Beijing
Beijing's food culture is one of China's richest. From Peking duck at a famous roastery to jianbing from a street cart — eating in Beijing is one of the trip's highlights.
Peking duck is Beijing's most famous dish — whole duck roasted in a closed oven until the skin is lacquered and crisp. It is served with thin pancakes, spring onion, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. Quanjude and Dadong are the famous chains; Da Dong is generally preferred for quality. Book ahead for dinner, or go for lunch to avoid the longest queues.
Wangfujing Snack Street is the famous (and tourist-oriented) street food strip near Tiananmen — worth a walk for the spectacle. For more authentic street food, explore the hutongs in the Drum Tower and Gulou areas. Look for jianbing (savoury crepes), baozi (steamed buns), zhajiangmian (noodles with fermented bean paste), and lu zhu huo shao (offal and sesame bread).
Sanlitun is Beijing's most international dining district — dozens of cuisines, reliable English menus, and a buzzy atmosphere. Gulou (Drum Tower area) has the best local restaurant scene with more character and authenticity. Houhai lakeside has a scenic setting for a meal or drink in the evening, though quality can be inconsistent.
Beijing's restaurants are well-suited to visitors using Google Translate's camera function for menus. Many restaurants near major tourist sites have picture menus or English menus available. The most efficient approach: search 'restaurants near me' in Amap, filter by rating, and look for places with photo reviews — these tell you exactly what each dish looks like.
Explore Beijing
Where you stay in Beijing determines how easily you can reach the best eating areas each day.