40 editor picks in Beijing.
40 cheap eats places in Beijing, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Beijing: the places editors actually return to. All Beijing food.
No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Zhajiangmian holds a Bib Gourmand for one dish, chewy noodles in a deep soybean pork sauce, in a hutong near Nanluoguxiang in Beijing.
OrderOrder the zhajiangmian, the only dish on the menu, and add pickled garlic and cumin chilli sauce.
TipDiners queue from opening to closing for the single dish, so go outside the lunchtime rush.
Huguosi Snacks' founding shop at 93 Huguosi Street in Beijing, open since 1956, sells over 100 halal snacks, from douzhi and jiaoquan to lüdagun and pea cake.
OrderDouzhi (fermented mung bean drink) with jiaoquan, lüdagun and pea flour cake
TipThe shop opens at 05:30, so go early for breakfast; douzhi is an acquired taste, and the 2025 city-walk guide says to pair it with jiaoquan.
Ladychai on Ganjiakou North Street in Beijing is a family-run shop that follows c. 1920 recipes, selling braised beef by the catty with noodles in beef broth.
OrderBraised beef by the catty with plain noodles in beef broth
TipQueue, serve yourself and share a table; order about half a catty of beef a head and say fatty or lean.
Daoxiangcun's Zero Store on Dongsi North Street in Beijing opened in August 2021 as a food-heritage shop and bakes its hand-made pastries on site.
TipQueues of an hour or two were reported before the January 2023 Lunar New Year, so go on a weekday morning; Ctrip lists the door-number cake among the items.
Metal Hands, a coffee brand begun in 2016 on Wudaoying Hutong in Beijing, runs a concrete-and-wood shop with a skylight corner and a quieter second floor.
TipGo upstairs, where the second floor is quieter and has one large wooden table; the Dirty is espresso poured over cold milk.
Sanchuan Coffee opened in July 2025 in Qijing Hutong near Fayuan Temple in Beijing; a roaster and a barista run its pour-over bar, and Amap ranked it in 2026.
TipGeisha lots fill about two thirds of the menu and the beans are roasted in-house; the shop is open Tuesday to Sunday, so skip Mondays.
Yin San Douzhi on Dongxiaoshi Street in Beijing opens at 05:30 and closes at midday, serving douzhi with braised meatballs and miancha in a ten-table shop.
OrderDouzhi with jiaoquan and braised meatballs
TipIt opens only for half a day, so come early; customers queue to the door, carry their food to a seat and often share tables with strangers.
Baoyuan Dumplings on Maizidian Street in Beijing wraps ingot-shaped dumplings in dough dyed with spinach, carrot, blueberry and grape; a Bib Gourmand.
OrderThe rainbow dumplings, wrapped in ingot shapes, and the vegetarian fillings of smoked beancurd and mushroom.
TipBring cash, as the shop takes cash only; it is open daily 11:00-22:00 with no midday break, so an off-peak lunch is easy.
Yongsheng Beef Noodles in Hongmiao Beili, Beijing, is open round the clock, with braised beef offal noodles, pea and mince noodles and fried crispy pork.
OrderBraised beef-offal noodles and pickled-cabbage beef noodles
TipThe shop never closes, so a late bowl is easy; Ctrip lists free parking and baby chairs, and the fried crispy pork is cooked to order.
Kempi Deli moved in November 2025 to the Liangma River side of Beijing's Kempinski Yansha Center, keeping its European breads, sausages and Black Forest cake.
TipA terrace on the Liangma River opened in June 2026; mornings run to coffee and baked goods, afternoons to cakes and sandwiches, evenings to wine and bar snacks.
Soloist Coffee Co. on Yangmeizhu Xiejie in Beijing fills a two-storey hutong coffeehouse with old lamps, globes and typewriters, plus a second-floor terrace.
TipSit at the ground-floor bar to watch the baristas, or take the second-floor terrace for sun and a view of the old houses; the ground floor is often crowded.
Yaoji Chaogan on Gulou East Street in Beijing, opened in 1989, serves chaogan, a thick pork liver and intestine stew, with steamed buns and zhajiangmian.
OrderChaogan, a thick pork liver and intestine stew, with pork and scallion buns
TipThe shop opens at 06:00 for breakfast; the stew is seasoned with garlic, vinegar and soy, and Ctrip lists luzhu and baodu beside it.
Guijie, or Ghost Street, runs along Dongzhimen Inner Street in Beijing with over 150 storefronts, mostly restaurants open late, and is known for crayfish.
OrderSpicy crayfish, grilled skewers and late-night Beijing snacks
TipThe street is busiest from 18:00 to 04:00; in summer 2026 the Guijie Night Carnival and crayfish festival serve crayfish in ten flavours.
