Restaurants in Běijīng
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Wangfujing Snack Street
Fronted by an ornate archway, this quadrant is lined with cheap-and-cheerful food stalls that are always busy. It’s a good place to pick up Xīnjiāng or Muslim Uighur cuisine such as lamb skewers and flat bread. Also on offer are other dishes from all over China, including málà tàng (a spicy soup from Sìchuān), zhájiàngmiàn (noodles in fried bean sauce) and noodles in peppery sauce. Also being scoffed by the bowl here are Lánzhōu lāmiàn (Lánzhōu noodles), Shāndōng jiānbǐng (Shāndōng pancake), Yúnnán guòqiáo mǐxiàn (Yúnnán cross-the-bridge noodles) and oodles of Sìchuān food. At most outlets you have to sit outside elbow-to-elbow with other din…
reviewed
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Donghuamen Night Market
A favourite stop on the tourist trail and a sight in itself, the market has dozens of stallholders who will try to entice you to sample such exotic snacks as grasshoppers, scorpions and snakes. If that isn’t tempting, then more conventional choices, like lamb skewers and stuffed aubergines, are available.
reviewed
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Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant
The duck here is so prized that you have to call a day ahead to reserve both a bird and a table (otherwise, turn up at off-peak times and be prepared to wait an hour). Buried down a crumbling hutong, the restaurant itself has seen better days, but the duck is delicious and comes with all the trimmings.
reviewed
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Kro’s Nest
Huge pizzas, onion rings, chips and chicken wings draw in the student crowd (both local and foreign) from the surrounding colleges. The grungy decor, wooden tables and floors, as well as the free beer nights, give the place a frat-boy feel that’s authentically American. It’s on the west side of 101 Middle School. There’s a daily set lunch deal (Y55) and another branch inside the north gate of Workers Stadium.
reviewed
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Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant
A long-term favourite with Beijingers, Dadong’s hallmark bird is crispy, lean and delicious. With a large and bright dining area, this is perhaps the best place to try the capital’s signature dish, but book ahead or be prepared to wait for a table. English menu.
reviewed
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Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant
As fundamental as a visit to the Great Wall, the sampling of Peking duck is an absolute must for any visitor to the capital. The most popular branch of Běijīng’s most famous destination for duck – check out the photos of everyone from Fidel Castro to Zhang Yimou – this place is geared to the tourist hordes (both domestic and foreign). A consequence of the crowds is that service can be peremptory, while the huge, two-floor venue lacks atmosphere. But the duck, while not the best in town, is pretty good, and roasted in ovens fired by fruit-tree wood. That means the birds have a unique fragrance, as well as being juicy, if slightly fatty. Remember that you’ll pay extra for a…
reviewed
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Bookworm
A combination of a bar, cafe, restaurant and library, the Bookworm is a Běijīng institution. Perhaps it’s the 14,000-plus books you can browse while sipping your coffee, or working your way through the extensive wine list. The food maintains the bookish theme, with sandwiches (Y42) and dishes named after famous authors, even if it, and the alcohol, is overpriced. The Bookworm is much more than just an upmarket cafe, however. It’s one of the epicentres of Běijīng cultural life and hosts lectures, poetry readings, a Monday-night quiz and an annual book festival. Any author of note passing through town gives a talk here. The local listings mags will tell you what events are …
reviewed
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Manchurian Special Flavour JiǎVozi Restaurant
With its singing waitresses in their colourful qípáo (traditional Chinese dress) and a menu that proclaims, ‘We all love you’, this friendly, noisy restaurant specialises in the cuisine of northeastern China, a region of icy winds and biting cold. That means lots of hearty meat dishes such as stewed chicken (Y28) and shredded pork with wild vegetables (Y25). But the real deal here are the delicious jiǎozi. There’s a whole range to pick from, but the green pepper and pork, Chinese cabbage and pork, and pumpkin and egg are particularly addictive. Try a few bottles of Hapi, Harbin’s very own beer (Y12), to make it the perfect Dōngběi experience. English menu.
reviewed
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Steak and Eggs
A home away from home for Americans pining for blueberry pie and grits in Běijīng, Steak and Eggs' diner format hits the spot with early risers and families at weekends, as well as revellers looking for late-night sustenance. The American-sized portions will satisfy all but the most ravenous. The breakfast specials are particularly good, but so are the sandwiches (from Y25) and the burgers (from Y35).
reviewed
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Fish Nation
A home from home for those who miss eating fish and chips, whether standing on a street corner in the rain in England, or sitting on the beach at Bondi. As well as obvious choices such as cod and chips (Y35) and calamari in beer batter (Y20), it does good salads and serves the Big British Breakfast (Y50) until 4pm. There’s a wide range of foreign beers. It’s very kid friendly, too.
