The Best Places to Eat in Beijing

China is all about food! From roast duck to fried scorpion, there's plenty on offer in both restaurants and from street vendors. Due to so much choice, it can be confusing as to which are the best of the best. Well, sit back and relax as CHI has done all the leg work for you.

In between wandering around the hutongs, visiting China's national capital and Tian An Men, exploring the Forbidden City and day tripping to the Great Wall with all the other tourists, both local and foreign, everybody eventually has one thought: What's for dinner?

Sorting through the more than 70,000 restaurants and eateries in the Beijing is a monumental (but delicious) task, and while most establishments are tasty and authentic, some can be downright scary. What’s more, because many visitors are on a strict time schedule either due to business or to trying to see as much as possible in the amount of time available, culinary experimentation is not always the best option.

Still, Beijing is a world-class dining destination, and the best way for busy travelers to experience food culture in China is to embark upon their journey informed. Here are our top picks of the best places to eat in Beijing:

Da Dong Kaoya (Da Dong Roast Duck)

Coming to Beijing and not having the ubiquitous Peking Roast Duck would be like visiting Italy and skipping the pasta: unthinkable. Without a doubt, there are plenty of options for roast duck in the capital, but few do it better than Da Dong. By roasting their ducks over a wood fire (instead of an electric rotisserie), the traditional flavor is maintained. Da Dong removes the guts and loosens the skin of the duck to allow the fat to drip out, and because the heat gets into the duck from the inside as well as the outside, the bird will cook more quickly - very important since all of Da Dong's ducks are served fresh from the roasting pit - and stay more moist and juicy.

The roasted duck is then paired with a small plate of the necessary condiments, to ensure that all diners enjoy their namesake dish as much the emperors of the past. These condiments include special sauces for the duck meat and its crispy skin, as well as thin pancakes to wrap up the meat. This task is no easy feat for the chopstick novice, however the resulting dish of savory, warm duck smothered in sweet sauce and placed within a thin and silky pancake makes this meal well worth the effort.

The duck alone put Da Dong on the map, but it is all of the other incredible starters, entrees, sides, and especially deserts, most of which utilize Asian ingredients in western-style dishes or vice versa, that really set DaDong apart. Just be aware that the menu runs on for about 125 pages, so selection can take a while. (Why are Chinese menus so long? That’s a question for another day.)

Peak hours for both lunch and dinner usually require a reservation, even on weekdays, at all three of Da Dong's locations. Walk-ins are welcomed, but be prepared to wait for a table.

DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant Jinbaohui
Jinbaohui Shopping Center, 5th Floor
#88 Jinbao St.
Phone: 010-8522-1111 or 010-8522-1234

DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant Nanxinchang
#22 Dongsishitiao
Phone: 010-5169-0328 or 010-5169-0329

DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant Tuanjiehu
#3 Tuanjiehu Beikou
Phone: 010-6582-4003 or 010-6582-2892

DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant Zhengzhou
#56 Yingxie Rd.
Phone: 0371-6881-8888

Alameda

For another take on fusion food, Alameda has earned a reputation as the go-to destination for South American flavors in Beijing. The menu and specials change everyday according to what is fresh and in season, but the Brazilian executive chef keeps true to his training and works hard to overcome the restaurant's distance from its roots. On offer are classic dishes in an upscale environment, sure to cure the dining homesickness of any expat living in Beijing.

Alameda is open for lunch and dinner, but the best value for money is in the restaurant's midweek lunch sets. At dinner time, a reservation is highly recommended.

Alameda
Sanlitun North St. Pedestrian Lane
Phone: 010-6417-8084 or 010-6413-1939

Niuge Jiaozi

On the other end of the dining spectrum, but still very tasty and undeniably authentic, is the humble little Beijing dumpling shop of Niuge Jiaozi. It is not easy to find, but the hunt is worth it for anyone looking for proper dumplings along with a few traditional sides. Fortunately, ordering at the restaurant is easier than locating it, thanks to the picture menu along with some very rudimentary English descriptions to make it easier when choosing from the numerous dumpling fillings.

Speaking of fillings, diners can pick from the standard offerings of pork, chicken, vegetables, shrimp and plenty more, or get a bit more daring and try donkey. One of the best parts is that Niuge Jiaozi gets creative and has some awesome flavor combinations already concocted on the menu, or for more fluent Mandarin speakers (of those very talented at charades), customized dumplings are an option.

This joint opens early for those diners who need their dumpling fix for breakfast, keeping hours from about 6:30 to 10:00, and while it is a small place, Niuge Jiaozi can usually get everybody in and out fairly quickly so no reservation is necessary.

