Bianyifang: Bianyifang Roast Duck (Xianyukou Branch)
65-77 Xianyukou Street, Dongcheng District
Bianyifang is a time-honored brand in Beijing and throughout China. Established in 1416 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor in the Ming Dynasty, it has evolved and garnered a reputation for its dishes, with the Braised Duck Made within Closed Furnace as its flagship dish and various dishes of Shandong cuisine as its foundation.
Roast Duck Made within Closed Furnace is one of the two prominent variants of Peking Duck, also referred to as "Green Braised Duck". It is cooked without an open flame and is distinguished by its crispy skin, tender meat, and delightful flavor.
Duyichu: Duyichu Shaomai (Qianmen Branch, the first branch)
38 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District
Duyichu is a time-honored brand in Beijing and across China. It was first established in 1738 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. Duyichu specializes in a variety of delicious Shaomai (a type of traditional Chinese dumplings), as well as Zha Sanjiao (a samosa-like snack), Braised Pork with "Malian" (a plant species of which the scientific name is "Iris lactea Pall."), and Shandong-style stir-fried dishes.
Baikuilaohao Restaurant: Baikuilaohao Restaurant (Jiaodaokou Branch)
158 Jiaodaokou South Street, Dongcheng District
Baikuilaohao Restaurant is a time-honored brand in Beijing and throughout China, known for its Roast Mutton. Originally established as Dongchangshun Halal Restaurant, it was located on the east side of Longfu Temple in 1780 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. In 1900, during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor, another branch called Baikuilaohao (Halal) Restaurant was opened on the opposite side. Since then, the restaurant has had two branches, one in the north and one in the south. In 1957, it was renamed "Halal Baikuilaohao Restaurant" and became a joint state-private enterprise.
Yitiaolong: Yitiaolong Restaurant (Guangminglou Branch)
68 Guangming Middle Street, Dongcheng District
Yitiaolong is a time-honored brand in Beijing and throughout China. It was originally founded in 1785 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. The restaurant specializes in serving traditional Instant-boiled Meat which is also its main course, along with a variety of traditional Halal stir-fried dishes. Some of its most popular dishes include Halal Instant-boiled Charcoal Hot Pot, Braised Prawns, Braised Ox Tail in Brown Sauce, and Crispy Chicken.
Chatang Li: Chatang Li Beijing Flavor Restaurant (Gulou Branch)
94 Gulou East Street, Dongcheng District
Founded in 1858 during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, Chatang Li has become a time-honored institution in Beijing and throughout China. Its founder, Li Tonglin, gained recognition for his expertise in making Chatang (seasoned flour mush) and other snacks, which were enjoyed by the Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi. Today, the brand offers a range of beloved products, including almond tea, lotus root tea, water chestnut tea, and beef bone marrow oil tea, cherished by the older generations of Beijingers.
Tianxingju: Tianxingju (Xianyukou Branch)
81-83 Xianyukou Street, Dongcheng District
Tianxingju is a time-honored brand in Beijing and across China. Previously known as "Huixianju", it was established in 1862 during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. One of its standout dishes is the "Beijing-style Stewed Liver".
Quanjude: Quanjude (Qianmen Branch) (First Restaurant of Quanjude)
30 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District
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. Throughout the years, Quanjude has become known for its culinary repertoire with the Roasted Duck Hanging in Furnace as its top specialty dish and numerous dishes of the Shandong cuisine as the basis of it. Presently, Quanjude operates 20 chain stores in Beijing, offering a variety of special dishes. These include the 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.
Tanjiacai: Tanjiacai (East Chang'an Avenue Branch)
7F, Tower C, Beijing Hotel, 33 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District
Tanjiacai (Tan Family's Cuisine) is a time-honored brand in Beijing and across China. The cuisine is 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 reputed 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). Over the course of four generations, Tanjiacai has been passed down, becoming an integral part of the Chinese culinary culture and history.
Dongxinglou: Dongxinglou Restaurant (Dongzhimen Branch)
5, Dongzhimen Inner Street, Dongcheng District
Established by An Shutang in 1902 during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, this Beijing-based time-honored restaurant was renowned as the top of "Ba Da Lou" (a term referring to the eight most famous Shandong restaurants in the past). It specializes in authentic dishes of Shandong Cuisine. The menu features a variety of signature dishes, such as Three Kinds of Meat Noisettes, Fried Diced Chicken with Soy Sauce, Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, Braised Prawns, Braised Intestines in Brown Sauce, and other classic Shandong delicacies.
