dishes up dozens of varieties of Chinese dumplings. All the jiǎozi are listed on red plaques on the walls but there's no English menu. A sample of what's on offer: lamb (羊肉; yángròu; ), pork (猪肉; zhūròu; ), beef (牛肉; niúròu ), donkey (驴肉; lǘròu ) and mushroom and cabbage (香菇白菜; xiāngsū báicài ). There are only around 10 tables draped in simple tablecloths, busied over by the unfussy, polite owners.
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Patisserie
This small outlet is a fine choice if you have to get your hands on quality chocolate - either as a present or to satisfy an admittedly costly (if you shop here) craving.
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Pure Lotus Vegetarian
The monks who run this place serve up some of the tastiest and most creative vegetarian food in the city, but they charge a lot for it. The spicy chopped vegetable chicken is good, as is the old boiled vegetable fish and the Wutaishan mushroom.
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Purple Haze
Congenial Thai restaurant that serves up dependable food in a purple-coloured environment. The small café-like area at the front, which has a selection of dog-eared paperbacks, is a mellow place for a coffee during the day.
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Purple Vine Teahouse
Experience a traditional tea ceremony at Zitenglu Chayuguan where you'll be greeted by the gentle sounds of guzheng music and the smell of incense. Traditional Chinese furniture and century-old Shanxi wooden screens decorate this tiny oasis. Choose from the menu of jasmine, black, green or oolong teas.
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Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant
As essential to a Beijing trip as a visit to the Great Wall, the sampling of Peking duck is an absolute must - to miss out you'd have to be completely quackers. Despite the marketing devices and duck props, this place, dating back to 1864, remains one of the city's best for succulent roast duck.
