Peking duck, copper-pot lamb in winter, zhajiangmian in the hutongs.
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Beijing cooks in a northern register of wheat, lamb and dark bean sauce, shaped by centuries as the imperial capital. Roast duck appears in a 1330 imperial kitchen manual; Bianyifang, founded in 1416, still roasts in a closed oven near Qianmen, and Quanjude has hung its ducks in an open, fruitwood-fired oven since 1864. Shandong-style houses such as Qingyunlou and Dongxinglou were among the old Ba Da Lou, the eight great restaurants, while Hui Muslim houses such as Donglaishun (1903) made copper-pot mutton the winter meal and the Tan family banquet carried late-Qing official cooking into the present. Breakfast is a cuisine of its own: douzhi with fried dough rings, stewed liver with steamed buns and sesame shaobing from hutong counters that open from 05:30, with luzhu offal stew and meat pies later in the day. Zhajiangmian is the everyday noodle and zhizi kaorou is seared on an iron griddle. The Michelin Guide Beijing 2026, released on 29 October 2025, gave three stars to two restaurants, two stars to six and one star to 24.
Guided tour · 5 - 10 hours
See the sights of Beijing illuminated on an amazing night tour. Watch a traditional acrobatics show and enjoy a delicious Peking Duck dinner to experience a dish that ...
Day trip · 8 hours
Explore the history and nature around Beijing on a private day tour to the Ming Tombs and Longqing Gorge. Discover the Ming Dynasty's legacy at the Dingling Tomb and e...
Guided tour · 8 hours
Visiting Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, two iconic spots in Beijing. Hike the scenic Mutianyu Great Wall. Enjoy tasty Chinese dumplings for lunch.
The plates that define eating in Beijing.
Peking duck is roast duck with thin, lacquered skin, sliced for wrapping in a soft pancake with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber, from either a hung oven or a closed oven.
Where Quanjude (Qianmen), Bianyifang (Xianyukou), Siji Minfu (Forbidden City), Da Dong (Jinbao Place), Liqun Roast Duck
Taste itBeijing Hutong Food Crawl Delights: Peking duck, Hotpot & More$84Where to eat Peking duck (Beijing roast duck) in Beijing →Zhajiangmian is thick wheat noodles under a dark sauce of diced pork fried in yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce, served with a ring of crunchy shredded vegetables to toss through.
Where No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Zhajiangmian, Fortune Long Beijing Bean Sauce Noodles (East Xinglong Street), Mingyuan Restaurant
Where to eat Zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce) in Beijing →Jiaozi are crescent dumplings of pork and cabbage or chive in a thin wheat wrapper, boiled and dipped in black vinegar, and the dish families fold together at Lunar New Year.
Where Baiweiyuan Dumpling (Tuanjiehu Road), Beef & Dumplings (Shunyuan Street), Xian Lao Man (Andingmen)
Where to eat Jiaozi (boiled dumplings) in Beijing →Douzhi is a grey-green, sour drink of fermented mung beans, boiled and sipped hot with crisp jiaoquan fried dough rings and shredded pickles, the standard test of a Beijing palate.
Where Yin San Douzhi (Dongxiaoshi Street), Huguosi Snacks (Huguosi Street Flagship), Mingyuan Restaurant, Tianxingju (Xianyukou)
Where to eat Douzhi with jiaoquan (fermented mung bean drink) in Beijing →Chaogan is a thick, glossy stew of pork liver and intestine in a starch-thickened sauce, finished with garlic and vinegar and eaten with steamed pork buns for breakfast.
Where Yaoji Chaogan (Gulou), Tianxingju (Xianyukou)
Where to eat Chaogan (Beijing stewed liver) in Beijing →Luzhu huoshao is pork intestine, lung and tofu stewed in a spiced broth with pieces of baked flatbread that soak up the soup, eaten piping hot with garlic sauce.
Where Chen Ji Luzhu Xiaochang (Langfang Ertiao), Tianxingju (Xianyukou), Yaoji Chaogan (Gulou)
Where to eat Luzhu huoshao (stewed offal with baked flatbread) in Beijing →Chunbing are thin steamed wheat pancakes, peeled into two sheets and rolled around shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, eggs and stir-fried vegetables, a table dish for the start of spring.
