Georg Jensen's Houhai Fine Dining Destination The Georg to Close Mar 22
After just over two years in business, Houhai-adjacent high-end restaurant The Georg and the encapsulating Georg Jensen Hus lifestyle concept that houses it are set to shut down. The Danish-style fine dining destination – known for both its opulent ambiance and for being lifestyle brand Georg Jensen's first Beijing foray – will have its last day on Mar 22.
A spokesperson for The Georg, who requested to remain anonymous, confirmed with the Beijinger that the closure was a mere two days away, adding that Georg Jensen HQ has decided to focus on its products instead.
Aside from housing the restaurant, the complex also features a lounge and gallery that acted as a showroom for the esteemed lifestyle brand's wares. The company is heralded worldwide predominantly for its silverware, carrying on the tradition of the Copenhagen hailing silversmith that founded the business in 1904, which still bears his name to this day.
The Georg made waves upon its opening in late 2015 and went on to garner four nominations at our 2016 Reader Restaurant Awards. We applauded the restaurant during our first visit as a welcome addition to the capital's "thin fine dining ranks."
However, that momentum seemed to slow somewhat in the ensuing years, with other top-tier restaurants like TRB and Opera Bombana nabbing more headlines and positive buzz. The Georg still maintained a strong following, especially for its hard-to-beat brunch options.
Aside from mourning the loss of one of Beijing's few upper-echelon restaurants, The Georg's fans are also sure to pine for its Nordic eats, a style of cuisine that is all the rarer in the capital. Some small consolation may be found via former Georg executive chef Talib Hudda, who is now chef de cuisine at The Opposite House's Sureño.
For the restaurant's fans, and foodies with a taste for the finer things, this sudden closure will indeed be deemed as having come far too soon.
To book a table at the Georg before it closes, check the restaurant's directory listing here.
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photo: The Georg's website