Midnight Munchies: Late and All-Night Eats for Those Out-of-Hours Cravings

Midnight Munchies: Late and All-Night Eats for Those Out-of-Hours Cravings

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | Aug 7, 2015 4:30 pm | Add a comment | 2914 reads

If we’re being honest, I’ve always been more of the “early to bed, early to rise” type. However, even I will acknowledge that there are occasions – jet lag, perhaps – when the situation calls for a meal at an unconventional time. Of course, Beijing has its fair share of late night eats in the form of jianbing stands and convenience stores but if you are looking for something a little more, well, enjoyable, these restaurants are your best bet.

LOCAL FLAVOR

GL Café
GL Café may not offer the best Hong Kong-style cuisine in Beijing, but it does offer it around the clock, with consistent food, whatever time you order. We like the shrimp wonton noodles and the Hong Kong-style French toast.
24hrs. 1/F, Beijing International Club, 21 Jianguomen Waidajie, Chaoyang District (6532 8282)
金湖茶餐厅:朝阳区建国门外大街21号北京国际俱乐部饭店1层

Tai Shuxi Jiachang Cai
Tai Shuxi is like the local Chinese restaurant of your dreams – inexpensive, clean, and with all your favorite dishes on the menu. Unusually for a local restaurant however, it stays open late, so you can keep downing cheap draft beer with your shirtless Chinese bros until just before sunrise.
Daily 10am-4am. East gate of Tuanjiehu Park, Tuanjiehu Lu, Chaoyang District (8598 4766)
太熟悉家常菜:朝阳区团结湖路团结湖公园东门南侧

Jin Ding Xuan (Ditan Branch)
The Ditan branch of Jin Ding Xuan is perfectly situated for a dim sum dinner after a night partying at Gulou’s Dongcheng’s hottest spots. We always order the har gow and the sesame-rich dandan noodles.
24hrs. 77 Hepingli Xijie, Dongcheng District (6429 6699)
金鼎轩:东城区和平里西街77号

CAFFEINE CRAVINGS

85 Degrees C (Chongwenmen Branch)
Often dubbed the “Starbucks of Taiwan,” 85 Degrees C does a decent coffee along with a wide selection of Chinese-inspired Western cakes to take the edge off. We are secretly fans of their egg tarts.
24hrs. 1/F, New World Department Store, 3-5 Chongwenmen Waidajie, Dongcheng District (6709 2940)
东城区崇文门外大街3-5号新世界百货青春馆1楼

Starbucks (Sanlitun Branch)
If you’re searching for a caffeine fix in the early hours of the morning, or a place to work or hang out that’s open all night, then you can do worse than the 24-hour branch of Starbucks in Taikoo Li.
24hrs. S10-10, Taikoo Li Sanlitun South, 19 Sanlitun lu, Chaoyang District (6416 5068)
朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯太古里南区S10-10

INTERNATIONAL EATS

Bridge Café
The original and the best student café, Wudaokou institution Bridge Café serves Western cuisine and drinks all day, every day. Granted you’ll have to trek over to Haidian to get it, but their 24-hour menu means they serve one of the earliest Western breakfasts in town.
24hrs. 12-8 Huaqing Jiayuan, Chengfu Lu, Haidian District (8286 7026)
侨咖啡:海淀区成府路华清嘉园12-8号

Jazz-Ya
A venerable Sanlitun institution that has been serving Japanese-style pub grub (everything from sushi and soba noodles to sizzling steak plates and pizza) and killer cocktails (long island ice teas, saketinis) for well over a decade, and more to the point, until at least 1am, right in the heart of Sanlitun Bar Street.
Daily 11.30am-2am. 18 Sanlitun Lu, Nali Mall Chaoyang District (6415 1227)
朝阳区那里市场三里屯路18号

The Local
The Local is our favorite bar in Sanlitun South for a number of reasons, primary among them being that they will serve you a plate of excellent Buffalo chicken wings at 3am, no questions asked. Some of the best American cooking in Beijing, The Local also serves one of the most complete late-night menus in town.
Daily 11am-4am. Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (6591 9525)
朝阳区工体北路4号院机电院内

OODLES OF NOODLES

Ping Wa San Bao
We can’t get enough of raucous, 24-hour eatery Ping Wa San Bao. Everyone knows oil, spice, and carbs make the best drunken eats, and Ping Wa San Bao’s Shaanxi-style noodles, roujiamo, and chuan’r will happily oblige.
24hrs. 10A Xiangjunzhuang Lu, Zhongfang Jie, Chaoyang District (on Baijiazhuang Lu) (6503 1831)
平娃三宝:朝阳区中纺街向军庄路甲10号(白家庄路)

Little Miss Shan
In addition to serving excellent (and we mean excellent) Shaanxi-style noodles, Little Miss Shan also does a solid line-up of baozi, youtiao et al. once the sun is up. Meander down after a late night at Yugong Yishan.
24hrs. 21 Meishuguan Dongjie, Dongcheng District (6402 9799)
小陕娃:东城区美术馆东街21号

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