New Beijing Bars & Restaurants: July 2017
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 July 2017 issue (out now).
Big Bear & Rukis
You probably know either Big Bear or RuKis, if not both. The expat bakers have been selling their popular cookies (Big Bear) and Estonian rye bread (RuKis) in Beijing for some time now. Now the two have taken over the space left behind by The Meatball Company and are operating a bakery-plus-cafe-plus-bodega-for-expat-food-products (think Naked Nut Butters, Mantra Bars). Are you a Gulou-based kid or self-described ‘hutong hipster’? Then visiting this place is mandatory.
27 Dashibei Hutong, Xicheng 西城区大石碑胡同27号
Singapore Seafood
There’s
much more to Singapore Seafood, which recently opened a second branch
in Guomao’s China World Mall (the new one), than, well, seafood. Taking a
cue from the Republic it’s named after, Singapore Seafood offers a
range of dishes inspired by different cultures. Think Hainan chicken and
Mi goreng. Meanwhile, the chili crab is given a special touch with a
tomato and nut base. A standout snack – and unique to Singapore Seafood,
we’re told – is the egg-yolk coated crispy fish skin. Think Asian
desserts are boring? Singapore Seafood's lush gingko and yam paste
dessert will prove you wrong (and have you scraping the paste from the
coconut. No regrets). The new location, while flash, has a pretty
relaxed atmosphere (especially compared to its Parkview Green
counterpart) – a nod to Singapore’s bustling street hawker markets.
NL4010, China World Mall North Building, 1 Jianguomen Waidajie, Chaoyang 朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸商城北区NL4010 (8595 0251)
Lotus
Lotus
is yet another welcome addition to the new China World Mall’s seemingly
endless collection of places to eat and drink. Tucked away in the
farthest corner of the fourth floor, this tranquil little restaurant
serves up what we argue is some of Beijing’s most quality Chinese
vegetarian fare. Think fine dining presentations, decent portions and
surprisingly reasonable prices – especially compared to some of the
capital’s more well-known vegetarian restaurants like Pure Lotus and
King’s Joy. At Lotus, dishes range from pricey mushroom-based
concoctions (RMB80-165) to more wallet-friendly options which run the
gamut from thick, spicy noodles (RMB32) to almost-convincing renditions
of spare ribs (RMB56).
4th Floor China World Mall, Chaoyang 朝阳区国贸商城北区四层
Bad Farmers And Our Bakery
Bad
Farmers and Our Bakery claims it will “save your life.” Health experts
we are not, but the cafe’s salads (RMB62-79) and juices seem pretty
nutritious. They’re also damn tasty and very
’grammable, and that’s
the most important thing – right guys? Speciality coffee (RMB24-26) and
freshly made pastries round up the bakery. Originally from South Korea,
the spot is an attractive and unpretentious addition to Beijing’s
healthy food scene.
Daily, 10am-10pm; N8, Taikoo Li North, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯太古里北区N8楼一层 (8447 2821)
Zhang Mama (Sanlitun)
Nothing
says success – or, perhaps, excess – like Sanlitun. And so, taking its
cue from other hutong establishments before it – ahem, Mr. Shi’s
Dumplings – everybody’s favorite Sichuan restaurant, Zhang Mama, has
opened a new branch on the north stretch of Sanlitun Lu. Unlike the
other, more humble, Zhang Mama locations, the Sanlitun branch has a menu
with English translations, plush private rooms and wine bottles. It's
decked out with Picasso-inspired murals and floor-to-ceiling mirrors,
even the bathrooms are extra. We question if this is really Zhang Mama.
One bite of brilliant, numbing boboji confirms it is. The food itself
looks and tastes the same, and the prices seem pretty similar too. Yet
we still can’t shake the feeling that everything has changed. Don’t get
us wrong, the new location is very attractive in a generic sense, but
maybe we like eating in a too-crowded space sans trendy lighting
fixtures. Read our full review.
7 Sanlitun Lu Jia, Chaoyang (opposite the Belgium Embassy) 朝阳区三里屯路甲7号 (比利时大使馆对面) (5624 1717)
Rosés Clouds
Rosés Clouds is a notable addition to Wangfujing. Rosés Clouds is filled with pleasing minimalist furniture, 10-plus taps of craft beer and well-heeled patrons from across the city. Our favorite thing about Rosés Clouds is the atmosphere – beautiful black-and-white clouds wallpapering the interior, pleasant terraces on the exterior. A long bar inside serves coffee and cold-pressed juices (also a trend that’s made it big). But Rosés Clouds appears to be most popular as a lunch spot. The menu is extensive, featuring cold cuts, salads, burgers, steaks and the obligatory German-sausage plate. We find the pastas most gratifying – in particular a creamy alfredo fettuccine with salmon and dill. A sweet potato and beef salad is also a hit, especially suitable for those looking for light bites. But with coffee, meals and beers, Rosés Clouds works anytime of day. And it’s definitely cooler than a Wangfujing mall. Read our full review.
