Sanlitun Food From Embassy Row Dining to Hidden Chinese Kitchens

Sanlitun Food from Embassy Row Dining to Hidden Chinese Kitchens

Sanlitun is a trap for expensive Western food. That is only half right. The international restaurants cost 1.8 to 2.5 times what they would in Dongcheng. But the Chinese restaurants tucked behind the embassy compounds and inside the older residential pockets are the real draw, and they cost 50 to 100 yuan per person. You just have to know which street to walk down.

Embassy Row Lunch Strategy

The embassy district itself produces the best concentration. Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Sanlitun Xiwujie, Xingfucun Zhonglu, and Sanlitun Dongwujie all sit directly against consulate compounds. The restaurants here serve lunch 11:30 to 14:30 and dinner 17:30 to 22:00. Arrive at 18:00 or after 20:00 to avoid the embassy staff rush. The failure case is arriving at 12:15 and finding every table filled with diplomats on a 60 minute lunch. Go at 13:30 instead.

The Chinese Restaurants Worth Crossing Sanlitun for

Sichuan and Dumplings Away from the Mall

Skip the Sichuan chain outlets inside Taikoo Li. Walk 1.5 kilometres west to Zhang Mama on Jiaodaokou Dongdajie. The price per person is 60 to 100 yuan. Show up at 17:30, put your name in, and walk to the craft beer bars on Xingfucun Zhonglu for a pint while you wait. Queue time at peak dinner runs 30 to 90 minutes. If you cannot face the line, order takeout. Eat it at Great Leap Brewing, 6 Doujiao Hutong off Xingfucun Zhonglu. They do not mind outside food with a drink purchase.

For dumplings, go to Baoyuan Jiaozi Wu. It sits 1.2 kilometres north of Sanlitun on Maizidian Jie. The price per person is 40 to 70 yuan. This is the local choice, not a tourist stop. Order the lamb and coriander. If it is sold out by 19:30, as it is on weekends, walk to the Sanlitun SOHO building 1 ground floor for Japanese ramen instead. Ippudo in Taikoo Li South basement level costs 60 to 90 yuan per bowl, but that is a chain. The better ramen is in Sanlitun SOHO buildings 1 and 5, where small shops cluster on the ground floors.

Hot Pot Until Sunrise

Hot pot is Haidilao on Gongti Beilu, west of the Sanlitun intersection. The price per person is 120 to 180 yuan. The hours are 11:00 to 07:00 the next day. This is your 03:00 option after the clubs empty. Arrive by 23:00 on a Friday or Saturday or expect a 60 minute wait even at that hour. The Gongti Beilu club adjacent restaurants stay open until 05:00 on weekends. Eat skewers at Chuan Ba near the Workers Stadium north gate. Chuan Ba runs 17:00 to 04:00 and costs 60 to 100 yuan per person.

The Izakayas and Mixed Crowds on Xingfucun Zhonglu

Xingfucun Zhonglu is the street where local residents and expats eat at the same tables. The izakayas here are small, eight to twelve seats. They serve Japanese small plates, yakitori, and sake. Prices run 80 to 150 yuan per person. The crowd is half Chinese workers from the nearby tech offices and half long term expats. Do not expect English menus at the smallest ones. Point at what the table next to you has ordered.

Beer on the Same Street

The craft beer bars on this street are Great Leap Brewing at 6 Doujiao Hutong, Jing A Brewpub opposite it, and Arrow Factory Brewing 500 metres north of Taikoo Li on Xindong Lu. Pints run 40 to 75 yuan. The izakayas do not serve beer well. Drink before you eat or eat between beers. The failure case is wandering this street at 21:30 on a Monday and finding the izakayas full and the beer bars empty. Tuesday through Saturday is the reliable window.

Where Else to Eat When the Chinese Rooms Are Full

Taikoo Li Food Court and Rooftops

Taikoo Li South has a B1 food court with 30 plus vendors. The average meal is 35 to 60 yuan. No service charge applies at B1. The L3 and L4 restaurants above add 10 to 15 percent. If you want a 60 yuan bowl of noodles and nothing else, stay on B1. If you want the rooftop bars at Taikoo Li North NLG, budget 80 to 130 yuan per cocktail at The Roof, UNICO, or Migas Mercado. These are not Chinese restaurants. They are the fallback when your first choice is full.

Korean Backup and Late Night Streets

The Korean clusters on Sanlitun Dongwujie and Sanlitun Xiwujie, east of Gongti Beilu, are another backup. They serve barbecue and stews at 70 to 120 yuan per person. The quality is consistent because the clientele is young Chinese from the nearby universities. The late night dining streets are Gongti Beilu east of the Sanlitun intersection and Sanlitun Nanlu west of Taikoo Li. Jin Ding Xuan on Gongti Beilu is the 24 hour dim sum option. Each dish costs 15 to 45 yuan. Go there at 02:00 when everything else is closed. The failure case is arriving at 01:30 and finding the dim sum cart empty of the good har gow. Order the fried rice as a backup.