reviewed
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Annie’s
Immediately south of the Agricultural Exhibition Center, and next door to the CD Jazz Café, this two-floor, home-style Italian place does the little things right – good service and a welcoming atmosphere (it’s very child friendly) – while sticking to a tried-and-tested menu of Italian standards. No surprises, but the food is well prepared and it’s popular. There are other branches around town, including Ritan Park.
reviewed
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Huáng Tíng
Faux old Peking is taken to an extreme in the courtyard setting of Huáng Tíng. Enter though a sìhéyuàn (courtyard house) entrance with carved lintels and a wooden portal to an interior fashioned from grey bricks with stone lions, water features, birdcages, stone floor flagging, decorated lanterns, and Ming and Qing dynasty–style mahogany and sandalwood furniture – it’s like a Fifth Generation film set. Despite its artificiality and location (in the bowels of a five-star hotel), the setting is impressive, caressed by the sounds of zhēng (13- or 14-stringed harp), pípa (lute) and other traditional Chinese instruments. Even the loos have their own wooden door an…
reviewed
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Niúgē Jiǎozi
East of the Forbidden City, this cute dumpling joint dishes up dozens of varieties of jiǎozi, including beef (niúròu), lamb (yángròu), pork (zhūròu), duck (yāròu) and donkey (lǘròu), as well as a wide range of veggie ones such as mushroom and cabbage (xiānggū báicài). The limited English menu lists the basic range of dumplings, but there are many further mixed options, such as chicken and leek or celery, and pork or shrimp and eggplant, on the Chinese menu. A standard portion of jiǎozi is called a liǎng and the staff will do their best to help you out, or you can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen and point out the ingredients you want. The resta…
reviewed
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Chuān Bàn
Every Chinese province has its own official building in Běijīng, complete with a restaurant for cadres and locals working in the capital who are pining for a taste of home. Often they’re the most authentic places for regional cuisines. This restaurant in the Sìchuān Government Offices is always crowded and serves up just about every variety of Sìchuān food you could want. It’s very much a place for fire fiends: almost every dish comes loaded with chilli, whether it’s bamboo shoots, Sìchuān specials such as làzi jī (spicy chicken), or the steamed fish with pepper and taro (Y58). But there’s an English menu, and the staff, surprisingly helpful given that thi…
reviewed
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Kǒng Yǐjǐ
Shàoxīng in Zhèjiāng province is famous for being the birthplace of Lu Xun, the man who invented modern Chinese literature, and for its eponymous sherry-like wine. So it’s entirely appropriate that this restaurant, which takes its name from an alcoholic character in one of Lu’s stories, serves some dishes – such as drunken shrimp (zuìxiā) and drunken chicken – swimming in Shàoxīng wine. Rest assured that it tastes better than báijiǔ. Also popular at this wooden-floored, old-school place are the many pork and fish dishes, such as the very addictive dōngpō ròu, which are alcohol-free. If you want to try Shàoxīng wine, which is also known as huángjiǔ
reviewed
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La Marée
Hard to find (it’s inside CBD International Mansions, down a road off Jianguomenwai Dajie very close to exit C of Yonganli Station), this southern-French seafood restaurant is one of the nicest international restaurants in town. The dining room is decorated in maritime blue, with fishing nets strung across the ceiling, while the French chef gives a modern spin to traditional seafood dishes using both local and imported ingredients (there are also meat dishes that use beef from Australia). The splendid seafood platter for two (Y498) is a good introduction. Otherwise, mains start at Y125. Thankfully, it also does a more affordable lunch deal, where you pay Y48 for a soup an…
reviewed
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Tiāndì Yījiā
Doing business from a restored building alongside Changpu River Park (Chāngpú Hé Gōngyuán), this refined, Chinese courtyard–style restaurant is notable for the water feature with multicoloured fish that dominates the elegant dining room. There’s also a balcony overlooking the Imperial Archives (Huángshǐ Chéng). The menu, which spans a number of provinces and styles, is strong on seafood with snob appeal – shark’s fin, abalone and lobster – as well as traditional delicacies such as bird’s-nest soup and local faves such as Peking duck. It also does dim sum. But the black-clad waitresses are not a bundle of laughs and there’s a slightly stiff feel to the whole estab…
reviewed
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Traktirr Pushkin
Russian restaurants were the first foreign eateries to appear in Běijīng and have remained popular, mostly because Russian cuisine’s emphasis on meat, potatoes and cream means it’s perfect for anyone looking for an extra layer of fat to help them survive Běijīng’s freezing winters. This one’s location near the Russian embassy guarantees it a loyal stream of customers drawn in by classic dishes such as borscht (Y18), Russian-style dumplings (Y20), chicken Kiev (Y38) and trout in sour cream (Y58). As it’s a Russian restaurant, there’s a sterling selection of alcohol to choose from. If you need a change from weak Chinese beer, go for the Russian Baltika (Y25), or try one of …
