Top 10 Restaurants in Beijing
What is the best restaurant in Beijing? How much is dinner in Beijing? When the schedule is tight, you might not have enough time to do dining research. This article lists 10 of the best places to eat, with a variety of top cuisines of home and abroad.
1. Haidilao Hot Pot
Haidilao’s over 20 years of prosperities owe a lot to its go-the-extra-mile service and excellent quality ingredients. It is a huge hot pot chain and has multiple branches.
Due to the extremely high demand, the diners usually need to make reservations and be put on a waiting list. Sometimes the waiting can be hours – which would turn out to be worth it.
Try the tableside hand-pulled noodles – an entertaining noodle show you should not miss when eating at Haidilao.
- Chinese name: 海底捞火锅
- Popular branches: Xidan, Sanlitun, Xizhimen, Chongwenmen
- Cost per person: from 150 CNY
- Hours of operation: 10:00-22:00
- Recommended dishes: tomato sauce hot pot, crispy meat, smooth shrimp
2. Quanjude
The first roasted duck restaurant that bears the world-known brand Quanjude was open in 1864. Quanjude roast duck is featured for its unique culinary procedure, enchanting look, and superior taste. Each duck sold has a certificate accordingly.
When the roast duck is served at Quanjude, the chef will slice the duck right before the diners. This duck slicing show is a cultural experience particularly for diners from outside Beijing. Today having the Quanjude roast duck is recognized as a must for visitors to Beijing.
- Chinese name: 全聚德
- Popular branches: Qianmen, Tiananmen, Wangfujing, Hepingmen
- Cost per person: from 150 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:00-14:00, 16:00-21:00
- Recommended dishes: Quanjude roast duck, duck soup
Click the 7 Best Roast Duck Restaurants in Beijing to know other places to get authentic roast duck, such as Siji Minfu, Da Dong, and Bianyifang.
3. Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung is a chain specializing in xiaolongbao (dumplings with soup). Established in Taiwan in 1972, Din Tai Fung rapidly gets a worldwide reputation with its high quality of service and food.
The menu is in Chinese and English, with good photos of food and instructions on how to eat xiaolongbao, so the place is a good choice for Western travelers who might like to try traditional Chinese soup dumplings.
- Chinese name: 鼎泰丰
- Address: No. 24 Xinyuan Xili Middle Street, Chaoyang District
- Cost per person: from 130 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:00-22:00
- Recommended dishes: crab xiaolongbao, featured xiaolongbao, shrimp fried rice
4. TRB Hutong
TRB Hutong is a European-style western restaurant renovated from an ancient temple hidden in Beijing hutongs. With tranquil surroundings and a good wine selection, it is a great place to ease your fatigue from a long trip.
The restaurant specializes in French cuisine, with artistic presentations. Its foreign staff is super helpful and patient to make every guest feel like a VIP.
- Address: No. 23, Songzhu Temple, Shatan N Street, Dongcheng District
- Cost per person: about 888 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:30-15:00, 17:30-22:00
- Recommended dishes: foie gras, wagyu beef, chocolate cake
5. King’s Joy
For the best vegetarian restaurant in town, King’s Joy is a brainer. The dishes are fully vegetarian, using the freshest vegetables and natural ingredients. It provides seasonal menus with English translations.
This Michelin star restaurant falls in an old elegant Chinese style house right next to Lama Temple, so it’s convenient to combine fine dining with a visit to the temple.
- Chinese name: 京兆尹
- Address: No. 2 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District
- Cost per person: about 820 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:00-21:00
- Recommended dishes: sweet and sour lotus root, matsutake soup, mung bean cake with jujube paste
6. Dali Courtyard Beijing
Dali Courtyard is a charming restaurant hidden in a deep alley. It serves Yunnan cuisine with a fixed menu and good cocktails and wine selection. Tell the chef your likes and dislikes and you will get a surprising meal.
- Chinese name: 大理院子
- Address: No. 67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Gulou West Avenue, Dongcheng District
- Cost per person: about 150 CNY
- Hours of operation: 12:00-14:00, 18:00-22:00
- Recommended dishes: grilled chili fish, fried shrimp, mushrooms
7. Najia Restaurant
Najia Restaurant provides Chinese imperial cuisines originating from the “Emperor’s Kitchen”, which were cooked only for the royal family inside the Forbidden City in ancient times.
From the selected old-style decoration to the dishes served with Manchu plates, the restaurant reflects the elegance of the late Qing Dynasty (1840-1912).
- Chinese name: 那家小馆
- Address: No. 2 Jiuxianqiao North Road, Chaoyang District
- Cost per person: about 150 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:00-21:00
- Recommended dishes: crispy-skin prawns, stewed tofu, stewed sea cucumber
8. Duck De Chine
It can be hard to tell which restaurant offers the best roast duck, but it is possible to decide who serves the best duck sauce. The duck roasters of Duck De Chine are from Hong Kong. They have incorporated their sauce artistry into a fun dinner trick, such as homemade hoisin sauce (not traditional to Peking duck), tahini sauce, and roasted garlic.
There are also Chinese dishes and Cantonese dim sums that you can try.
- Chinese name: 全鸭季
- Address: No, 98 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District
- Cost per person: about 460 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:00-14:30, 17:30-22:30
- Recommended dishes: duck de chine Beijing roasted duck, tofu, stir-fried prawns
9. Xian Lao Man
Xian Lao Man is a good place to try Beijing's local dishes and snacks. It provides 25 kinds of dumplings with different fillings, including pork, shrimp, lamb, eggs, vegetables, and more.
Beijing traditional snacks can also be found here: Rolling Donkeys, Golden Pea Cake, Bean Rolls, Stewed Pork Liver, Fired Beijing Sausage…
- Chinese name: 馅老满
- Address: No. 252 Andingmen Inner Avenue, Dongcheng District
- Cost per person: about 60 CNY
- Hours of operation: 11:00-22:00
- Recommended dishes: dumplings, kung pao chicken, old Beijing snacks
10. Hua’s Restaurant
Located on the west side of Ghost Street (Guijie), Hua’s Restaurant serves upgraded homestyle Beijing dishes. There are after-dinner music performances in the open-air courtyard in the summer months.
- Chinese name: Huajia Yiyuan 花家怡园
- Address: No. 252 Andingmen Inner Avenue, Dongcheng District
- Cost per person: about 170 CNY
- Hours of operation: 10:00-2:00
- Recommended dishes: hot and spicy crayfish, signature roasted duck, kung pao shrimp
Try Beijing Food Tour with Us
Why not take a customized tour that focuses on Chinese food? Our tour guide can help you explore the culture behind the food and take you to the best places to taste Chinese food in Beijing.
We can help to put your food tour into our classical Beijing trips: