New Beijing Bars & Restaurants: August 2016
There are so many new bars and restaurants opening up in Beijing every month that sometimes even we find it difficult to keep up. Need a refresher? Here's a roundup of all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our August 2016 issue.
Restaurants
Long Xiao Bao
We’ve had many, varied noodle soups in Beijing. And still, Long Xiao Bao adds something new to the pot. Long Xiao Bao takes China’s most aggressive gastronomic tradition and fits it into aesthetically pleasing wooden bowls, pairing its broth with mild, rubbery rice noodles. Visitors to the shop can select dry or soup noodles (RMB19-39), and then choose additional toppings. We love the soft egg dumpling (an additional RMB5) atop ours. And we strongly recommend adding extra scallions, which serve as delightful oases of cooling flavor. Read our full review here.
Building A, Sanlitun SOHO, Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯SOHO写字楼A座出口旁(5785 3096)
Yi Jia Ren
As far as hot pot restaurants go, Yi Jia Ren is a welcome change of pace – at least from the chaos and subsequent gastrointestinal issues that is the Haidilao hot pot experience. Or the Gui Jie hot pot experience, for that matter. Put simply, few hot pot spots exude the hospitality and comfort of Yi Jia Ren. It is a great place to go if you want to boil your own meat without the clamor or confusion. Read our full review here.
3/F, China View, Bldg 3, 2 Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang 朝阳区工体东路2号中国红街大厦3号楼3层(6777 7456)
Dog House
If being “in the dog house” is an English-language idiom that roughly equates to “you’re in trouble,” then what does “the Dog House is in Beijing” mean? It means hot dogs. The Shanghai chain’s first Beijing shop serves novelty dogs such as the Sichuan Dog (RMB45, topped with crispy pepper flakes) and the Philly Dog (RMB45, smothered in Philly cheese steak cheese). Both delicious.
103B, Tower 14, Central Park, 6 Chaowai Dajie, Chaoyang 朝阳区朝外大街6号新城国际14号楼103B(6500 2067)
Artemis
Sanlitun is hip cafe central. But Artemis takes hip to new heights with its cafe-within-a-design shop concept. The Taikooli store sells arty objects and designer notepads alongside pastries, drinks and a really rad raspberry and mint ice tea (RMB28). Snack prices are low, but we dare you to buy only edibles.
S6-11A Taikoo Li Sanlitun South, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯太古里南 S6-11A (6416 5126)
Charlie Chaplin 2
Charlie Chaplin has opened a second location a 15-minute walk from its first. This one screams faux-prohibition era speakeasy just as much as the first (velvet chairs everywhere) – but adds one crucial thing: a lengthy menu. The decor borders on cheesy, but we don’t mind when the drinks are this good. We love the house special Charlie Chaplin and the Rose Old Fashioned (both RMB80).
18 Xinzhong Lu, Dongcheng 东城区新中街18号 (185 1848 9818)
Dubujib
The Grand Summit is shaping up to be a veritable cornucopia of quality, good-value eats. The latest is Dubujib – and no, we can’t pronounce the name either. Crowds form daily at lunch for its biggest seller – a gently spicy seafood-and-tofu soup – but also for its hot bowls of bibimbap and perfectly cooked beef bulgogi. It’s a quick lunch spot, sure – but that doesn’t mean it’s low quality. Expect to fill up your belly for under RMB100.
B111, The Grand Summit, 19 Dongfang Donglu, Chaoyang 朝阳区东方东路19号官舍南区B111 (8531 5102)
Café FLO
Café FLO isn’t a grab-and-go sandwich joint (although you can take away yogurts and pastries at the shop counter); nor is it a stuffy dinnertime affair. It’s quality, hearty French food and swift service, but in relaxing, charming environs. It’s also a place with a lot of wine. Nothing makes more sense in Beijing’s pleasure capital, Sanlitun. Read our full review here.
S6-33 Taikoo Li, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路19号院6号楼三层S6-33单元 (6409 4224)
The Woods Café
The cafe is newly opened, and also quite literally open, with an inviting deli counter facing the public thoroughfare and tables set on an exposed island in the middle of the ground floor. The set-up is welcoming and is particularly great for busy shoppers and businesspeople. Meanwhile, the menu is simple and well-executed (salads and sandwiches), with a twist. The ‘signature sandwiches’ are served on homemade ‘Dutch crunch’ bread. We love The Californian (RMB45), filled with tender chicken and soft mango chunks, and complemented by homemade smoky Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. Read our full review here.
Seasons Place, 1/F, 2 Jinchengfang Jie, Xicheng 西城区金城坊街2号金融街购物中心二期1层 (6622 0988)
Ke Cong He Chu Lai
There is an epidemic in Beijing – hell, in China; hell, in the world – of services created specifically for their social media shareability. People love taking photos of pretty things, and restaurants love when those people share their photos online. Ke Cong is very worthy of your photographs. All this sleek design, ultimately, is why we dub Ke Cong a Place Worth Checking Out. It is also why the food comes as a second thought. Read our full review here.
26 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路北小区北26号楼 (5701 2155)
Bars
No.9 Beer
No.9 Beer is that kid at school who hits puberty early and develops long, uncoordinated limbs: It’s so big that it doesn’t know what to do with itself. And this gargantuan new beer fortress is, simultaneously, another playground pariah: the kid who tries too hard. Read our full review here.
9 Dongzhimen Nei Dajie, Dongcheng 东城区东直门内大街9号 (6401 9799)
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