Wudaokou area guide: The best places to eat, shop and party
Head to Beijing's university district for cheap restaurants, markets and bars
Wudaokou is not the unsavoury student rat nest legend would have you believe. Though the fake alcohol trade continues to thrive, today's Wudaokou brims with terrific finds and boasts the cheapest markets, restaurants and bars for miles. Check out our guide for all the best places to go.
Dotcom Coffee
Housed in the eponymous Dotcom Space, Dotcom Coffee is a fairly bustling habitat in which to set down for a few hours, and over a capacious ground floor and two mezzanine levels, there are all sorts of nooks to get sh*t done in. The space makes all the aesthetic nods du jour, selling Georg Jensen homeware and buzzing with the air of a coworking space. The coffee's good too – we back their espresso poured over milk, the Hug (30RMB) – but how about the mantra? 'Not just coffee', and with 3D printing and actual robot waitstaff, they're not joking.
Maan Coffee
Reliable Beijing café chain Maan Coffee's Wudaokou branch makes for an equally reliable place to hunker down and study. Whether you need a long wooden table to spread out or a two-seater to catch up with a friend, you'll find it at this sunny, two-storey café. Coffee starts from roughly 19RMB, while food options are exclusively Western, such as BLTs (35RMB) and waffles (52RMB).
Ricci Café
The prices at this sleek café aren't too student-friendly, with complete meals averaging around 100RMB per person. But it cosies up to its clientele well, with bulletin boards packed with posts and classes to sign-up for. Service is assured and competent, and the cosy interiors and WiFi make this the perfect hideout. Find plenty of solid brunch options such as eggs Benedict, waffles and more.
With Wheat
Another reliable Beijing chain, follow your nose to the west side of Wudaokou's U-Center to find this cosy bakery. Teeming with fresh-out-of-the-oven baked goods, take your pick from a wide range of breads (about 25RMB), croissants (about 12RMB) and other delicious treats.
All Kill
We’re not sure about the rather hostile choice of restaurant name, but we are sure that this popular student hangout serves up a mean beer-and-bites offering. Located in the basement of the Tsinghua Tongfang Technology Plaza, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all that All Kill kills is lunchtime hunger pangs. But it’s actually better suited to evening revelry, with deliciously sleazy menu items like the chicken pieces slathered in chilli sauce and cheese (58RMB) and various platters of Korean fried chicken that simply demand a glass or five of ice-cold Cass to wash down that grease.
Chunlahao Chongqing Hot Pot
Settle into your own bamboo-surrounded enclave and dive into a bubbling pot of spicy hotpot at this cosy Chongqing joint. The signature yuanyang huoguo ( 鸳鸯火锅, hotpot split in two flavours) starts from 48RMB, but feel free to add in whatever your heart desires, such as tofu (26RMB), sole (48RMB) and beef (24RMB).
Date Cake King
One of the most iconic sites of Wudaokou is the corner-curling queue for the Date Cake King's date cake. As far as cakewalks go, this used to be a lengthy one, with queues previously taking about an hour. But since moving to its new location away from the scrum of Wudaokou station, punters can now expect to wait only a few minutes to be richly rewarded – which in this case, takes the form of 750g (that is your only option) of one of the most deliciously moist and steamy date cakes in the city. And how much for all that cake? 10RMB. That's how much. It's advertised as 10RMB for 500g with a bonus free 250g. Don't bother asking why, there's a steady line of people behind you.
Ganges Indian Restaurant
Wudaokou has its own branch of the city-wide Indian restaurant chain known for its signature all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. Though it's difficult to find quality Indian cuisine at an affordable price in Beijing, Ganges is a good option to satisfy your palak paneer cravings without breaking the bank.
Khan Baba
Image: Pille-Riin Priske via Unsplash
Solid Pakistani and Indian fare and the calmest of service mean Khan Baba makes for a solid alternative to its U-Center rival Ganges. Golden knick-knackery of the subcontinent enlivens an otherwise listless room, but forget looks; the main attraction here is the lunch buffet. The overwhelming spread of curry and friends is delicious and generally on plates before it gets cold.
Lush
An absolute stalwart of Wudaokou life, Lush provides early morning and late-night booze, food and entertainment for a clientele of mainly foreign students looking for a home away from home. The menu offers western breakfasts including pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs and fresh orange juice, and a lunch selection of hamburgers, salads and pizzas. Head on over every Wednesday night to take part in arguably one of the toughest pub quizzes in the city.
Mingdongbang
Another great Korean option – though frankly, it's Wudaokou and there are plenty of great Korean options – Mingdongbang serves up the sort of comforting, high-cal bites you want to gorge on when you've had a bit too much. Drunk food, in other words. Find dishes such as Korean fried chicken, cheesy ribs (you're literally dipping pork into a pool of melted cheese) and more.
Pyro Pizza
Don't expect much beyond the satisfaction of a craving and some cheap beers at this underground pizza joint. But do expect rowdy students, loud noise, general ruckus (including Thursday night beer pong), an all-you-can-eat lunch special, as well as soaring beer towers.
Tianchu Maioxiang
There’s always a buzz when you enter a fully packed dining room, and that's what Tianchu Miaoxiang is on most days. Located near the south gate of Tsinghua University (there’s also a second location in Chaowai SOHO), lunchtime sees a mix of students and dayworkers flock to this Wudaokou institution for hearty and low-fuss takes on authentic Chinese cuisine. Multitudes of mushrooms and bright green vegetables prove more than tempting on this ‘everything looks great’ menu, though mock meat also gets a look in with tasty renditions of sausage, goose and fish. Choosing is hard, but unusual dishes like tofu in coconut curry sauce are a welcome change if mock meat isn’t your thing.
