Beijing Restaurants

Food and eating are ingrained in the Chinese psyche and visitors don't have to walk far to find a restaurant serving the city's famous duck or more eclectic delicacies such as fried pigs trotters or duck's tongue. Fast-food outlets are ubiquitous and everyone, from skateboarder kids to Mao-suited elders, tuck into burgers and shakes. The international dining scene is maturing, with a wide range of cuisines on offer. That does not mean all new openings are any good, so check out several options. Today, Beijing offers a broad suite of culinary fare, but the city's dispersed geography often means having to catch a cab rather than walking home after a good meal. 

The restaurants below are listed within five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The categories serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

These restaurants have been grouped in four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over US$50)
$$$ (US$25 to US$50)
$$ (US$12 to US$24)
$ (up to US$12)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one person, including a bottle of house wine or equivalent. Tax is included, but not tip.

Li Jia Cai
An Imperial cuisine gem. This intimate but exclusive restaurant by Houhai Lake serves set-priced menus that are high on both quality and price, yet steeped in historical significance. The owner's grandfather worked in the imperial kitchens, and smuggled out the Empress' recipes, which are still adhered to today. Bookings are essential.

11 Yangfang Hutong, Deshenmennei Dajie, Xicheng District
Tel: (10) 6618 0107.
Price: $$$

Maison Boulud
New York-based Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud opened his first Asian restaurant in Beijing in 2008. Located in the neo-classical former American Embassy building, this exquisite location features high ceilings with ornate frescoes, large silk-draped windows and sumptuous salon-style dining rooms. The kitchens cook up the finest French fare in Beijing, and the wine menu and service standards are exemplary.

23 Qianmen Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: (10) 6559 9200.
Website: www.chienmen23.com
Price: $$$$

Red Capital Club
Bring visitors here and they are sure to be impressed. This is a gorgeous old courtyard home, decorated with an amazing collection of communist paraphernalia, from Mao's armchairs to Zhou En Lai's radios, and serving food from Zhongnanhai (the communist leaders' compound). The Imperial cuisine more than does justice to the unique surroundings.

66 Dongsi Jiutiao, Dongcheng District
Tel: (10) 8401 6152.
Website: www.redcapitalclub.com.cn  
Price: $$$

Danieli's
Top-notch homemade pasta, excellent breads, desserts and fine wines served in sumptuous surroundings. The St. Regis Hotel's signature Italian restaurant oozes class and elegance. Popular with business guests, the quality cuisine can prove pricey, though the daily business lunch specials are good value.

St. Regis Hotel, 21 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
Tel: (10) 6460 6688 ext 2440.
Website: www.stregis.com/beijing
Price: $$$

Huang Ting
Meaning ‘Phoenix Court’, this atmospheric restaurant recreates a Ming Dynasty courtyard, replete with grey brick walls, antique furniture and a wooden entrance door that would grace any Beijing temple. Specialising in Cantonese dishes and dim sum, Huang Ting also serves up Beijing specialities including the famous roast duck. Several private dining rooms are available for business functions.

Peninsula Beijing Hotel, 8 Goldfish Lane, Dongcheng District
Tel: (10) 6510 6707.
Website: www.peninsula.com/Beijing.aspx
Price: $$$

Hatsune
This sleek and super-chic Japanese restaurant draws a mixed crowd of business high-flyers and hip 20-somethings with deep pockets. Specialising in sushi and succulent handmade rolls, the food is fresh and artistically presented, and service is attentive.

2/F Heqiao Building C, 8A Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
Tel: (10) 6581 3939.
Price: $$$

Sureño
Sumptuous, contemporary southern Mediterranean cuisines and a large menu of New World wines are served at this super-hip restaurant at The Opposite House boutique hotel. The interior décor is evocative of a swish design studio, and the smartly dressed, well-coiffed wait staff appears to be culled from an arts school. But the star of the show is the food, featuring modern takes on favourite Italian, Spanish and Latin American dishes.

The Opposite House Hotel, 11 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District
Tel: (10) 6410 5240.
Website: www.surenorestaurant.com
Price: $$

Xiang Jiang Shui Xiang
Located beside Chaoyang Park, this traditional home-style family restaurant features new takes on southern Chinese cuisine. The result is lighter, home-cooked dishes which rely less on oil and MSG (food additive) than other regional cuisines. The bright and airy interior includes a giant fake oak tree in the centre of the room.

A8 Beiwutiao, Tuanjiehu, Chaoyang District, Opposite Beijing Art Gallery
Tel: (10) 8597 8069.
Price: $$

Bookworm Café
Bright, airy and friendly, this cross between a library, Internet café and coffee shop serves fresh-brewed coffee, sandwiches, salads and simple lunch dishes. It has a decent wine list. Free wireless Internet can make it resemble a laptop jungle by day. It also hosts an eclectic programme of talks, by visiting and local writers, and an annual literary festival. 

Building 4, Nan Sanlitun Jie, Chaoyang District
Tel: (10) 6586 9507.
Website: www.beijingbookworm.com
Price: $

Donghuamen Night Market
A sizzling treat for street-food addicts. Clean, cheap and very popular, this 200m (656ft), red-lanterned roadside strip buzzes every night after dark. Over 100 regional dishes and desserts are served, though most popular are the various kebabs, featuring meat, vegetables, fish and even silkworms. These skewered treats are accompanied by pancakes, dumplings, stews and dipping sauces. Even for those not wanting to eat, the crackling atmosphere is not to be missed.

Junction of Donghuamen Lu and Wangfujing Lu, Dongcheng District
Price: $

The Olive 
This casual all-day spot in Sanlitun serves pastas, salads, sandwiches and juices. A pleasant outdoor deck terrace is popular in summer, and the laid-back atmosphere attracts a mixed clientele of local residents, students, office lunchers and tourists.

17 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (opposite Workers' Stadium)
Tel: (10) 6417 9669.
Price: $

Dali Courtyard
Tucked away down a backstreet hutong off Gulou Dongdajie, this delightful courtyard restaurant serves good-value set menus of authentic southwestern Yunnan cuisine. The accent is on fresh vegetables and herbs from the high-altitude province that infuse the dishes with a sweet, aromatic appeal. In summer, the tree-filled garden terrace is one of Beijing's most romantic dining spots.

67 Xiaojingcheng Hutong, Dongcheng District
Tel: (010) 8404 1430.
Website: www.dalicourtyard.com
Price: $-$$

Green T House
Yes, it is over-designed and the concept rather pretentious, but this cool dining space is unlike any other in town and deserves praise for its determination to go its own way. The upscale food is imaginative, unashamedly aesthetic and (here's the nub) every dish somehow incorporates China's favourite brew - tea. The iced teas and cocktails are delicious and the desserts are worth the extra calories and cost.

6 Gongti Xi Lu, Chaoyang District
Tel: (10) 6552 8310.
Website: www.green-t-house.com
Price: $$$

Taj Pavilion
Beijing's friendliest and best Indian restaurant is also one of its first. The Taj regularly wins readership polls in the local press for its well-crafted dishes and generous portions. The pleasant, spacious interior, good location (no Beijing taxi driver can pretend not to know the "Guomao" China World Centre) and impeccable service make this a perfect place to sate a curry craving.

1/F, West Wing, China World Trade Center (next to KFC)
Tel: (10) 6505 5866.
Website: www.thetajpavilion.com
Price: $