Diao Yu Tai State Restaurant
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Haidian, Ganjiakou
Opulent dining on the vast grounds of the state guesthouse Imperial
Diao Yu Tai State Restaurant
Area: Ganjiakou (Outer W 2nd Ring Rd)
Haidian
2 Fucheng Rd, Diao Yu Tai State Guesthouse
+86(10)58592992
Shi
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Dongcheng, Donghuamen
Modern presentation of dishes with an imperial heritage; vintage rice wine collection Fusion, ImperialShi's head chef, John Hao, formally worked with the renowned Green T House.
"Individual guests of Shi can dine on a diagonal long table, where games, architectural books and design magazines are provided for entertainment, or use as well the table’s area along the glass windows in a more traditional solution with friends and family. In addition, spacious bed-like seating in the lounge bar area, divided by opaque curtains, offer the perfect ambiance for a late glass of wine or a drink while enjoying the music played by a guest DJ."
Try participating in their signature set dinner (500RMB) offered every Friday at 7pm. Reservation is required.
Sundays at 7pm, try “Discovering Rice Wine", a tasting dinner to discover four kinds of vintage Chinese wine (200RMB).
Shi
Area: Donghuamen (Outer E Forbidden City)
100006 Dongcheng
33 Qihelou St, The Emperor Hotel
Off of Beichizi St; 375m south of Wusi Street
+86(10)65236877
The Emperor Hotel: www.theemperor.com.cn
Beijing Palace
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Dongcheng, Chaoyangmen
Traditional Beijing dishes and rich imperial cuisine in an ornately furnished Ming-Qing Dynasty setting Beijing, Imperial
Beijing Palace
Area: Chaoyangmen (Inner E 2nd Ring Rd)
Dongcheng
130 Chaoyangmen Inner St
Daily 11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-9:30pm
+86(10)65236320
JE Mansion
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Chaoyang, Liulitun
Extravagant, traditionally styled restaurant and boutique hotel; used for high-end PR events, weddings, and other ritzy private functions Imperial
JE Mansion
Area: Liulitun (E 4th Ring Rd)
Chaoyang
South of Chaoyang Park; northwest of Honglingjin Bridge (E. 4th Ring)
+86(10)51398739
Fax: +86(10)65089995
www.china-je.com
Fang Shan
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Xicheng, S.E. Beihai
Imperial
Fang Shan
Area: S.E. Beihai (Outer NW Forbidden City)
Xicheng
1 Wenjin St, Bei Hai Park
Inside the east gate of Beihai Park
Daily 11:00am-1:30pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm
+86(10)64011889, +86(10)64011879, +86(10)64011889, +86(10)64042573
Fax: +86(10)64041184
www.fangshanfanzhuang.com...
Yuan Zhong Yuan Imperial Kitchen
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Chaoyang, S. Chaoyang Park
Elaborate Imperial-style dining in a restored, traditional palace courtyard Imperial
Yuan Zhong Yuan Imperial Kitchen
Area: S. Chaoyang Park (NE 4th Ring Rd)
Chaoyang
19 Chaoyang Park S. Rd, Prince Jun Hotel
Opposite Park Avenue Apts
+86(10)65855566
Family Li Imperial Cuisine
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Xicheng, S.W. Houhai
Imperial
Family Li Imperial Cuisine
Area: S.W. Houhai (Inner N 2nd Ring Rd)
Xicheng
11 Yangfang Hutong, Deshengmen Inner.St
Daily 4:30pm-10:00pm
+86(10)66180107
Red Capital Club
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Dongcheng, Dongsi
Famous courtyard setting serving the Great Helmsman's favorite dishes ImperialLocated down a Beijing hutong with plenty of character, the Red Capital Club has a great courtyard location. The classic limousine parked out front, the many old photos, and other items (Mao's spittoons, for example) help give a good sense of the history of the place.
The menu is long and might be considered by some to be a bit overkill. If you don't read Chinese, it's a bit time-consuming to figure out what's in each dish, as the English descriptions are rather long-winded, yet well-translated.
None of the dishes knocked my socks off. The Chairman's Tofu(78RMB) would have been better served hot and without processed lunch meat. The Dream of the Red Chamber Eggplant(92RMB) was alright, but it seemed like it was trying too hard. The numerous flavors didn't really get the harmony right. No complaints on either the spring rolls or the Genghis Khan Beef(118RMB), though.
