Amazing Burgers, Tacos, Peri Peri Chicken & More at Circle Urban

We love to see restaurants succeeding here in the capital and one spot that is certainly thriving is Circle Urban, having just opened up a new branch in Haidian. This is the fourth branch under the Circle brand, with owner Yan Long originally opening up a Circle Cafe inside Renmin University back in 2012, followed by Circle Urban near Sanyuanqiao in 2022 and then Circle Burger in the CBD last year. 

This newest branch is located in the brand new 1733 shopping mall, which is home to Douyin's new headquarters and conveniently situated right by Line 12’s Dazhong Shi station, which is due to open later this year. It boasts a large indoor and outdoor space with the same sleek vintage design as its Sanyuanqiao branch.

There is a main seating area with a long bar on the right side and then a more casual lounge area in the back corner. For sports fans they’ve got a big TV where they’ll be showing major sporting events including the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and UEFA Euro Cup. Or if you prefer a bit of competition between friends they’ve got a foosball table and corn hole board – the latter of which proved very popular at our recent Taco Fest. 

The opening of their Haidian location has also coincided with them launching a new menu and there's something for everyone with great brunch options, burgers, barbecue, craft beers, shisha and more. With us being big burger fans here at the Beijinger we can think of no better place to start than with a look at those…

They’ve got an impressive seven different burgers on the menu at their Circle Urban branches, with a personal favorite of ours being the Smoked Flavor Half Pound Burger (RMB 75). A beef patty is stuffed with cheddar and mozzarella cheese then topped with caramelized onions and sandwiched inside a golden bun. It’s everything you want in a burger: cheesy, meaty and smoky with a slightly sweet kick from the onions. 

For a less traditional option there is the Angus Beef Burger with Black Pineapple Bun (RMB 78) which sees roast pineapple, cheddar and jalapeños layered on an Angus beef patty on a black Guangzhou style pineapple bun. Another popular option is the Pulled Pork & Green Apple Coleslaw (RMB 68) featuring homemade pulled pork paired with a zingy green apple coleslaw and barbecue sauce, a huge hit at last year’s Juicy Burger Festival. 

Moving away from burgers they have some great barbecue offerings including the Peri Peri Chicken (RMB 88/half, RMB 158/whole) which is served with homemade peri peri sauce, Yunnan chilli powder, roast tomatoes and potatoes. The dish was created by owner Yu after he was inspired from a visit to Nando’s in South Africa. Yu has put his own spin on the classic peri peri sauce, however, and we think it’s even better than the Nando’s original. 

If you’re a fan of brunch then they’ve got some delicious and inventive options to try, including a whole variety of eggs benedict which range from the traditional like Whole Avocado Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon (RMB 85) to the spicy Sichuan Style Sausage Benedict (RMB 80). There's also the Mexican Style Shakshuka with Pitta Bread (RMB 75), a great twist on the classic that adds red kidney beans, chickpeas and jalapeños into the mix. 

Speaking of Mexican style food, they also have tacos. You may have been lucky enough to try some at one of our Taco Fests, like the Pulled Pork with Pineapple Salsa (RMB 68) and BBQ Chicken with Yogurt Sauce (RMB 68). Along with all that they have a range of salads, snacks, sharing platters, pasta and more!

To go with the food they have a great selection of beer on tap from Mingri Brewing, a Shanghai based brewery, and Ye Brewing from Hebei as well as cocktails, mocktails, coffee and other soft drinks. For those into shisha they’ve got both Classic Arabic Shisha (RMB 168) and Russian Shisha (RMB 268/single flavor, RMB 368/mixed flavor) which is a real rarity in Bejiing. 

This new menu is available at their Sanyuanqiao branch as well, which is located not far from InStreet in 1959 Time Cultural and Creative Industrial Park. This location has a strong vintage vibe with a checkerboard floor, brown leather chairs and a long bar at the back. Upstairs is a wraparound balcony, multiple private rooms and a specially made shisha room. Out front is a lovely terrace area that is a perfect brunch spot to soak in some rays now that spring is here.

Now, we can't end this food showcase without mentioning their burger-centric spin-off Circle Burger too. Here you get a choice of a whopping 11 different types of burgers with special options not available at the other Circle Urban branches. Some ones to try are the Double Double (RMB 48), a classic double cheeseburger; the Senorita (RMB 50), a Mexican spicy beef burger; and the DJ Hamburg (RMB 46) a fried chicken burger. 

Circle Urban 1733 Shopping Mall branch
B2-02, 1733 Shopping Mall, 2 Dazhongsi Square, Beisanhuan, Haidian District
海淀区北三环大钟寺广场2号楼1733商业空间B2-02号
Hours: 10-1am
Phone: 158 0145 8389

Circle Urban Sanyuanqiao branch
A7 1959 Shijianli, 5 Jingshun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区京顺路5号1959时间里A7
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 158 0145 8389

Circle Burger 圆场汉堡
B1, Zhengda Center, 20 Jinhe East, Chaoyang District
朝阳区金和东路20号正大中心B1
Hours: 9am-9pm
Phone: 158 0145 8389

Images: courtesy of Circle Urban
Sponsored by Circle Urban