Beijing Restaurants

Since imperial times, Beijing has drawn citizens from all corners of China, and the country's economic boom has only accelerated the culinary diversity of the capital. These days, diners can find food from the myriad cuisines of far-flung regions of China, as well as just about every kind of international food.

Highlights include rare fungi and flowers from Yunnan, chili-strewn Hunan cooking from Mao’s home province, Tibetan yak and tsampa (barley flour), mutton kebabs and grilled flatbreads from Xinjiang, numbingly spicy Sichuan cuisine, and chewy noodles from Shaanxi. And then there are ethnic foods from all over, with some—notably Italian, Japanese and Korean—in abundance.

You can spend as little as $5 per person for a decent meal or $100 and up on a lavish banquet. The variety of venues is also part of the fun, with five-star hotel dining rooms, holes-in-the-wall, and refurbished courtyard houses all represented. Reservations are always a good idea, especially for higher-end places, so ask your hotel to book you a table.

Beijingers tend to eat dinner around 6 pm, and many local restaurants will have closed their kitchens by 9 pm, though places that stay open until the wee hours aren’t hard to find. Tipping is not the custom although some larger, international restaurants will add a 15% service charge to the bill, as do five-star hotel restaurants. Be aware before you go out that small and medium venues only take cash payments or local bank cards; more established restaurants usually accept credit cards.

Yanjing, the local beer, together with the ubiquitous Tsingtao, is available everywhere in Beijing. A growing number of imported beer brands have entered the market, and Beijing has a burgeoning craft beer scene of its own. And now many Chinese restaurants now have extensive wine menus.

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  • 1. Cepe

    $$$$ | Xicheng District

    The Ritz-Carlton's flagship restaurant stands out from the many other high-end Italian restaurants in the city for its focus on mushrooms. A humidor is used here to store seasonal mushrooms that can be transformed into various soups, risottos, and pastas. Taking the fungi theme a step further, about 1,000 mushroom-shaped sculptures are suspended from the ceiling, adding a touch of whimsy to the otherwise unaffected interior.

    8 Beijing Financial St., Beijing, Beijing, 100032, China
    10-6601–6666

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 2. Jing Wei Lou

    $ | Xicheng District

    "House of Beijing Flavors" makes up for its rather isolated location by having one of the widest selections of traditional Beijing fare in town. Dishes range from the austere, such as ma doufu (mung-bean pulp cooked in lamb fat), and zha guanchang (fried starch chips meant to imitate sausage), to more cultivated offerings, including Peking duck or slow-cooked lamb. The Beijing dessert platter is a tasty introduction to the city's long tradition of sweet snacks. The huge, open-plan dining room is bustling and fun, but can get rather smoky.

    181 A Di'anmen Xidajie, Beijing, Beijing, 100009, China
    010-6617–6514

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No credit cards
  • 3. Jinyang Fanzhuang

    $ | Xicheng District

    Reliable, standard Shanxi fare is the order of the day at this slightly out-of-the-way restaurant—dishes might include the region's famous aromatic crispy duck, and "cat-ear" noodles (referring to their ovoid shape), stir-fried with meat and vegetables. End your meal with a "sweet happiness" pastry. Jinyang Fangzhuang is attached to the ancient courtyard home of Ji Xiaolan, a Qing Dynasty scholar, the chief compiler of the Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature. You can visit the old residence without an admission fee and see Ji Xiaolan's study, where he wrote his famous essays. The crab-apple trees and wisteria planted during his lifetime still bloom in the courtyard.

    241 Zhushikou Xi Dajie, Beijing, Beijing, 100050, China
    010-6303–1669

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No credit cards
  • 4. Jiumen Xiaochi

    $ | Xicheng District

    You can readily sample your way through culinary history at some of Beijing's oldest and most famous eateries, all grouped under the one roof of a house with a traditional courtyard. Soft bean curd topped, perhaps, with braised lamb and mushrooms, pot stickers shaped like traditional little satchels, or tripe served with a dipping sauce that's an old family secret are just some of what might be on offer.

    1 Xiaoyou Hutong, Gulou Xidajie, Beijing, Beijing, 100050, China

    Known For

    • Sticky red-bean sweets and other traditional snacks (sweet or savory)
    • A setting as authentic as the food
    • Popular with visitors
  • 5. Mei Fu

    $$$$ | Xicheng District

    In a plush courtyard on Houhai's south bank, Mei Fu oozes intimate elegance. The interior is filled with antique furniture and velvet curtains punctuated by pebbled hallways and waterfalls. Black-and-white photos of Mei Lanfang, a famous opera star who performed female roles, hang on the walls. Diners choose from set menus, starting at Y588 per couple for dinner, which feature typical Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, such as stir-fried shrimp, tender leafy greens, and dates filled with glutinous rice.

    24 Daxiangfeng Hutong, Beijing, Beijing, 100009, China
    010-6612–6845

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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  • 6. Shaguo Ju

    $$ | Xicheng District

    A specialty of this historic restaurant is shaoguo, a traditional fatty-pork casserole. The dish was originated by the Manchus during the Qing Dynasty, when sacrificial offerings of whole pigs were common.

    60 Xisi Nan Dajie, Beijing, Beijing, 100034, China
    010-6602–1126

    Known For

    • Imperial cuisine
    • Sweet tofu desserts
    • Traditional Chinese furnishings

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No credit cards
  • 7. The Southern Fish

    $$$$ | Xicheng District

    At this achingly hip Hunan restaurant on the quieter side of town, the specialty is fengminiurou, a honey-cured beef that's stir-fried with generous amounts of chili.

    49 Gongmenkou Toutiao, Beijing, Beijing, 100035, China
    010-6618–4915

    Known For

    • Chic, monochromatic interior
    • Lapidan (a kind of Chinese guacamole made by mashing preserved eggs and green peppers)
    • Busy at peak times (reservations essential)

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

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