A great place to impress out-of-town visitors. (April '08)
Red Capital Club
Area: Dongsi (Inner E 2nd Ring Rd)
Dongcheng
66 Dongsi 9th Alley
Look for the classic limousine (sometimes under cover) parked outside
Daily 11:00am-midnight
+86(10)64027150, +86(10)84018886
www.redcapitalclub.com.cn
Bai Family Mansion
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Haidian, Zhongguancun
Elaborate imperial courtyard and garden; great for entertaining guests ImperialBai Family Mansion would probably be frequented by Westerners more often if it wasn’t located in the far northwest of the city. And if it was frequented by more Westerners, it would probably get around to publishing an English menu. For a restaurant so explicitly set up for entertaining visitors, one would assume putting the time into publishing an English menu would be a prudent investment. Even Chinese diners may find ordering somewhat difficult as the names for many dishes are of the traditional, imperial origin that relies more on linguistic aesthetics than describing what’s actually in the dish. Those looking to cheat by pointing at pictures in the menu won’t go hungry, but you’ll only be able to choose from a very small portion of the multitude of dishes on offer. Menu issues aside, Bai Family Mansion is setup quite well to entertain. The expansive courtyard housing the restaurant is quite beautiful anytime of the year, and during the warmer months there is plenty of lovely outdoor seating throughout the garden. Arriving for dinner, staff dressed in Ming Dynasty attire greet guests at the entrance and escort them with a lamp down the long entrance corridor and into the courtyard. Diners in the main hall enjoy an hour-long variety show of traditional Chinese dancing, Peking Opera, mask-changing (from Sichuan Opera), and other acts starting from 7:00PM every evening.
Prices range dramatically on the menu, meaning that while the thrifty can have a relatively inexpensive meal, it’s also easy to spend a large sum of money on Chinese delicacies. If you don’t understand the menu and rely too much on suggestions from your server, you could absentmindedly agree to a 388RMB pot of tea or a 1,280RMB plate of abalone (二头干鲍鱼鲜蘑) and end up surprised by an astronomically high bill at the end of your meal. Cold dishes range from 18RMB-128RMB with the majority of them costing a reasonable 28-38RMB. Imperial dishes range from Nongzhi Yugu fish (浓汁鱼骨) at 58RMB up to the travesty of ethics that is the Imperial-style sharkfin (康熙御用翅) at 1,680RMB a plate. Bai Family specialities range from goose feet (鹅掌) at 88RMB all the way up to 2,680RMB for the house-specialty venison (白府益寿鹿脍). If guests stay away from the most expensive delicacies, expect the total bill to come in at about 250RMB/person including an 8% service charge. Curiously, the service charge can be easily avoided, as long as you order drinks from the restaurant. Order a beer (from 15RMB/bottle), and the service charge is waived.
On my visit, our party of all vegetarians got off on the cheap, the total bill coming to only 95RMB/person. While I’m really not a big fan of imperial food, this is some of the better imperial food you can find in Beijing. We tried the flower salad (28RMB), as recommended by Native user NotANative’s comment below, and it was indeed one of the better dishes. The stuffed tofu (36RMB), recommended by our waitress when we asked for vegetarian dishes, was actually stuffed with meat. The white lily and celery dish (40RMB) was nice and light, but almost too light, lacking any real substance. Meat eaters will no doubt have a better time with the menu.
The beautiful layout of the courtyard, the Chinese cultural performances, the extravagant costumes worn by all the staff, and the elaborate Imperial dishes make Bai Family Mansion a very reliable destination for entertaining guests. If you pair the restaurant with a trip to the Summer Palace, the location doesn’t seem all that far away if you’re one of the majority of foreigners living on the east side of the city. Just make sure you are up for the challenge of ordering your meal. (Feb ’09)
Bai Family Mansion
Area: Zhongguancun (Inner NW 4th Ring Rd)
Haidian
15 Suzhou St
Western end of Danleng Street
Daily 10:00am-9:30pm
+86(10)62658851, +86(10)62654186
The Chinese Restaurant
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Haidian, Summer Palace
The Aman at Summer Palace's Chinese courtyard restaurant Cantonese, Imperial, Roast Duck
From the vendor:
The Chinese Restaurant serves Peking duck and several imperial dishes, along with traditional Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant consists of nine different rooms; three large rooms for the public and six intimate rooms for private dining. The Chinese Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.
The Chinese Restaurant
Area: Summer Palace (Outer NW 4th Ring Rd)
100091 Haidian
15 Gongmenqian St, Aman at Summer Palace
Just northeast of the main (east) gate of the Summer Palace
+86(10)59879999
Aman at Summer Palace: www.amanresorts.com/amana...
Jin Yuan
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Chaoyang, Xinyuanli
A journey back to Old World China; traditional Chinese cuisine and décor Imperial
Jin Yuan
Area: Xinyuanli (Inner NE 3rd Ring Rd)
100004 Chaoyang
2 Xinyuan S. St, Hotel Kunlun Floor 1
Across (west) from the Lufthansa Center
+86(10)65903388
Hotel Kunlun: www.hotelkunlun.com
