Beijing Restaurants

Beijing Restaurant Reviews

China's economic boom has fueled a culinary revolution in Beijing, with just about every kind of food now available in the capital. Today you can eat a wide variety of regional cuisines, including unusual specialties from Yunnan, earthy Hakka cooking from southern China, Tibetan yak and tsampa (barley flour), numbingly spicy Sichuan cuisine, and chewy noodles from Shaanxi.

The capital also offers plenty of international cuisines, including French, German, Thai, Japanese, Brazilian, Malaysian, and Italian, among others.

You can spend as little as $5 per person for a decent meal or $100 and up on a lavish banquet. The venues are part of the fun, ranging from swanky restaurants to holes-in-the-wall and refurbished courtyard houses. Reservations are always a good idea so book as far ahead as you can, and reconfirm as soon as you arrive.

People tend to eat around 6 pm and even though the last order is usually taken around 9 pm, some places remain open until the wee morning hours. Tipping can be tricky. Though it isn't required, some of the larger, fancier restaurants will add a 15% service charge to the bill. Be aware before you go out that small and medium venues only take cash payment; more established restaurants usually accept credit cards.

Great local beers and some international brands are available everywhere in Beijing, and many Chinese restaurants now have extensive wine menus.