2011 Reader Restaurant Awards: Best For Families, Service, Outdoor and Late Night
You’ve seen the results of our 2011 Reader Restaurant Awards – now let’s take a closer look at the winners. In each of this series of posts, we’ll cover the winners in a group of categories, with comments from theBeijinger.com’s User Reviews flagged up to indicate just why readers like them, and links to each venue’s Directory listing on our website.
This round has a collection of categories that are perfect for the weekend. Where can you go that will offer a good environment for kids, where you’ll get properly pampered, where you can enjoy the warm weather, or grab a bite after last call on Saturday.
Family-Friendly Restaurant
Best: Annie's. “Since they now let the little ones make their own tiny pizza, it is certainly my daughter's favorite.”
Outstanding: Element Fresh. “Color-in placemats were a hit and our food… came very fast.”
Outstanding: Grandma’s Kitchen. “In terms of kid-friendliness they have plastic tableware for the young ones and usually supply pens and paper for coloring.”
Outstanding: The Orchard. “I did sample some of the dishes from their kids menu (playing my usual role of "clean-up eater" after my daughter, who seemed to especially enjoy the lentil soup. The burgers and fries and the hummus pinwheels and fruit salad we ordered from the kids' menu a bit bland for my tastes (perhaps a good thing, considering the target market)”
Service
Best: Maison Boulud. “The wait-staff are just wonderful this place has first class customer service. Pricy but well worth it!”
Outstanding: Haidilao. “all about the service… free manicures and shoe shines while you're waiting, wireless internet, snacks and drinks, from the start of your visit at Haidilao its hard not to like this place.”
Outstanding: Capital M. “Somebody has done their homework and have created a masterpiece of not only facility and food, but the overall feel of the service as well.”
Outstanding: Mosto. "Very very very good service, I have to say one of the best I ever had in a foreigner's place so far in Beijing. Quick, smiley and efficient, when I asked for smth (pepper, more bread, etc) I had in in the following minute)."
Outdoor Dining
Best: Capital M. “the Capital M dining room is one of the finest in the city. At night the old city gates at the southern end of Tiananmen are framed in the dining room windows.”
Outstanding: Dali Courtyard. “'Tis the season for visiting Dali Courtyard: the weather's nice and an evening dining al fresco in their courtyard is one of those quintessentially "must-do" Beijing experiences -- unique, pleasurable, yet not too touristy.”
Outstanding: Element Fresh. “We loved the outdoor seating! There were two outdoor seating areas; one downstairs by the entrance and another one on the rooftop. If it doesn't get too hot, we will do alfresco all the way”
Late-Night Dining
Best: Bellagio. (XiaoYun Lu and Gongti: Open until 4am) “this is the other place I love coming to for late night snacks after clubbing (opened till 2am or 3am daily).”
Outstanding: Jin Ding Xuan. (Open 24hrs) “A great place to stumble into late at night, with classic crowd-pleasers such as spring rolls, egg tarts and char siu dumplings offered alongside a huge range of other dishes”
Outstanding: The Den. (Open 24hrs) “with the citys longest happy hour and 24 hour service, its brilliant for those of us who wants to watch European football”
Agree? Disagree? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so if your reviews weren’t featured above, share them below.