Guijie, or Ghost Street, runs along Dongzhimen Inner Street in Beijing with over 150 storefronts, mostly restaurants open late, and is known for crayfish.
OrderSpicy crayfish, grilled skewers and hotpot at whichever Guijie house has a table.
TipThe street is busiest from 18:00 to 04:00; in summer 2026 the Guijie Night Carnival and crayfish festival serve crayfish in ten flavours.
Pang Mei Noodles in Xiang'er Hutong off Dongsi North Street in Beijing is the city's first outlet of a Chongqing noodle brand, known for fiery beef soup.
OrderChongqing-style fiery beef noodle soup
TipReservations are not accepted, so expect a long wait; choose between two bowl sizes and four levels of spiciness.
Dehezhai in Tianshuiyuan, Beijing, is known for a milky almond jelly and lamb cuanmian noodle soup, with fried starch sausage and other old Beijing snacks.
OrderAlmond jelly and lamb cuanmian noodle soup
TipBoth the almond jelly and the lamb noodle soup top Beijing's Dianping rankings, per the Chaoyang district guide; lunch and dinner service is split.
Zhungeer on Longtan Road in Beijing cooks Xinjiang dishes, from big plate chicken to red-braised naan-wrapped lamb, with free parking on site.
OrderBig plate chicken, red-braised naan-wrapped lamb and the tomahawk hand-grasped lamb with pilaf.
TipCtrip lists free parking, a phone-charging point and large tables for ten or more; the kitchen runs straight through the afternoon on weekends.
Luhui's Dongsi South Street shop in Beijing bakes loaves and lye rolls, including a Mojiang purple rice and chestnut loaf, and now has newer branches.
TipA litsea, pickled-chilli and beef cheese lye roll cost about ¥20 in April 2025; flavours differ by branch (The Box on Chaowai Street, Duiwai Jingmao), so ask.
Voyage Coffee's Sanlihe Park branch in Beijing shares its building with a local bookshop and has outdoor seats facing the river, with ducks sometimes in view.
TipGive a taxi or DiDi driver 'Sanlihe Park' (三里河公园) rather than the street address; it is a 10-minute walk from Qiaowan station on Line 7, exit D.
S.O.E Coffee is a Beijing specialty brand founded in 2005 with its own roasting factory, and its Wudaoying Hutong shop sits a short walk from the Lama Temple.
TipThe name abbreviates single-origin espresso and the chess board's Square of Eight; the group also has a shop at 6 Chaoyang Park South Road.
Fahai Temple Fried Cake King at 204 Moshikou Street in Shijingshan, Beijing, fries crisp rice cakes with a hot red bean paste filling from 06:30 to 15:00.
OrderFahai Temple-style fried rice cakes with red bean paste
TipThe shop closes at 15:00, so go in the morning; the cakes use red beans simmered slowly into a fine paste and are fried to a golden crust.
Chen Ji Luzhu Xiaochang on Langfang Ertiao in Beijing, near Qianmen, sells luzhu, flatbread stewed with pork intestines and lung, until 20:00.
OrderLuzhu huoshao, flatbread stewed with pork intestines, lungs and tofu
TipCtrip lists a bowl with one base and two flatbreads, plus cold-dish sets; the shop closes at 20:00, so go for lunch or an early dinner.
Anchengju in Bajiao, Shijingshan, Beijing, is known for dry-pot duck heads in several spice levels, served with homemade sesame buns, at about ¥87 a head.
OrderDry-pot duck heads at your chosen heat level, with the homemade sesame buns.
TipCtrip lists a waiting area, tables for ten or more and free parking, so it suits groups; heat runs from mild to extra hot.
Fortune Long on East Xinglong Street in Beijing has served zhajiangmian since 1994, over three floors, with two caldrons of soybean sauce made fresh each day.
OrderZhajiangmian with house-made noodles
TipIt is always jam-packed, so avoid peak mealtimes; Michelin also picks the fried pork balls and the blanched ox tripe in sesame sauce.
Beef & Dumplings on Shunyuan Street in Beijing braises beef shin for over ten hours with spices and wraps beef and carrot dumplings in house-made skins.
OrderBraised beef shin and beef-and-carrot dumplings
TipPick your own vinegar and toppings at the self-serve condiment station; the braised beef can also be bought to take away.
Beijing Pie in Xila Hutong, Beijing, is known for thin-skinned, juicy, generously filled roubing meat pies, served with Kung Pao chicken and home dishes.
OrderRoubing meat pies and Kung Pao chicken
TipThe city's 2026 Spring Festival guide calls it a top choice for authentic home-style Beijing food; fried meatballs and fried starch sausage sit beside the pies.
