When looking at Beijing Tours, remember that a trip to the capital is not complete without visiting the Sanlitun area for its great restaurants and nightlife – see my earlier blog for tips on bars and clubs in the area…
Whether you are looking for local or international cuisine, Sanlitun has a great range of restaurants to choose from so you won’t be disappointed!
For Chinese food, try the alley by City Hotel and Hooters – first up on the right is ‘Uama’, a great teppanyaki place which does an all you can eat and drink deal for £16 and this really does mean all! The chefs will cook you anything you want from noodles to steak to sushi to banana fritters, definitely worth the cost and the best food I’ve had in Beijing so far! Further down this alley are a range of much cheaper Chinese and Korean restaurants, they may not look like much from the outside but the food more than makes up for the decor. You can get a filling dinner for as little as £1, I recommend going in a group so you can share lots of different dishes and try everything – the menu normally includes egg fried rice, vegetable or meat dishes, noodles, kebabs, naan bread, hot pot (a typical Sichuan dish) and much much more.
Typical local cuisine
My friends eating Noodles in a local Chinese restaurant
Second stop on the tour is the ultra modern Village at Sanlitun, my personal favourite, located by Yashow market. It is one of the poshest malls in Beijing with colourful glass buildings, a landscaped piazza, a small luxury hotel and luxury retail stores like the Adidas flagship store, the Apple Store and Versace. It is also home to an eight-screen cinema and many different restaurants, ranging in price and cuisine.
Sanlitun Village
For the more upmarket affair, try upstairs in the Village South. You will find plenty of restaurants on Floors 3 – 5 although beware the prices are more than what you may be used to in China. Try ‘Blue Frog’ for great burgers and an american brunch, a great option if you are looking to satisfy your Western food cravings. If it is too pricey for you, make sure you go on a Monday to enjoy the ’2 for 1 Burgers’ deal. You could also chill out at ‘Stumble Inn’ for bar snacks and drinks (happy hour deals from 3 to 9pm) with fussball and pool tables to keep you amused. Or try ‘Hatsune’ for a great setting (waterfall glass door, underwater theme and an outdoor terrace) and amazing sushi worth the hefty price tag. There are many other restaurants in this area so take a wander around and decide what you are in the mood for!
Inside Hatsune Sushi Restaurant
Also in the Village South on the ground floor you will be pleased to know that there is a Starbucks to satisfy your coffee cravings! And for those of you with a sweet tooth like me, you can’t miss out on a ‘Cold Stone’ experience, the best ice cream parlour you will ever go to! Located on the edge of the Village complex, here you can choose your flavour and toppings and watch it being sculpted like dough and tossed into the waffle containers – well worth the £3. My personal favourite is mint chocolate chip ice cream with oreo cookies and fudge sauce in a chocolate covered waffle container – pure heaven for any chocolate lover! Finally on the lower ground floor, there is a great takeaway crepe stall called Jaya which does amazing sweet and savoury crepes for around £2 - I recommend cream cheese and bacon or cream cheese and jam! There is also a cute bakery called Ibrown bakery and cafe which sells loaves of breads as well as delicious pastry snacks. And if you are really missing home, head to the Market Place also on the ground floor, a Western supermarket which stocks Lindt chocolate, Heinz baked beans, Kelloggs cereal and Haagan Dazz ice cream to name a few!
Amazing ice cream from Cold Stone
Venturing out of the Village towards bar street, you will find lots of great places to eat in amongst the bars. If you are in the mood for Lebanese, you have to try ‘Bite-a-Pitta’ which does everything from kebabs to humous to pitta sandwiches to salads and is very reasonable – I recommend the humous and falafel pitta sandwich which is both delicious and filling for £2.80. It is also a great place to meet other Westerners and the owner is very friendly and helpful. Next door is Hercules, a recently opened cafe which does great salads and sandwiches – a healthy option if you are getting sick of rice and noodles in Beijing!
Further down bar street on the right hand side is a small courtyard called Nali Patio east which is home to a great selection of pricier restaurants. There’s an italian called ‘Gino’s’ which would be perfect for a splash-out dinner, a posh seafood cafe called ‘Letts’ and the ‘Saddle Cantina’, one of the best Mexican restaurant in Beijing ( or so I believe!) This place is always buzzing and serves up great Mexican cuisine as well as amazing cocktails – I recommend the chilaquiles to start, the chicken quesadillas and the Mojito Diablo cocktail - the added cassis makes this Mojito extra special and even more delicious – make sure you come before 8pm to enjoy the happy hour deals!
The Saddle Cantina Mexican Restaurant
If you walk to the other end of this patio you will find yourself on Sanlitun north road, another street of bars and restaurants. On the corner there is ‘Crepanini’, another french crepe place but this time with a seating area, and further down the road on the right hand side is ‘Bocata’, a friendly cafe serving sandwiches and salads as well as pasta dishes in the evening. It has a large patio with parasols for outdoor dining in the summer months and is a cosy venue inside during the winter- I recommend any of the pasta dishes or the marinated chicken and cheese sandwich – make sure you ask for extra garlic mayonnaise to make the experience even better!
I could go on and on as there are so many places to try in the Sanlitun area but I will leave it up to you to explore… All I will say is if you are looking for good Western food in Beijing, this is the place to go and if you get really desperate, there is always Mcdonalds, Subway and KFC!
Don’t forget to check out china travel and China Tours to plan the rest of your trip in China…
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