New Beijing Bars & Restaurants: October 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 October 2016 issue.

Restaurants

Slow Boat Sanlitun Brewpub

For years, Slow Boat has kept churning out some of the best beer in the city. And its small hutong taproom is packed with fans just about every night of the week. But if the Slow Boat crew were being humble, then it must have been saving the pomp for the opening of its new location: Slow Boat Sanlitun Brewpub. Spread over three floors, the new taproom stretches along Nan Sanlitun Lu – the same road where the mega-huge Topwin Center and InterContinental Hotel just opened. We cannot overstate how big this place is. It has to be at least five times larger than the Dongsi original. Beer aside, we love the new Lao Thai Thai burger (RMB75) – a juicy patty dripping with peanut sauce; and the Beijing Burger (RMB70), which features peanut butter and Sriracha.

Sun-Thu, 11am-midnight. 6 Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区南三里屯路6号 (6592 5388)

Azur

Mauro Colagreco is one big fucking deal. Among other prestigious positions, he’s a judge on Top Chef Italy. His Menton, France restaurant Mirazur has two Michelin stars). In the rankings we personally consider more important, his Bund-side restaurant Unico won Best Latin American in That’s Shanghai’s 2015 Food and Drink Awards. And now, he’s brought his culinary prowess to Haidian. Azur’s menu encapsulates the Mediterranean flavors that influence Mirazur, Colagreco’s lauded original. Splurge on the RMB988 for the seven-course signature menu (Michelin stars don’t come cheap) or the four-course lunch – fresh oysters, Champagne, tender squid and some of the best desserts in Beijing (do not leave Azur without sampling the osmanthus-tinged creme brulee with salted caramel ice cream).

Mon-Fri, 11.30am-2pm and 5.30-10pm; Sat-Sun, 11.30am-3pm and 5.30-10pm. 1/F Shangri-La Hotel Beijing, 29 Zizhuyuan Lu, Haidian 海淀区紫竹院路29号香格里拉饭店 (6841 2211)

Jindingxuan Vegetarian Restaurant

That’s right, Jindingxuan, the popular dim sum chain, has opened a vegetarian branch in the city’s CBD. Unlike its ostentatious Andingmen counterpart, the vegetarian version is housed in the second story of a rather pedestrian building in Jianwai SOHO. Also unlike its more famous sister restaurant, it’s not open 24 hours. But the portions are generous, the quality good and the prices surprisingly low – especially when compared with other vegetarian restaurants in Beijing. 

Daily, 7.30am-10pm. Block A, Jianwai SOHO East Section, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang 朝阳区东三环中路39号建外SOHO东区A座 (5900 9823)

The (New) English Tearoom

The first of Beijing’s English Tearooms opened in 2012, but this new branch launched quietly this summer. Found just a few blocks away from the some of the city’s biggest international schools, the English Tearoom is undoubtedly family friendly. It is also lunch. The British comfort-food menu offers something for everyone. And yes, the English Tearoom serves more than just tea. We opt for Americanos (sorry) and lattes before diving into our classic burger (RMB88) and one of the best renditions of fish and chips (RMB98) we’ve tried in the city. For adventurous appetites, the large portion fish and chips is a real whopper: 400g of battered fish for your wolfing pleasure.

Daily, 10am-9.30pm. 101, Bldg 10, North Complex, Shine Hills, Yard 9, Antai Dajie, Shunyi 安泰大街9号院中粮祥云小镇北区10号楼101 (8047 9661)

Tiger Pancake House

The pancake gods have answered our prayers with the opening of Tiger Pancake House in Shuangjing. A tribute to the great pancake houses found across the US, Tiger offers American-inspired fare in American sizes (i.e. extra large). Here, pancakes are the star of the show. Flashy and loaded with toppings, they do not disappoint. Fluffy flapjacks are drizzled with rich sauces, ice cream, fresh fruit and nuts. But for those who aren’t into pancakes (sacrilege!), Tiger Pancake House offers plenty else – we opt for the Metropolitan Breakfast (RMB58), Classic Burger (RMB68) and Chicken Fajita Omelette (RMB45). And lest we forget where we are, the breakfast and fajita dishes also include pancakes on the side.

Daily, 9.30am-11.30pm. 24 Guanghua Beiyi Jie, 105 Shuanghuayuan Nanli San Qu 朝阳区光华北一街双花园南里三区24号楼105 (6770 5882)

Bars

Sidd Finch's Pub

Qianmen is an area traditionally devoid of pubs, but nonetheless full of would-be drinkers – backpackers, who are lured to the area’s hostels by the prospect of staying near the Forbidden City that they’ve come to visit. The bar hopes to cater to this crowd with its friendly English-speaking staff, generous drink deals and a white board denoting shots taken per country (or, rather, by visitors representing their home countries). Opening a bar outside the established drinking zones of Sanlitun and Gulou may seem like a gamble. But when its ultimate goal – giving travelers a warm welcome to our city – is so helpful, we can only hope the bet pays off.

Daily, 4pm-late. 33 Meishi Jie, Qianmen, Xicheng 西城区前门煤市街33号 (6313 2369)

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