Dig Into Beijing's Best Bar and Restaurant Openings in March
Dig into the best restaurant and bar openings in Beijing over the past couple of months.
Restaurants
CUE
Part restaurant, part club, part hookah lounge, CUE (also pictured at top) on the third floor of Liangmaqiao's Grand Summit is one of the year's biggest openings so far. With a menu that spans Southeast Asian, Chinese-mashups (see: the cheese-covered mapo dofu above), and more modern touches as well as a roof terrace, well-stocked bar, and DJs on weekends, CUE hopes to draw Beijing's well-dressed with weekday fine dining that bleeds into late-night parties on weekends. Once the warm weather finally hits, there's no doubt that CUE will be a big draw.
Read the full review here.
Poke Go
Where once there was nary a poke option in the capital, there are now more of these healthy seafood bowls than you can poke a stick at (har har). The latest: Chaoyang Park-neighboring Poke Go, one of the best attempts at the Hawaiian favorite that Beijing has seen yet thanks to its creative ingredient combinations, generous portion sizes, and a spacious and clean interior that is as inviting to eat lunch in as it is to spend all day typing away. Unfortunately, you will pay a little more for the pleasure, with bowls ringing in at around RMB 68 for a small or RMB 88 for a large.
Read the full review here.
Suikoden
OK, this one's not exactly new but we finally got around to striking the Gulou Dongdajie yakitori restaurant Suikoden off our to-go list last month. We're also happy we did as it proved to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, offering dishes that you may have to travel to the far reaches of Maizidian or Lucky Street to otherwise find. For an effective lowdown of what's on offer, be sure to order one of Suikoden’s yakitori platters (RMB 45), which comes with five chicken and beef skewers, all irresistibly sweet thanks to a quality yakitori sauce. Suikoden’s ambiance suits the occasion perfectly with soft lighting, snug booths, and bold Japanese paintings helping to transport you far east from Gulou's hutongs from the moment you enter.
Read the full review here.
Bars
Schrödinger's Box
In 1935, Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger described a scenario in which a cat in a box was – according to conditions described by the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics – simultaneously both dead and alive. That famous thought experiment has now resurfaced as the moniker of Nali Patio's newest bar, Schrödinger's Box, a snazzy and down to earth cocktail joint with an inviting and glowing entryway as well as paper lanterns, soft lighting, and overall tasteful decor within. Run by the team behind the now-closed Toy Box on Dirty Bar Street, it also proves a higher value for money than its neighbors, with around RMB 80 getting you a cocktail specialized to your tastes from skilled head-bartender Lang Lang and his team.
Read the full review here.
Click here to read up on the best of the year's openings (and closings).
Images courtesy of CUE, Tom Arnstein, Kyle Mullin, Uni You
