Food · Beijing · China
What to eat in Beijing
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Beijing, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Peking duck, Noodles with soybean paste and Dumplings. Order a whole duck for two to four people and watch it carved at the table; the skin comes first, dipped in sugar, then the meat with pancakes. Mobile payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay is standard; both accept many foreign cards, but carry some cash.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Peking duck
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Tipping is not customary in restaurants or taxis.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Peking duck (Beijing kaoya)
Roast duck with lacquered, crackling skin, carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce. Restaurants roast either in closed ovens or over open fruitwood fires.
Where: Specialist duck restaurants around Qianmen, Wangfujing and Dongcheng; book ahead or expect a queue at popular ones.
Dish
2.Noodles with soybean paste (Zhajiangmian)
Thick hand-pulled noodles topped with a salty fried sauce of fermented soybean paste and minced pork, served with shredded cucumber, radish and bean sprouts to mix in.
Where: Old Beijing noodle restaurants across the city, especially in Dongcheng and around Qianmen.
Dish
3.Dumplings (Jiaozi)
Boiled dumplings filled with pork and cabbage, lamb and carrot, or egg and chives are northern China's staple, ordered by weight and eaten with vinegar and garlic.
Where: Dumpling houses everywhere; order by the liang (about 50 g, five or six dumplings).
Breakfast · Vegetarian
4.Jianbing
A thin crêpe of mung bean and wheat batter cooked with egg, scallions and coriander, spread with sauces and folded around a crisp fried cracker. Made to order in about a minute.
Where: Street stalls near subway stations and residential compounds in the morning.
Dish
5.Copper-pot lamb hotpot (Shuan yangrou)
Paper-thin slices of lamb dipped briefly in plain broth in a charcoal-heated copper pot, then into a sesame sauce. It is Beijing's classic winter meal, a Mongolian and Hui Muslim inheritance.
Where: Old-style hotpot restaurants around Qianmen and Niujie, especially from October to March.
Street food
6.Lamb skewers (Yangrou chuan)
Chunks of lamb grilled over charcoal and dusted with cumin and chilli, the standard late-night snack with a cold Yanjing beer.
Where: Barbecue restaurants and night stalls, particularly in Gulou and Wudaokou.
Snack · Vegetarian
7.Candied hawthorn (Tanghulu)
Hawthorn berries on a skewer coated in a hard, glassy sugar shell, sharp and sweet. A winter street snack, now also made with strawberries and grapes.
Where: Street sellers around hutong lanes, temple fairs and snack streets in winter.
Drink · Vegetarian
8.Fermented bean drink (Douzhi)
A grey, sour drink of fermented mung bean starch water, famously divisive, traditionally sipped hot with crisp jiaoquan fried rings and pickles.
Where: Old Beijing snack shops in Dongcheng and Xicheng at breakfast.
Snack · Vegetarian
9.Beijing yoghurt (Lao Beijing suannai)
Thin, sweet set yoghurt sold in small ceramic jars with a paper lid and a straw, drunk on the spot and the jar returned.
Where: Convenience stores, corner shops and hutong snack stalls.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Erguotou
Beijing's local baijiu, a clear, very strong grain spirit distilled from sorghum. It is cheap, potent and part of every old-style dinner.
Where: Restaurants and supermarkets; small bottles are common at hotpot and barbecue meals.
Dessert · Vegetarian
11.Pea flour cake (Wandouhuang)
A smooth, pale-yellow sweet made from pressed yellow peas and sugar, once an imperial court snack and now a light spring dessert.
Where: Traditional snack shops and Beijing-cuisine restaurants.
Food experiences
Peking duck dinner
Order a whole duck for two to four people and watch it carved at the table; the skin comes first, dipped in sugar, then the meat with pancakes. A soup made from the bones often follows.
Hutong breakfast
Start the day at a hutong stall with jianbing, baozi or douzhi alongside locals heading to work; most stalls wind down by about 9am.
Winter hotpot
From late autumn, copper-pot lamb hotpot restaurants fill with families; sharing a pot with sesame dipping sauce is the warmest way to spend a cold evening.
Spring Festival temple fair
Around Lunar New Year, temple fairs in parks such as Ditan and Longtan sell street snacks, tanghulu and toys alongside folk performances.
Quick bites and street food
- Jianbing — Street stalls near subway stations and residential compounds in the morning.
- Lamb skewers — Barbecue restaurants and night stalls, particularly in Gulou and Wudaokou.
- Candied hawthorn — Street sellers around hutong lanes, temple fairs and snack streets in winter.
- Beijing yoghurt — Convenience stores, corner shops and hutong snack stalls.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Jianbing, Candied hawthorn, Fermented bean drink, Beijing yoghurt, Erguotou and Pea flour cake. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Mobile payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay is standard; both accept many foreign cards, but carry some cash.
- Dishes are shared; order one per person plus staples, and expect generous portions in northern restaurants.
- Many menus have photos; a translation app's camera function helps with the rest.
- Dinner starts early, from about 5:30pm, and some old-style restaurants stop taking orders by 9pm.
- Peking duck restaurants often sell out of whole ducks on busy evenings; book or arrive early.
Tipping
Tipping is not customary in restaurants or taxis. Hotels and upmarket restaurants may add a 10–15% service charge; tipping private guides and drivers on day tours is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| Xièxie | Thank you |
| Duōshǎo qián? | How much is it? |
| Jiézhàng | The bill, please |
| Wǒ bù chī ròu | I don't eat meat |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Beijing famous for?
Peking duck, Noodles with soybean paste, Dumplings and Jianbing. Roast duck with lacquered, crackling skin, carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce.
+Is Beijing good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Jianbing, Candied hawthorn and Fermented bean drink.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Beijing?
Tipping is not customary in restaurants or taxis. Hotels and upmarket restaurants may add a 10–15% service charge; tipping private guides and drivers on day tours is appreciated.