Donglaishun: Donglaishun Restaurant (Main Branch at Beijing APM)
Rooms 542-547, 5F, Beijing APM, 138 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District
Donglaishun is a time-honored brand in Beijing and across China. Originally founded 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 water-boiling. One of their most renowned dishes is Donglaishun Instant-boiled Mutton Hot Pot, which has been around for a hundred years. The production techniques are included in the list of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China.
Jinxin: Jinxin Douzhi (a kind of fermented thick drink made from ground beans)
87, Tiantan Road, Dongcheng District
Jinxin is a Beijing time-honored brand. In the late Qing Dynasty, a Hui person surnamed Ding became famous for selling Douzhi in Beijing. Later, Ding Derui, his third-generation offspring, set up a fixed stall in front of the Fire God Temple at north of Xihuashi Road, known as "Ding's Douzhi". In 1910, a snack shop was established at Suanshikou, which was later renamed Douzhi Shop.
Liu's Barbecue: Liu's Barbecue Restaurant (headquartered at Qianmen)
1-1, Building 1, Courtyard 2, Jinyuchi Middle Street, Dongcheng District
As a Beijing time-honored brand founded in 1900, Liu's Barbecue offers halal barbecue and hotpot. This establishment specializes in halal grilled meats and traditional hotpot, with its grilled lamb particularly renowned for its tender texture, often compared to tofu. The lamb hotpot at Liu's boasts four distinct features: meticulously chosen ingredients, crispy Shaobing (Chinese sesame flatbread), flavorful dipping sauces, and rich, vibrant hotpot broths.
Ruizhenhou: Ruizhenhou Restaurant (at the Glory Mall)
3F, Glory Mall, 18, Chongwenmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District
As a Beijing time-honored brand, founded in 1917, Ruizhenhou initially focused on selling antique jade ware and celebrities' calligraphy works and paintings. The owner would organize tea, food, and beverages to entertain business guests. Later, it transformed into a halal restaurant, known for its specialty dishes such as "braised beef" and traditional "instant-boiled lamb", which are popular among the locals in Beijing.
Senlong: Senlong Restaurant
4-5/F, New World Department Store Phase I, Chongwenmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District
As a Beijing time-honored brand founded by Zhang Senlong, a native of Dantu, Jiangsu, in 1924, Senlong Restaurant has faced several setbacks during its operation and development process, including relocation, closure and suspension of business. However, it reopened in 2019 and currently offers nearly 100 traditional classic dishes, such as braised minced eel, lion's head meatball with crab meat, and pork stewed with brown sauce and arrowheads.
Jinfang: Jinfang Snack Shop at Beijing Metropolis, Liangguang Street (the original shop)
No. 18-19, Ground Floor, Beijing Metropolis, 2 Zhushikou East Street, Dongcheng District
As a time-honored brand in Beijing and China, Jinfang was founded in the 15th year of the Republic of China (AD 1926). Formerly known as "Rongxiangcheng", Jinfang specializes in Muslim snacks in Beijing style, as well as sweet sticky rice dumplings and moon cakes. Its star products include butter fried cakes, high-quality Shaobing (Chinese sesame flatbread), fried dough twists with honey crust, seasoned millet mush, sweet sticky rice dumplings, and moon cakes.
Cuihualou: Cuihua Restaurant (flagship restaurant at New World Department Store)
2F, North End, north of New World Department Store Phase I, 3 Chongwenmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District
Founded in 1940, as a time-honored brand in Beijing and China, the Cuihua Restaurant is renowned for its delectable Shandong-style cuisine. The restaurant is celebrated for its mastery of various cooking techniques, offering a range of standout dishes, including scallion-flavored sea cucumbers, sautéed chicken, fish and bamboo shoot slices with rice wine sauce, stewed cuttlefish roe, and shark fin soup.
Huajia Yiyuan: Huajia Yiyuan Restaurant (at Dongzhimen)
5 Dongzhimen Inner Street, Dongcheng District
Established in 1949, Huajia Yiyuan, originally known as "Yongshun Restaurant", is a Beijing time-honored brand that caters to the taste of Beijingers. To accommodate the diverse dietary habits and tastes of different regions, it has introduced its distinctive "Hua's dishes".
Lili: Lili Restaurant (at Qianmen)
78 Xianyukou Street, Dongcheng District
Founded in 1954, Lili Restaurant is a time-honored brand both in Beijing and China, renowned for its authentic Sichuan-style cuisine. In the autumn of 1964, the restaurant received a special honor when the well-known writer, Mr. Guo Moruo inscribed a plaque and presented a poem as a gift.