#85 Nanheyan Dajie (across from the sing that reads “Hualong Street” on the front of the opposing building)
Phone: 010-6525-7472

Manchurian Special Flavor Jiaozi Restaurant

Feeling like dongbei food? Manchurian Special Flavor Jiaozi is not the most succinct name for a restaurant, but their northeastern Chinese dishes make up for it. Here too, jiaozi (boiled or steamed dumplings) play a major role, and Manchurian Special Flavor does them as well as just about anywhere. Diners can also enjoy the atmosphere of China’s northern provinces, without ever having to board a plane.

Manchurian Special Flavor
#1a Xinzhong St.
Phone: 010-6415-2855

Eatalia

Italians missing home, or anyone just looking for the closest thing to a trattoria in Beijing, should definitely give Eatalia a try. Eatalia is run by a few likeable young entrepreneurial Italian guys (who even speak passable Mandarin) who not only oversee the menu and food preparation, but also take orders and are genuinely concerned that their guests enjoy their meal. It’s an intimate Italian dining experience for any occasion. Choices run the gamut of Italian cuisine, rather than sticking closely to one single region, but dishes are tasty and a surprisingly large number of hard-to-find-in-China ingredients are included in many of them.

Having just recently opened a second location, Eatalia is clearly popular, so reservations are recommended for dinner on weekends.

Eatalia Wudaokou
10-12 Huaqing Jiayuan at Chengfu Rd.
Phone: 151-1026-2017

Eatalia Di'anmen
Xilou Xiang near Di'anmen East Dajie
Phone: 151-1026-2017

Huang Ting

Dim sum lovers and Chinese movie lovers rejoice, as Huang Ting has taken the two and merged them into classy a Cantonese restaurant that feels like it is inside a Ming Dynasty era film set. Not cheap, and not exceptionally reserved in décor, Huang Ting is still a great place for lunch or dinner for anyone with the desire to spend a little extra on excellent modern Chinese cuisine and plenty of photo opportunities to show to friends after returning home.

Huang Ting
#8 Jinyu Hutong inside The Peninsula Palace
Phone: 010-6510-6707

Café de la Poste

French food without the snobbiness: it’s a perfect combination. Café de la Poste serves up fairly authentic French fare for very reasonable prices and keeps its tables full for lunch and dinner in the process. Set lunches during the week are a  particularly good value, and on the weekends, brunch is a nice treat that won't break the bank either.

Café de la Poste
#58 Yonghegong Dajie
Phone: 010-6402-7047

La Marée

On the other end of the French dining spectrum in Beijing, La Marée caters to a decidedly more upscale clientele, with prices reflecting this fact. La Marée specializes in seafood. Seeing as Beijing is not within sight of the ocean, anyone worried about freshness will be happy to know that almost all of La Marée's meats and seafood are imported, ensuring high quality and fresh taste.

For a chance to experience La Marée's modern take on southern French cuisine in a more affordable environment, book a table for lunch during the week and enjoy fixed-menu lunch sets at everyday prices.

La Marée
#16 Yongan Dongli, 2nd Floor, inside International Mansions
Phone: 010-8521-9585

Chuan Ban

Like it hot? Few do it spicier than the Sichuanese, and arguably the most legit Sichuan food in Beijing is served up in the Sichuan Provincial Government Office Complex's local restaurant called Chuan Ban.

Typically packed with Sichuan government workers, local Beijingers and the occasional foreigner-in-the-know on weekdays, Chuan Ban serves it up fresh and firey everyday for lunch and dinner, and prices are very reasonable. Their “Chinglish” menu does a decent enough job of providing a basic English description for most dishes, to let Chinese-character-illiterate diners order with reasonable confidence. Be warned: it is spicy.

Chuan Ban
#5 GongYuan Toutiao near Jianguomen Nei Dajie
Phone: 6512-2277 extension 6101

Wangfujing Xiao Chi Jie (Wangfujing Snack Street)

Rounding out our Beijing dining list is a food option that is not a restaurant at all. Wangfujing is stall after stall of just about every type of Chinese street food from around the country, all conveniently located in one spot to create the perfect sampler for anyone who doesn't have the time to travel the entire Middle Kingdom in search of tasty little niblets.

Hand-pulled noodles from the north, lamb skewers from the west, grilled and fried meats, veggies and tofu from the south, Beijing's own signature dumplings and tons of sweets are all on offer, and everything goes down easier with a cheap bottle of cold convenience store Chinese beer or a fresh-squeezed juice. Prices are low, so try anything that looks interesting and bring a camera to capture proof of conquering the grilled scorpion-on-a-stick. They are way better than they look.

Wangfujing Street near the intersection of Datien Shuijing Hutong