Where Feng Yuan Chunbing (Xingfu Lane), Lao Lao Jia Chunbing (Balizhuang)
Where to eat Chunbing (spring pancakes) in Beijing →Beijing shaobing is a layered, baked wheat flatbread with sesame paste and spice rolled inside and sesame seeds on top, eaten for breakfast or beside copper-pot lamb and barbecue.
Where Shi Cheng Ji Shaobing Shop, Man Heng Ji, Beiping San Xiongdi Hotpot (Guijie)
Where to eat Shaobing (sesame flatbread) in Beijing →Wandouhuang is a smooth, pale yellow pea paste set into a lightly sweet, cool cake, a Beijing snack with a court version said to have won over Empress Dowager Cixi.
Where Huguosi Snacks (Huguosi Street Flagship), Laohuihui Snack Bar (Baiwanzhuang)
Where to eat Wandouhuang (pea cake) in Beijing →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Beijing.
Da Dong at Jinbao Place on Jinbao Street serves Beijing roast duck on the fifth floor of the mall, a short walk from Wangfujing in central Beijing.
OrderOrder a whole roast duck and wrap the slices in pancakes with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber.
Siji Minfu by the east gate of the Forbidden City hang-roasts Beijing duck and serves Beijing-style dishes such as zhajiangmian, close to Wangfujing.
OrderOrder the hang-roasted duck, then a bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce) on the side.
Liqun Roast Duck, a casual duck house on Beixiangfeng Hutong near Qianmen, serves Beijing kaoya with duck gizzard and intestine dishes in Beijing.
OrderOrder the Beijing roast duck, then try the duck gizzard and duck intestine dishes alongside it.
Dongxinglou on Dongzhimen Inner Street, founded in 1902, cooks Shandong classics such as braised sea cucumber with scallions near Ghost Street in Beijing.
OrderOrder the braised sea cucumber with scallions and the braised prawns, then fried diced chicken with soy sauce.
Donglaishun in Beijing APM on Wangfujing Street is a halal house for charcoal copper-pot instant-boiled mutton, a brand founded in Beijing in 1903.
OrderOrder the instant-boiled mutton cooked in a charcoal copper pot and dip each slice in the house sesame sauce.
Jubaoyuan on Niujie is a time-honoured Muslim hot pot house serving fresh sliced mutton and beef in coal-fired copper pots in the Hui quarter of Beijing.
OrderOrder thin slices of mutton and beef for the coal-fired copper pot and dip them in sesame sauce.
Hotel dining rooms and duck houses on Jinbao Street, plus Donglaishun's copper-pot mutton on the fifth floor of Beijing APM on Wangfujing Street.
Best for: Peking duck, Instant-boiled mutton, Hotel dining
Dongsi North and South streets: Daoxiangcun's Zero store, a hutong shaobing shop, a grill room on Meishuguan East Street and Pang Mei noodles.
Best for: Pastries, Shaobing, Barbecue
Hutongs round Gulou East Street and Wudaoying hold cafes, cocktail bars and wine bars, with old breakfast shops such as Yaoji Chaogan on the main road.
Best for: Cafes, Cocktail bars, Hutong breakfast
Guijie, or Ghost Street, runs along Dongzhimen Inner Street with more than 150 storefronts, mostly restaurants open through the night and known for crayfish.
Best for: Crayfish, Late-night hotpot, Courtyard dining
Lakeside lanes round Qianhai Dongyan, where Kaorouji has grilled lamb on an iron griddle since 1848, with family restaurants on Deshengmen Inner Street.
Best for: Zhizi kaorou, Time-honoured brands, Family dining
Huguosi Street snack shops, the casserole house Shaguoju on Xisi South Street and summer noodle queues at Huatian Yanji on Xisi North Street.
