Beijing Food Guide
What to Eat, Where to Find It, and How to Order Like a Local
🥢 Must-Try Dishes
Peking DuckBeijing Roast Duck
Peking duck is China’s most famous dish—a culinary art with a 600-year history. The duck is roasted over fruitwood, resulting in crispy skin and tender meat, which the chef carves into 108 slices right at your table. It is traditionally eaten wrapped in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, cucumber strips, and shredded scallions.
Where to Eat
The best value for money. The Forbidden City branch offers scenic seats in the corner towers. The lines are incredibly long—get a number at 10:30 or 16:30.
High-end, creative Peking duck, priced at 300–600 yuan per person.
Noodles with Fried SauceZha Jiang Mian
The ultimate home-style noodle dish for Beijingers—hand-rolled noodles served with diced meat in fried soybean paste and shredded fresh vegetables. Every household has its own unique recipe.
Where to Eat
25 yuan per bowl, featuring authentic Liubiju yellow bean sauce.
DumplingsDumplings
Dumplings are a must-have for northerners during the Lunar New Year. The wrappers are hand-rolled, and the dumplings are made and cooked to order, served with vinegar and chili oil.
Where to Eat
Thin-skinned dumplings with over 50 different fillings.
🍽️ Restaurant Recommendations
Beijing-style Hot Pot with LambBeijing Lamb Hot Pot
Beijing-style copper pot hot pot is completely different from Chongqing hot pot—it features a clear broth in a copper pot, hand-sliced fresh lamb, and a dipping sauce made with sesame paste and Chinese chives. The focus is on savoring the natural flavor of the meat.
Where to Eat
The King of Lines. Hand-sliced fresh lamb is the specialty.
🛒 Street Food
Braised Steamed BunsBraised Pork Offal
Beijing’s most authentic street food—pork intestines, pork lungs, and dried tofu simmered for hours in a rich, traditional broth.
Where to Eat
Time-honored establishment.