11-15 PW3 Building, Beijing Oriental Plaza, 1 Dong Chang’an Jie, Dongcheng 东城区东长安街1号北京东方广场东方新天地商场平台层PW3号店铺11-15 (5607 5290)
Klerm
Located
in the space once occupied by Chiang Mai-style restaurant Cacha Cacha,
Klerm has a lot in common with its predecessor – which makes sense
considering half of the management team is the same. Like Cacha Cacha,
Klerm eschews the traditional Thai aesthetic for a more ostentatiously
hip look. We love the green curry with chicken (RMB78), the papaya salad
(RMB57) and the Thai tea (RMB34). But what does 'klerm' mean? Despite
sounding like the name of a cleaning product, we’re told on good
authority (i.e. the restaurant owner and another Thai friend) that the
word ‘klerm’ actually describes the happy feeling one has after ‘getting
high.’ Indeed. Read our full review.
NLG45, Taikoo Li North, Sanlitun, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯太古里北区NLG45 (8440 2101)
Hakata Itika
Located
in Wangfujing's Oriental Plaza mall, Hakata Itika is a one-of-a-kind
high-tech ramen joint. That’s right – in authentic Japanese fashion,
Hakata Itika features both touch screens and soupy noodles. Customers
order off the high-tech menus up front and then sit in what is
essentially a cubicle for noodle-eaters. As for the noods, they are
authentic and delicious. And plenty of flavorful add-ons are offered as
well. The touch-screen menu allows diners to customize the texture of
the noodles to their liking, from soft to hard to whatever in between.
The ramen (RMB42-56) is presented as it should be: swimming in
bone-soaked broth, with bok choy and egg included. Read our full review.
11-15 PW3 Building, Beijing Oriental Plaza, 1 Dong Chang’an Jie, Dongcheng 东城区东长安街1号北京东方广场东方新天地商场平台层PW3号店铺11-15 (5607 5290)
Sproutworks
From
our first Lululemon store to what seems like our millionth high-tech
gym, China’s health craze has officially arrived in Beijing. It’s
fitting, then, that the popular Shanghai-based food chain Sproutworks
has finally made its way to the capital. Sproutworks’ first Beijing
location is tucked away in a corner of the new China World Mall. The
restaurant is simple. There’s no trendy dishware or black-tied waiters.
Instead, the food is served buffet style on black plastic trays. We
choose from a revolving menu of Chinese- and Western-inspired dishes,
including soups (RMB25), salads (RMB30-50) and panini sandwiches
(RMB45), as well as an extensive selection of hot and cold sides. The
refreshingly affordable lunch specials are sure to please the working
crowd. Read our full review here.
NL4022 4/F, North Building, China World Mall, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang 朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸商城北区4楼NL4022 (8595 0278)
Legend Beer (Dongzhimen)
‘Peace
and quiet’ is an overrated concept. At least that’s what Legend Beer
might have you believe. The brewery, whose first location is a sprawling
behemoth in the midst of Gongti club land, has opened another location
along Dongzhimen Wai Dajie, one of Beijing’s most bustling roads. An
eight-lane street meets a six-lane highway at the site of this new
outdoor bar. Stand outside or pull up a wooden stool on the sidewalk –
then order a pint. Read our full review.
1 Xinzhong Jie Jia, Dongzhimen Wai Dajie, Dongcheng 东城区东直门外新中街甲1号
Mai Fresh
A
new group of casual hutong folk are trying their hand at casual hutong
brunches. Mai Fresh is the newborn baby of hutong cocktail institution
Mai Bar, and is just a quick drunken stumble away from its ancestral
homeland along Beiluoguxiang. Mai Fresh has a beautiful terrace
overlooking sloping hutong roofs and the bulldozers currently knocking
them over. Dishes are perfect for sharing, and reasonably-priced egg
plates make for budget-friendly brunching. A filet (RMB138) and oysters
(RMB30 each) and bubbles are available if you’re in the mood for a
splurge. Mai Fresh’s drink game is strong – heady cocktails lightened up
with day-drinking in mind. Get a spritz (RMB60) or seven – if you’re a
hutong hipster, you were going to anyway. Read our full review here.
44 Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng 北锣鼓巷44号门外大街1号国贸商城北区NL7005 (8595 9597)
Beersmith Gastropub
A
brewery in the CBD is just like a brewery anywhere else, but more
CBD-esque. There are tasting flights and vats of beer. Ales are Indian
and pale – but unlike at other Beijing breweries, the patrons in this
District look like they just finished some very Central Business.
Atmosphere aside the beer here is good. Beersmith is a laudable, if more
buttoned-up, addition to Beijing’s ever-expanding craft brew scene,
with its excellent beers all made by Great Leap alum Tom Ashton. The IPA
(RMB58) is worth traveling across town for. The Pilsner (RMB48) goes
down like a silky, sexy keytar solo. And the crisp dry-hopped cider
(RMB60) uses Shandong apples. A Wagyu beef burger (RMB88) is all kinds
of mouth-melty and the beer-battered French fries (RMB48) are heavenly
little crunch-bullets. Read our full review here.
1/F Hotel Jen Beijing, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang 朝阳区建国门外大街1号 (6505 2277)
For more Beijing bar and restaurant news, click "Read more" below.