Best for: Halal snacks, Hotpot, Cold noodles
Peking duck (Beijing roast duck)
Peking duck is roast duck with thin, lacquered skin, sliced for wrapping in a soft pancake with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber, from either a hung oven or a closed oven
Zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce)
Zhajiangmian is thick wheat noodles under a dark sauce of diced pork fried in yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce, served with a ring of crunchy shredded vegetables to toss through
Jiaozi (boiled dumplings)
Jiaozi are crescent dumplings of pork and cabbage or chive in a thin wheat wrapper, boiled and dipped in black vinegar, and the dish families fold together at Lunar New Year
Douzhi with jiaoquan (fermented mung bean drink)
Douzhi is a grey-green, sour drink of fermented mung beans, boiled and sipped hot with crisp jiaoquan fried dough rings and shredded pickles, the standard test of a Beijing palate
Chaogan (Beijing stewed liver)
Chaogan is a thick, glossy stew of pork liver and intestine in a starch-thickened sauce, finished with garlic and vinegar and eaten with steamed pork buns for breakfast
Dongsi
Dongsi North and South streets: Daoxiangcun's Zero store, a hutong shaobing shop, a grill room on Meishuguan East Street and Pang Mei noodles
Niujie
Niujie Street's halal shops and restaurants: Jubaoyuan's coal-fired copper pots, Nailao Wei's milk curd on Guang'anmen Inner Street and the Niujie Halal Supermarket
Sanlitun
Taikoo Li, Gongti and the Sanlitun bar streets: cocktail rooms, clubs and late kitchens such as Yangcheng Chicken Pot, open until 02:00
Guomao and CBD
Hotel and mall dining round Jianguomenwai and Chaoyangmenwai: Rosewood's Jing Guang Centre, SKP, Cantonese banquet rooms and Ritan Park lamb
A sample of Beijing hotels from our booking partner, who list 995 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Jinjiang Inn Beijing Zhushikou
With a stay at Jinjiang Inn Beijing Zhushikou in Beijing (Downtown Beijing), you'll be within a 15-minute w...
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Beijing CityCourt Hotel
With a stay at Beijing CityCourt Hotel, you'll be centrally located in Beijing, just a 5-minute walk from S...
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BEIJING SHANGCHAO HOTEL
A stay at BEIJING SHANGCHAO HOTEL places you in the heart of Beijing, within a 5-minute drive of CCTV Headq...
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Ibis Beijing Jianguomen
A stay at Ibis Beijing Jianguomen places you in the heart of Beijing, within a 15-minute walk of Silk Stree...
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Aloft Beijing, Haidian
With a stay at Aloft Beijing, Haidian in Beijing (Haidian), you'll be within a 10-minute drive of Renmin Un...
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Beijing Huatongxin Hotel
A stay at Beijing Huatongxin Hotel places you in the heart of Beijing, within a 15-minute walk of Workers S...
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Mercure Beijing Downtown
With a stay at Mercure Beijing Downtown in Beijing (Chaoyang), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Yintai ...
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Beijing Haisheng Jialin Aparthotel
Located in Beijing (Downtown Beijing), Beijing Haisheng Jialin Aparthotel is within a 5-minute drive of Yon...
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Mercure Wanshang Beijing
With a stay at Mercure Wanshang Beijing in Beijing (Shijingshan), you'll be a 3-minute drive from Beijing S...
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Wanda Realm Beijing
With a stay at Wanda Realm Beijing in Beijing (Haidian), you'll be a 3-minute drive from Beijing Shijingsha...
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Beijing Landmark Hotel
With a stay at Beijing Landmark Hotel, you'll be centrally located in Beijing, just a 3-minute walk from Sa...
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Beijing Hujialou Hotel
A stay at Beijing Hujialou Hotel places you in the heart of Beijing, within a 5-minute drive of Sanlitun an...
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Also compare: Expedia in Beijing
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Beijing, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: September to December for hairy crab and the start of copper-pot mutton season, which runs through winter to the Spring Festival tables. Summer evenings bring crayfish on Guijie (Ghost Street) and queues for Yanji cold noodles.
Local dining hours: Hutong breakfast counters open from 05:30, and some, like Yin San Douzhi, close at 12:30. Restaurants serve lunch from about 11:00 to 14:00 and dinner from about 17:00 to 21:00, and duck houses such as Bianyifang close in between; Guijie runs late into the night.
Tipping: Tipping is not customary in Beijing. Mid-range and upscale restaurants and hotels often add a service charge of about 5 to 15 percent, so check the bill before adding anything.
Beijing's signature dishes include Peking duck (Beijing roast duck), Zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce), Jiaozi (boiled dumplings), Shuan yangrou (instant-boiled mutton), Zhizi kaorou (Beijing griddle barbecue). See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Beijing by district. Wangfujing and Jinbao Street, Dongsi, Gulou and Nanluoguxiang, Dongzhimen and Guijie are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Beijing include King's Joy, TRB Hutong, Fu Chun Ju, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 7 editor-picked food tours in Beijing, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Beijing dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
