Annie's / 安妮意大利餐厅

At this chain restaurant, you can eat tasty Italian food. One of the restaurants is located in the heart of the busy CBD. The menu is rather varied, from classical Italian pasta and risotto to soup, salad, seafood and meat. In addition, children can even make their own mini pizza. Annie's is open for both lunch and dinner and serves food at reasonable prices.

• Web:

  www.annies.com.cn/en

• E-mail:

  skyqian7756@163.com

• Address:

  2 Dongsanhuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 6568 5890

• Opening hours:

  7h - 23h

• More info:

  RUISAI Business Building

Baoyuan Jiaozi Wu / 宝源饺子屋

Baoyuan Jiaozi Wu is a simple but popular restaurant that has a great selection of steamed dumplings for a reasonable price. On the menu, you will also find tasty classical dishes. It can likely get crowded, but the wait times are usually pretty short.

• Address:

  6 Maizidian Jie, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 6586 4967

• Opening hours:

  Monday - Sunday: 11:15-14:00, 17:00-22:00

Black Sesame Kitchen

This popular small restaurant is located in an alley that may be difficult to find, but definitely worth seeking out. It features an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs cook good Chinese food. Be sure to come here with an empty stomach, as they serve a 10 course menu. Due to the high demand and its popularity, it is advised to book in advance.

• Web:

  www.blacksesamekitchen.com

• E-mail:

  reservations@blacksesamekitchen.com

• Address:

  28 Zhonglao Hutong, Dongcheng, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 136 9147 4408

• Opening hours:

  Daily 7–10pm

China Grill / 亮

China Grill serves international cuisine with the best meat, fish and seafood. Here you will find Beijing-style breakfast dishes including lunch and dinner as well as a great wine selection and 360-degree views of Beijing. The restaurant is located inside the hotel Park Hyatt Beijing.

• Web:

  beijing.park.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/ChinaGrill.html

• Address:

  2 Jianguomen Wai Dajie, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 8567 1098

• Opening hours:

  17h30 - 2h

• More info:

  Located in Park Hyatt Hotel, level 66

Fangshan Restaurant / 仿膳饭庄

Set up more than 90 years ago by royal chefs, the Fangshan serves Chinese dishes such as Beijing Duck and other specialities of the Chinese Imperial cuisine. It is based inside a grand mansion in a beautiful location next to Lake Beihai. The traditional royal style of decoration features a bright yellow theme and exquisite pieces of China.

• Address:

  Dianmen Xi Dajie, North Gate of Beihai Park, Xicheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 6404 1184

• Opening hours:

  11h - 14h, 17h - 20h

• More info:

  Inside Yushantang

Gong De Lin Vegetarian Restaurant / 功德林素菜饭庄

A vegetarian restaurant opened in 1922. This well-known and historic place offers Chinese vegetarian food at reasonable prices: steam buns with veggies, Chinese lamb skewers (fake meat), and Buddha's delight are the common dishes here.

• Address:

  2 Qianmen Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 010 6702 0867

• Opening hours:

  Daily 10:30am–9pm

Aurora Club

With an intimate yet a fun underground vibe, Aurora Club attracts to more discerning patrons who like to spend a quality night out. The decor is minimalistic and stripped down with splashes of red lighting here and there. The club host several DJ acts with a focus on tech house, deep house, disco and old-school hip-hop.

• Address:

  Sanlitun Bar Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 156 5078 9525

• Opening hours:

  22h - 4h

• More info:

  Third Floor, Tongli Building (South Entrance), Next to the Restaurant First Floor.

Club SIR.TEEN

Attracting the richest clientele, Club SIR.TEEN is all about the glitz and glam and with that comes a strict dress code, so put on your finest outfit. Popular among international and local people, this elegant club is not only for dancing and mingling but also hosts dance shows, DJ acts and other exciting entertainment.

• Address:

  6 Gongti West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 132 6987 0193

• Opening hours:

  21h - 6h

• More info:

  2F, next to Chun K Taipei

Mix Club / 密克斯酒吧

This is the place where you can party hard! Even though Mix is not as big as other venues it is one of the main clubs to go to. It is about their fashionable decor and experiencing a high-quality sound system. They mainly play hip-hop and you are guaranteed to have a good night out. This is a vibrant club and popular among the party people.

• Web:

  www.clubmixchina.com

• Address:

  Workers Stadium north gate, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 6530 2889

• Opening hours:

  21h - 6h

Nan Luogu Xiang / 南锣鼓巷

Nan Luogu Xiang is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Beijing and the best-preserved hutong area. This large-scale and complex checkerboard patterned structure has never changed since the Ming dynasty. Today, Nan Luogu Xiang is filled with boutiques, bars, and restaurants, and is always crowded when night falls.