Yummy Box Pizza
Image: Ted Barrera via Flickr
Yummy Box stands out from the pizza crowd by serving up Chicago-style deep dish, a rare find in Wudaokou, let alone Beijing. Happy hour runs from 8pm to midnight, with other slightly outrageous drink deals including buy three, get two free, and buy five, get three free. Bring plenty of thirsty mates.
Ai Beer Bar
On the fifth floor of a nondescript apartment block is an unexpected row of bars buzzing with life. Follow the hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses to the end of the hallway and find yourself in Ai Beer Bar. Take your pick from a wide selection of beers (from 30RMB) and cocktails (from 45RMB) while sitting round what feels like someone's living room. Be warned, a few drinks will most likely lead to the night culminating at Lion King KTV down the road.
Commune
Though located just a stone's throw from what was previously Windows, Commune is in no way its spiritual successor – which is probably for the best. Instead, find clean, polished wooden floors, leather-lined booths, walls lined with beer-filled refrigerators and more. A reliable haunt for beers and bar snacks.
Lion King KTV
The king (pun intended) of Wudaokou nightlife, countless nights out have ended at this sprawling palace of KTV wonders. Pick from multiple rooms and find songs in English, Chinese, Spanish and more.
Mojito
A well-loved Mexican establishment, Mojito (or is it now Mojar?) is your go-to place to satisfy your savoury nacho and taco cravings. At night, it transforms from a casual restaurant into a poppin’ bar with some great mojitos, hence the name, and many other various mixed drinks. If sitting down and drinking isn’t exciting enough for you, Mojito also has a pool table that's reliably crowded.
Propaganda + Dopamine + Sensation
Students come and students go, but long-running nightclubs Propaganda, Dopamine and Sensation endure thanks to their magical combination of cheap booze, booty-shaking hip-hop and packed dancefloors. Located along the same hedonistic Wudaokou strip, they're not exactly the most salubrious destinations, but if you’re looking to dance till the wee hours, as well as club-hop when the mood strikes, then this is the place to be.
Soju Bar
Located on the fifth floor, herein lies one of Wudaokou’s only soju bars that serves a wide array of soju flavours, from green apple to pomegranate. In addition to soju, they also have the obligatory beer towers (well, obligatory for Wudaokou, that is) and a fully functioning karaoke machine.
The Steps Bar
Head upstairs to find an array of Tex-Mex food to satisfy your junk food cravings. Enjoy 15RMB enchiladas every Tuesday and 15RMB burritos every Thursday.
WU Club
A fairly questionable subterranean den of student revelry, Wu Club frequently offers plenty of equably questionable drink deals. An institution, nonetheless.
BHG Lifestyle Market
This chain supermarket has it all, from fresh food to Western products and homewares. Prices here are higher than D-Mart, but shoppers will also find a larger range of goods.
D-Mart
Well known amongst international students thanks to its wide selection of foreign snacks and goods, shoppers can find everything from Nutella, Japanese sodas, foreign booze and more.
Miniso
Oh look, there's another Miniso. But with prices this low for what seem like high-street knockoffs, it's a great place for stationary, cosmetics, homeware, socks... Most things, really.
U-Center Mall
Not the edgiest shopping destination, but a no-brainer for locals. U-Center mall boasts six floors of shiny modern conveniences. Highlights include Uniqlo, an 'Apple' store (never can be sure), Little Miss Lingerie and the serviceable Ganges Indian Restaurant, as well as several department store floors.
M-Club
Through the juice store, up the stairs and past the hairdresser lurks Wudaokou's hidden board game bar. M-Club boasts stacks of board games, a top-notch foosball table, electric mahjong (whatever that means), a 16-bit console called Cool Guy and a shady poker room out back — altogether an oddball's paradise. Big bottles of Erdinger for 15RMB.
Tsinghua University Art Museum
Free for students, but only 20RMB for general admission, Tsinghua University’s renowned art museum is highly respected. Throughout the year, the museum features temporary art exhibitions for a slightly raised additional fee of 60RMB.
Tsinghua University Jinchun Garden
Tsinghua University is something of a temple in China. Locked in a quarrel with big brother Peking over which is the nation's most prestigious school of scholarship, there's no doubt about one thing: Tsinghua shades its neighbour (literally) with its impeccable gardens. A stroll around the enormous grounds is a must for visitors to Wudaokou. Stop at the lotus-filled Jinchun Lake, which is actually a moat that when crossed by an old stone bridge leads to a freaking island. This is your picnic spot. There's an impromptu old-man Chinese music ensemble every other day; dancing ladies from time-to-time, too.
Yuanmingyuan
颐园新居 via Wikimedia Commons
The Old Summer Palace, as Yuanmingyuan is known in English, is a great spot to ponder China’s imperial past, but minus the usual crowd of tourists. This 350-hectare complex once contained 800 palace buildings and was a seat of power during the Qing dynasty; controversially razed to the ground by Anglo-French forces in 1860, all that remains are the beautiful lakes and gardens with a smattering of ruins in the eastern section (called Changchunyuan). To the west is Fuhai Lake, where you can rent out a boat and admire the distant Fragrant Hills. In summer, the front section of the park, Qichunyuan, is packed with water lilies – and their Chinese admirers – though by October, the plants have faded and so too the crowds.
To check out our other area guides in Beijing, hit 'Read more' below.
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