Beijing's Best Restaurants to Impress, Whatever the Occasion
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As Beijingers, we eat out a lot but there are some occasions when your regular haunts just won't cut it. Maybe it's your anniversary or maybe you've got clients in town but one thing's for sure: you need to impress.
Of course, you can go to any high-end restaurant and drop a chunk of change to impress someone but for this article, we have endeavored to find places that are unique, not just fancy, and won’t require you to take out a bank loan in order to afford them.
What better way to
impress those important clients than with a sweeping view of Beijing's
most iconic building? Migas Mercado offers just that, in a convenient
location in the heart of the CBD, alongside a menu of modern Spanish
cuisine and tasty cocktails (if you're looking to entertain with drinks,
too). The set lunch menu is particularly business friendly and is easy
on the corporate credit card at RMB 118 for two courses. Picking a
restaurant that is formal but not too formal to entertain clients can be
a challenge but Migas Mercado strikes a good balance (the background
music isn't too loud either, a pet peeve of ours).
Daily 11.30am-late
7/F, China World Mall North Zone, 1 Jianguomen Waidajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸商城北区7层
(010) 6500 7579
It can be hard to
figure out how formal to go on a first date but luckily Hulu hits right
in the middle, with sharable food with a few fancy twists here and there
and staff that are attentive but don't hover awkwardly. Our only caveat
would be that the lighting is perhaps a touch too bright to be date-friendly but the recently re-opened terrace could be a great
alternative.
Daily 11am-11pm
S4-32, 3/F, Taikooli, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路太古里南区3层S4-32
(010) 6512 5701
Its location alone
would be enough to make TRB Forbidden City an impressive venue but like
all of the TRB Group's ventures, the food, service, and wine list are
all exceptional too, adding up to one of Beijing's finest dining spots.
It's not cheap (quality usually isn't) but the set lunch and brunch
menus offer good value. If you book ahead and mention it's a special
occasion, they will often go out of their way to do something special for
you, too.
Lunch Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm, brunch Sat-Sun 11.30am-3pm, dinner 5.30-10pm
95 Donghuamen Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东华门大街95好
(010) 6401 6676
Old Beijing hands
will probably roll their eyes at this one but there is just something
impressive about the scale and slickness of the Haidilao operation that
never fails to impress, particularly if you're new to China. On top of
that, you can order to your heart's content and rarely come away
spending much more than RMB 150 (not to mention getting a free dance
show if you order the noodles). All of the more than 30 stores in
Beijing are equally competent but we have a soft spot for the Wangfujing
branch.
9am-7am
3/F, In88 Shopping Center, 88 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街王府井银泰In88 3层
(010) 5762 0741
Hua's flagship
location near Beixinqiao is like a checklist for visitors: Peking duck?
Check. Cute hutong courtyard location? Check. Traditional music in the
background? Check. Their duck isn't necessarily the best in town but it
is a competent rendition (served with batons of hawthorn jelly alongside
the traditional accompaniments) and sits on a menu packed with other
popular local dishes such as boiled crayfish.
Daily 10.30am-4am
235 Dongzhimen Neidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东直门内大街235号
(010) 5128 3315
With its tome-like
menu, Blossom Vegetarian will have your guests redefining their
expectations of vegetarian cuisine. Not every dish here is successful,
particularly the ones featuring mock meat (although that in itself can
be impressive for a first-time diner - the smoked salmon in that picture
above is anything but, for example), but those that are, such as the
tofu with toon sprouts or braised chestnuts with lion's head mushrooms,
really knock it out of the park. The upscale decor is a nice touch, too.
Daily 11am-9pm
144 Dongzhimen Neidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东直门内大街144号
(010) 6401 2228
READ: Beijing's Best Restaurants for Visitors and Tourists
Photos: Pixabay, Migas Mercado, Robynne Tindall, Wikimedia, TRB, Ken Liu, Dazhong Dianping
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