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.
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.
Huaiyang Fu in a period mansion on Andingmenwai Street is Michelin Selected for Huaiyang classics such as braised pork belly and lake shrimps in Beijing.
OrderOrder the braised pork belly with arrowroot and the hand-peeled lake shrimps with fox nuts and aged vinegar.
TipBookings are essential; the period mansion has a stone garden and carved wooden windows, and a seasonal menu runs alongside the classics.
King's Joy, a courtyard house next to Yonghe Temple, holds two Michelin stars for its lacto-ovo vegetarian menus of over 10 courses in Beijing.
OrderBook one of the three lacto-ovo vegetarian menus of over 10 courses; each can be made vegan on request.
TipThe dining room is a historical courtyard house next to Yonghe Temple, so allow time to walk the Wudaoying Hutong before dinner.
Duoweiju at the corner of Fuxue Hutong and Zhong Jianzi Alley in Beijing cooks Yunnan dishes, from bamboo fungus steam-pot chicken to cross-bridge noodles.
OrderBamboo fungus steam-pot chicken, cross-bridge rice noodles and the crisp taro.
TipCtrip lists a waiting area and free parking; service breaks between lunch and dinner, with a shorter lunch on Monday, so check the hours.
Lanren Yanfu Renjia near Anzhen Bridge in Beijing cooks Zigong salt-house Sichuan dishes, prized for freshness, tenderness, numbing heat and aroma.
OrderThe Zigong salt-house dishes, which the Chaoyang district guide singles out as the specialty.
TipThe Chaoyang district guide describes a colourful, stylish room; lunch and dinner are split, with service from 17:00 to 21:30 in the evening.
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.
DrinkWhite Flat
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.
Fuding Cafe takes the second floor of a Wudaoying Hutong building in Beijing and has a rooftop terrace with a view across the hutong roofs to the Lama Temple.
DrinkFuding Latte
TipThe entrance is on the second floor at 26-2. Pair the Fuding latte with the Stone Lion Cake, or try the hand-brewed Kenya Kirinyaga.
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.
DrinkDirty
TipGo upstairs, where the second floor is quieter and has one large wooden table; the Dirty is espresso poured over cold milk.
Penghao Theatre Cafe sits inside Beijing's first independent small theatre, a Republic-era courtyard house, with wooden tables downstairs and a terrace.
TipCheck the programme before you go: plays run at weekends in the small theatre behind the curtain, beside the ground-floor tables where visitors sit.
Townhouse Coffee on Guozijian Street in Beijing is a Swedish-style cafe of wooden furniture that serves Nordic tea and Swedish desserts such as princess cake.
DrinkFlamed Caramel Cappuccino
TipTake Line 5 to Lama Temple and leave by exit E; the Swedish tea and the princess cake are the two orders the Lost Plate guide names.
Cafe by Alba at 70 Gulou Dongdajie in Beijing has a large rooftop above the hutongs, with signature coffees, cocktails and cakes served until 20:00 every day.
DrinkSignature coffees and cocktails
TipThe rooftop looks out over the hutongs below, and the cafe shuts at 20:00, so it suits a late-afternoon coffee more than an evening cocktail.
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.
BrewsWhole bean retail
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.
Tangled, a sister bar of the uh-huh wine bistro near Beixinqiao in Beijing, pours wine, beer and cocktails alongside handmade pasta at 20 Banqiao Nanxiang.
WineWine, beer and cocktails beside handmade pasta
FoodHandmade pasta, from a sister bar of uh-huh
TipThe Beijinger quotes the team's aim as good carbs, good drinks and good vibes; lunch runs to 14:00 and the evening session from 18:00 to midnight.
DIO'S WINE ROOF is a wine bar on the second floor at 65 Wudaoying Hutong in Beijing, open every day from 14:00 until 02:00 with a spend near ¥69 a head.
TipCtrip lists a spend of about ¥69 a head and a 14:00 opening, so it works as an early-afternoon glass; the bar is on the second floor of 65 Wudaoying Hutong.
Modernista on Baochao Hutong in Beijing is a retro European bar with a black-and-white ballroom floor and a stage, with live music usually from 21:30.
DrinkThe Modernista cocktail and the tropical Save the Elephants
FoodSpanish bites such as marinated olives and a toast platter
TipCome early to get a seat at the bar, because live music usually starts at 21:30.
Tiki Bungalow & Cocktail Bar on Fangjia Hutong in Beijing serves Mai Tais, Zombies and a Volcano Bowl, and the Beijinger calls it the city's first Tiki bar.
DrinkThe Volcano Bowl, a sharing cocktail
TipThe entrance is down a small corridor behind the building to the left of Peiping Machine, so look for that brewpub first.
The Factory on Gulou Dongdajie in Beijing keeps a hidden rooftop with a pub-garden feel, rotating draught beers and cask ale events, open until 02:00.
DrinkRotating draught beers, with cask ale events run with Oak & Iron
FoodEnglish pies on the menu and Jamaican meals at the Reggae Factory rooftop nights
TipDoors open at 16:00 on weekdays and 14:00 at weekends, so weekends suit a daylight rooftop beer; check the cask ale events before you go.
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.
TryChaogan, 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.
Great Leap Brewing's Original #6 is the founding taproom on Doujiao Hutong in Beijing, pouring banana wheat and chrysanthemum beer, with brewing now off site.
TipLost Plate lists a happy hour from 16:00 to 19:00 on labelled beers; the taproom is the original shop, with the brewing done elsewhere.
Dongdan Market on Hepingli West Street is a rebuilt Dongcheng produce market in Beijing with farm-direct vegetables, a pastry counter and sesame paste.
Xian Lao Man on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing is a dumpling house serving mackerel and chive dumplings, fried starch sausage and Beijing home dishes.
TryMackerel and chive dumplings, with fried starch sausage
TipPair the dumplings with a Beijing side such as Qianlong cabbage, madoufu (fermented mung bean curd) or gedatang soup, all on Ctrip's list.
Beisantiao Hutong Noodles near Yonghegong in Beijing serves dalumian, noodles under thick gravy, with almond jelly and fried starch sausage on the side.
TryEggplant 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.
Xiaoli Roubing on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing, by Chengxian Street, is a meat pie shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, open daily 10:00 to 22:00.
TryRoubing, Beijing meat pies
TipOpen daily 10:00-22:00 with no midday break, so a late lunch or early dinner works at the Chengxian Street branch near Andingmen.
Chongqing Laojie Xiaomian on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing is a Chongqing noodle shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, open daily from 10:00 to 21:30.
TryChongqing xiaomian, small bowls of spicy noodles
TipOpen daily 10:00-21:30 with no midday break, so an off-peak lunch or early dinner suits the Andingmen branch at 103 Andingmen Inner Street.
Cafe Zarah on Gulou East Street in Beijing has a courtyard and runs themed Sunday brunches from 10:00 to 14:00, plus an all-day brunch menu on other days.
OrderA table in the glass-roofed courtyard, with the all-day brunch menu or the pasta.
TipIts events page lists themed Sunday brunches from 10:00 to 14:00; in spring and autumn the courtyard seats are the ones to take.
School Bar at 53 Wudaoying Hutong in Beijing is an underground rock live-music bar hidden in the hutong, with bands playing on almost every night.
OrderA live rock set, then wheat craft beer or the Kansas sausage, the two items BiteEscape's 2026 guide suggests.
TipBiteEscape's guide lists opening hours of 20:00 to 00:00 and bands on almost every night; it calls the entrance hidden, so allow time to find number 53.
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