Come to Beijing for this Spring Festival holiday, a place with endless gastronomical surprises in addition to iconic historical landmarks. With this guide, you're ready for an unforgettable journey into Beijing's food culture.

Traditional Beijing Cuisine

Quanjude: Quanjude (Qianmen Branch) (First Restaurant of Quanjude)

Address: 30 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District

Features: Quanjude is a time-honored brand in Beijing and across China. It was established in 1864 during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. Over the years, Quanjude has become known for its culinary repertoire with the Roasted Duck Hanging in Furnace as its top specialty and numerous dishes of the Shandong cuisine based on it. Quanjude operates 20 chain stores in Beijing, offering a variety of special dishes. These include Peking Duck served in the shape of a fully open peony blossom, Duck Feet with Mustard Sauce, Sautéed Duck Hearts, and Braised Chestnut and Mushroom with Black Pepper Sauce.

Yijucheng: Yijucheng Old Beijing Zhizi Barbeque (Qianmen Branch)

Address: 86 Langfang Ertiao, Xicheng District

Features: Founded in 1898, this time-honored restaurant in Beijing traces its roots to an old tavern in Menkuang Hutong in the Qianmen-Dashilar region. It is famous city-wide for its Zhizi barbeque and liquor native to the hutong. Some of the special dishes on the menu include Grilled Pufferfish, Grilled Fresh Lamb's Hind Legs, and Beef Ribs. The restaurant's decoration pays homage to the old taverns of Beijing, and exudes the distinctive cultural characteristics of hutongs.

Tanjiacai: Tanjiacai (East Chang'an Avenue Branch)

Address: 7F, Tower C, Beijing Hotel, 33 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District

Features: Tanjiacai (Tan Family's Cuisine) is a classic brand in Beijing and across China, and one of the most famous aristocratic cuisines in China, served as the family banquet passed down for generations of Tan Zongjun, a bureaucrat in the late Qing Dynasty. The cuisine is also known  as "Bangyan's Cuisine" since Tan received the title of "Bangyan", the second-ranked jinshi in 1863 ("jinshi" means the scholar who has passed the triennial palace examination and ranked second among all the candidates in ancient China). Tanjiacai has been passed down over course four generations, becoming an integral part of Chinese culinary culture and history.

Menkuang Luzhu: Menkuang Hutong Bainian Luzhu (Qianmen Branch)

Address: 19 Menkuang Hutong, Xicheng District

Features: This time-honored restaurant was founded in 1902 in Beijing, offering mainly traditional Beijing-style snacks, including Fried Sausages, Luzhu Huoshao (pork stew with Chinese flatbread), Fried Tripe, Noodles with Fried Bean and Meat Sauce, Fried Tickle Box, and Madoufu (numbing tofu).

Donglaishun: Donglaishun Restaurant (Main Branch at Beijing APM)

Address: Rooms 542-547, 5F, Beijing APM, 138 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District

Features: Donglaishun is a well known brand in Beijing and across China. Established in 1903, it has a long history rooted in Wangfujing. The restaurant offers a variety of halal delicacies prepared through sautéing, roasting, stir-frying, or boiling. One of its most renowned dishes is Donglaishun Instant-boiled Mutton Hot Pot, which is also an intangible cultural heritage item. Unique ingredients and crispy sweet garlics are all integral parts of the Beijing-style copper hot pots.

From the timeless flavors of traditional Beijing cuisine to the city's most fashionable dining hotspots, Beijing offers something for every foodie. In this city you can discover century-old restaurants and those original "first of their kinds"; stroll through bustling food streets, and indulge in late-night treats at "midnight kitchens". Whether you're craving the places famed for crayfish and kebabs, Michelin-starred dining venues, or fine dining recognized by the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, there are many delicious experiences just for you.

(Sources: Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Business Daily)