reviewed
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Megabite
This hygienic fast-food emporium puts Cantonese, Yúnnán, Sìchuān, teppan-yaki, clay pot, Korean and porridge (zhōu) outlets all under one roof and is a reliable place for a lunchstop if you’re shopping in the area. Look out for decent dumplings (jiǎozi) and xiǎolóngbāo, the steamed buns that are Shànghǎi’s favourite street snack. There are also solid noodle sets available here, as well as Indian samosas and roti prata. Portions are generous and good value – you can eat very well for around Y20. You don’t pay in cash for your dish; instead, buy a card (Y5 deposit; cards come in denominations of Y30, Y50, Y100, Y200, Y500 and Y1000 units) at the kiosk at the …
reviewed
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Yù Shàn Táng
Located off Nanluogu Xiang, inside Han’s Royal Garden, Běijīng’s biggest courtyard hotel, the spectacular setting – individual dining rooms with intricately painted ceiling panels, hanging lanterns and rosewood wall panels – is a suitable backdrop to sample imperial cuisine, in one of the few places that carry on the tradition of the eight restaurants sanctioned by the Qing to serve up food fit for emperors. The dishes come carved in extraordinary shapes, such as dragons, and look so good it seems wrong to eat them. The set menus start at Y500 (maximum 16 people) but go as high as you like, depending on your tastes – you can’t dine like an emperor on the cheap. Book ahead…
reviewed
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Alameda
Consistently high-class fusion cuisine with a Brazilian twist in a light and spacious environment makes this Běijīng’s finest Western restaurant. The Brazilian chef changes the menu daily, but regular dishes include filet mignon in a rosemary and red wine sauce with roasted potatoes and pan-fried whole tiger prawns. There is an à là carté menu but the two-course set lunch and dinner menus will satisfy most people’s appetites. Dessert costs extra though, while the extensive wine list is not cheap (from Y200 a bottle). Sophisticated without being snobbish, it’s a place to splash out. It’s essential to book.
reviewed
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Domus
Directly opposite Tiāndì Yījiā, and owned by the same people, this new restaurant couldn’t be more different, in everything from the food, contemporary Italian and French, to the gorgeous design – think Minotti furniture, grey-brick walls, a huge, open kitchen and a lovely, central bar in which to lounge around – and the pleasant service. Upstairs, you can sip a martini (Y70) and try the Italian antipasti menu, or proper bar snacks such as oysters. Downstairs is the restaurant (dinner only, closed Sundays), which riffs on a French theme with dishes such as pigeon roasted in tobacco leaves (Y168). The wine list is substantial and pricey (from Y450 a bottle).
reviewed
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Café de la Poste
Just down the street from the Lama Temple, this is the closest Běijīng gets to an authentic French bistro. With its relaxed vibe and friendly service, it’s a key meeting point for French expats. A small bar area where you can sip a glass of wine or a pastis opens into an intimate, nicely lit dining area. The food is unpretentious and hearty; the steaks (from Y82) are impressive cuts of meat. But it does a decent Salade Lyonnais (Y38), too, while the desserts include the renowned Death by Chocolate (Y48). There’s a three-course set lunch (Y78) during the week and brunch at weekends (Y120). The wine list starts at Y138 a bottle.
reviewed
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Crescent Moon Muslim Restaurant
You can find a Chinese Muslim restaurant on almost every street in Běijīng. Most are run by Huí Muslims, who are Han Chinese, rather than ethnic-minority Uighurs from the remote western province of Xīnjiāng. The Crescent Moon, tucked away down a hútòng off Dongsi Beidajie, is the real deal – owned and staffed by Uighurs, it attracts many Běijīng-based Uighurs and people from central Asia. The yáng’ròu chuàn (lamb skewers; Y6) are succulent and the best in town, or try the dàpánjī (Y50), a dish of chicken, potato, peppers and vegetables served over thick, pasta-like noodles. Picture menu. Xīnjiāng black beer is Y15 a bottle.
reviewed
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Le Petit Gourmand
Located off Sanlitun Lu, this is an excellent place to while away a few hours, either on the laptop (there’s wi-fi), immersed in one of the 9000-odd books in the library, or over a coffee or crêpe (from Y22), there’s also a spacious, enclosed terrace. The menu offers a selection of traditional French classics, including good salads and couscous, but the crêpes are the real draw here: try the banana and chocolate (Y30) or the apple and calvados (Y40). There’s also a set lunch deal (Y65). The books, which include a reasonable selection of French-language tomes as well as a kid’s section, are available for loan to members (Y300 a year).
reviewed