La Roba on Zaojunmiao Road in Beijing is a Yunnan restaurant named for a Nuosu subgroup, with ethnic decor and a menu of classic Yunnan dishes.
OrderThe millefeuille pea flour pancake and the Dali-style fish braised in pickled papaya.
TipExpect a queue at peak periods; the Michelin Guide recommends the chewy millefeuille pea flour pancake and Dali fish braised in pickled papaya.
Yue Xiao Guan on Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie in Beijing is a Cantonese restaurant serving stone-ground rice rolls and Zhanjiang oysters until midnight.
OrderStone-ground egg rice rolls, salt-and-pepper jiudu fish and ginger-scallion Zhanjiang oysters.
TipThe kitchen serves until midnight, so it suits a late dinner; Ctrip lists a waiting area for the mealtime queue.
Fuhuazhai Pastry Store is a time-honoured Beijing brand, and its Huguosi branch sells handmade imperial court pastries on the ground floor of Huguo Xintiandi.
TipCtrip puts it 50 metres east of Huguosi Snacks, and the city's time-honoured brands citywalk lists the two as stops on one route.
Sol Sourdough bakes country loaves, scones and cinnamon rolls in a single-storey building on Jianguomenwai Street in Beijing, with seating beside the counter.
TipThe Cheese Trio is the signature loaf; the dining area next to the counter lets you eat in, and coffee and other drinks are on sale.
Michael's German Bakery in Cuigezhuang, Beijing, bakes German breads, rolls and cakes by hand, and The Beijinger's 2025 Christmas list names its stollen.
TipThe shop is closed on Wednesdays and shuts at 17:00; the phone number doubles as its WeChat contact, so message ahead for stollen before Christmas.
Fu 3 Coffee on Meishuguan East Street in Beijing keeps a quiet upstairs room with free Wi-Fi and sockets, and sells an apricot mousse made to look like fruit.
TipOrder the apricot mousse, a cream dessert with a jelly centre shaped like a real apricot, and head upstairs if you need a quiet table to work.
Still Water's Gulou East Street cafe in Beijing sits in a courtyard house, with a second-floor terrace that looks over tiled roofs and the trees outside.
TipClimb the steep stairs to the terrace on a cloudy day; in strong sun the upper level turns warm, and the ground-floor room is the cooler choice.
i.Cafe is a neighbourhood coffee shop in Baiziwan, Beijing, that began as a roasting studio in 2016 and supplies beans to other cafes across the city.
TipThe shop is unit F103 in Building 6. A 2023 Sohu guide singles out the Melbourne coffee and the affogato made with Xifeng liquor.
CHAMO is a self-roasting coffee and bread shop in the Xincheng International community on Chaoyangmenwai Street in Beijing, open daily from 07:30 to 19:30.
TipIt sells its own roasted beans next to coffee and filled toast; Our Beijing's 2025 bean guide points to its Geisha lot T2722 and its drip-bag gift sets.
Nailao Wei's main store on Guang'anmen Inner Street in Beijing, founded in 1888, sells nailao, a smooth fermented milk curd with a faint rice wine aroma.
OrderNailao, Beijing fermented milk curd with a faint rice wine aroma
TipAsk for the palace-style nailao; Ctrip also lists almond jelly, fried milk and double-skin milk, and the unit is Room 107 at No. 202.
Shi Cheng Ji on Dongsi Liutiao in Beijing is a hutong shaobing shop selling baked sesame flatbread layered with house-ground sesame paste, 06:30 to 19:00.
OrderShaobing, baked sesame flatbread layered with sesame paste
TipIt closes at 19:00 and opens at 06:30, so it works as a breakfast stop; the Beijinger lists it among old Beijing snacks in its 2025 rundown.
Gongmenkou Mantou Pu, the founder store at 1 Xiangchang Road in Beijing, sells sticky bean buns, red-bean rolls and steamed buns from 07:00 to 19:00.
OrderSticky bean buns, red-bean rolls and sesame-paste sugar rolls
TipCtrip lists sticky bean buns, red-bean rolls and sesame-paste sugar rolls as favourites, and the shop closes at 19:00.
Huatian Yanji's Xisi North Street headquarters in Beijing, founded in 1943 by a Korean woman, is known for Yanji cold noodles that draw summer queues.
OrderYanji-style cold noodles
TipIn summer diners queue for the cold noodles and eat them bowl in hand or on the window ledge; Ctrip also lists spicy mixed beef.
Beisantiao Hutong Noodles near Yonghegong in Beijing serves dalumian, noodles under thick gravy, with almond jelly and fried starch sausage on the side.
OrderEggplant dalumian and tomato-and-egg dalumian
TipThe shop sits inside Jiaodaokou Beisantiao off Yonghegong Street; Ctrip lists a waiting area, free Wi-Fi and paid parking.
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