• Address:

  Dongcheng District, Beijing

Nuoyan Wine House / 糯言酒馆

Nuoyan Rice Wine House believes that good things take time, just like their home-brewed glutinous rice wine. There are at least five types to choose from: the original, rose, sweet olive, vanilla, and Chinese bayberry. You will have a sip of each to try before ordering.

• Web:

  www.nuoyanricewine.cn

• E-mail:

  nuoyanricewine@outlook.com

• Address:

  7 Banqiao Nan Xiang, Dongcheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 156 5251 1819

• Opening hours:

  17h - 0h30

• More info:

  Located inside the People's Art Printing House

Panda Brew Pub / 熊猫精酿

Panda Brew Pub is a place for craft beers of different levels of bitterness. Graffiti adorns the walls, and metal casks are placed next to the bar. All bottle caps bear their iconic Panda logo. There is live Jazz music on the second floor every Friday and Saturday.

• Address:

  14 Dongsi Bei Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 010 6408 7922

• Opening hours:

  10h - 1h30

1901 café

This café hides inside a beautiful old villa. The distinct style of the building makes it stand out from the surroundings and you can recognise is as soon as you see it even though no sign is present. The café has 3 storeys connected via wood staircases and decorated with antic furniture. This is also one of the expats' favourite hangouts. Don't give it a miss if you happen to be in the Houhai area.

• Address:

  101 Xi'anmen Dajie, Xicheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 6616 0335

• Opening hours:

  9h - 24h

Beiping Café / 北平咖啡

Beiping is the former name of Beijing. This café has not only maintained the name but also the traditional decoration and ambience of Beiping. Located in Nanluogu Area, the place itself is a well preserved siheyuan building. It is quiet and separated from the busy pedestrian street by beautiful grey bricks, trees and plants, even thought it's only set several steps away from the main street.

• Address:

  113-2 Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 8403 9198

• Opening hours:

  7h30 - 23h30

• More info:

  Inside the Peking Youth Hotel.

Cafe Zarah

Cafe Zarah is located in the centre of Beijing and provides food and drinks in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. This modern cafe is hidden inside a traditional grey-bricks Hutong. Here you can get breakfast, lunch, dinner and - if you are craving something sweet - have a waffle with a scoop of ice cream or an apple pie.

• Web:

  www.cafezarah.com

• E-mail:

  info@cafezarah.com

• Address:

  42 Gulou E St, Dongcheng, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 8403 9807

• Opening hours:

  Daily 8:30am–7pm

• More info:

  Across from DEAL.

Fu San / 福叁

There are a lot of high-quality independent cafés in Beijing and most of them lay in narrow alleyways and unremarkable-looking hutongs. Fu San is one of them. This café stands out for its Faema 59 Hand Pulling Machine produced in 1959; their signature coffee is called Dirty (脏). They also have sophisticated desserts (the quantity, however, is limited).

• Address:

  1 Tan'er Hutong, Qianmen, Xicheng District,, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 158 0164 4614

• Opening hours:

  10h - 20h

• More info:

  Near Tan'er Hutong Elmentry School, on meeting point with Yangwei Hutong.

Laoshe Tea House /老舍茶馆

Laoshe is an authentic traditional tea house named after the great Chinese author Laoshe and his timeless work Tea House. This is absolutely the most famous tea house in China. It has welcomed over 47 foreign heads of state and is a showcase of traditional Chinese culture. Here, you can have both exquisite royal desserts and snacks of ordinary folk. They also have traditional performances such as the Beijing Opera, Bianlian (face-changing), acrobats as well as traditional magic tricks. So order a pot of tea, several snacks, and lay back, enjoy a traditional Chinese culture odyssey.

• Address:

  3 Zhengyang Shichang, Qianmen Xi Dajie, Xicheng District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 6303 6830

• Opening hours:

  10h - 16h

• More info:

  Next to the Laobeijing Traditional and Commercial Museum

SUZUKI CAFE / 铃木食堂

This 400-square-metre café is also a restaurant and an exhibition hall. They have 4 different types of coffee beans for you to choose from: Colombian French Roast, Ethiopian Full City Roast, Guatemala City Roast and Costa Rica Deep Roast. This café is famous for its original coffees. One example is where they pour espresso over a tonic water base and thus create beautiful layering and an interesting texture.

• Address:

  2B Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing

• Phone:

  +86 10 5290 3642

• Opening hours:

  11h30 - 22h

• More info:

  Next to Hairun International Apartment