Where to Stay
Chao
For the architecture
The minimalist rooms are done up in neutral timber and come equipped with deep tubs and a minibar stocked with local goodies. While the Sanlitun action rages outside, sequester yourself in the main-floor library or in the Drawing Room, where tea is served all afternoon.
Sanlitun, 4 Workers’ Stadium Rd. E., Chaoyang District, Beijing, 86-10-5871-5588, ilovechao.com
Nuo
For the best art
This five-star hotel lies outside the city centre but is handy to the scene at the 798 Art Zone. Cleverly backlit art and textiles glow blue and white, a nod to Ming dynasty esthetics. Browse the hotel’s art collection, featuring works from renowned Chinese artists.
2a Jiangtai Rd., Beijing, 86-10-5926-8888, nuohotel.com
Waldorf Astoria
For maximum luxury
A 15-minute walk from the Forbidden City, this hotel offers sunny rooms equipped with bathrobes and Japanese toilets. (Some of the rooms also come with views of the imperial palace.) You’ll appreciate the helpful staff as they map out your Great Wall trek and send you off with a packed lunch.
5-15 Jinyu Hutong Dongcheng, Beijing, 86-10-8520-8989, waldorfastoria3.hilton.com
The Orchid
For the neighbourhood vibe
The reception at this hotel, tucked on a residential lane, is staffed with savvy millennials who arm you with a map and insider tips, then invite you to join them for a beer when you return from your outing. Your room beckons, though, with its sleek furnishings, antique-stone walls and garden views.
65 Baochao Hutong, Beijing, 86-10-8404-4818, theorchidbeijing.com
>Rosewood Beijing
For the peace and quiet
Lounge by the tree-fringed pool, book an exfoliating spa treatment or practise yoga with a private instructor at this Zen-inducing hotel. In your moody dark-panelled room, sink into the soaker tub while complimentary video-on-demand streams from the bathroom TV; then don your bathrobe and take in the skyline views.
Jing Guang Centre, Hujialou, Beijing, 86-10-6597-8888, rosewoodhotels.com
Opposite House
For the nightlife
Night owls get the most out of staying in the social heart of clubby Sanlitun. The basement trattoria, Sureño, and the lobby bar are destinations in their own right. Refresh with a rinse in your rain shower (or deep soaker tub) and a cup of complimentary French press coffee.
Taikoo Li Sanlitun North, 11 Sanlitun Rd., Beijing, 86-10-6417-6688, theoppositehouse.com
Hotel Côté Cour
For the courtyard lifestyle
Enjoy breakfast on the deck, overlooking the neighbours’ clay rooftops. Rooms at this restored courtyard mansion have modest furniture and maintain their historic charm. Explore nearby shopping and ancient temples.
70 Yanyue Hutong, Beijing, 86-10-6523-9598, hotelcotecourbj.comWhere to Eat and Drink
C Pearl
With a rotating raw bar of over 15 oyster varieties, cocktails and craft beer and Western-style plates like beer-battered fish and cheesy fries, this boisterous three-storey resto-bar feels like nouveau rustic Americana through a Beijing funhouse mirror. (Which is a good thing.)
Sanlitun Bldg. 14, Shunyuan Li, Xinyuan Jie, Chaoyang District, Beijing
TRB
For a Western-style brunch
Behind a stone wall that once surrounded an ancient temple, servers deliver foie-gras-stuffed rigatoni, pork belly and toasted popcorn dunked in enoki-mushroom purée. Five courses are $110 and can take a couple of hours to be served from beginning to end.
23 Shatan Bei St., Beijing, 86-10-8400-2232, trb-cn.com
Lost Heaven
For the Yunnanese flavours
Lost Heaven is a celebration of folksy southeastern Yunnanese cuisine, seasoned with fragrant herbs and hot chilies. In a dimly lit dining room, servers bring platters adorned with tropical flowers and heaps of grilled beef served with egg, basil pancakes or lightly curried samosas.
23 Dongcheng Qu, Beijing, 86-10-8516-2698, lostheaven.com.cn
Dali Courtyard
For the alfresco dining
Come here for the creative prix fixe and the cobbled courtyard; at least six months a year, it’s the most tranquil open-air dining experience in town. Servers inquire about allergies or aversions before bringing five freshly conceived dishes, like tofu “fettucine” in stewed peppers or spicy fried chicken with sesame-dusted French fries. Reserve in advance.
67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Beijing, 86-10-8404-1430
Da Dong
For the Peking duck
The wood-fired duck is carved at your table at this moody banquet hall. The crispy skin comes off first (to be dipped in sugar), followed by the tender meat, which is sliced from the breast and served with pancakes, vegetables and garlic sauces.
Dongsi 10th Alley, Beijing, 86-10-5169-0329, dadongdadong.com
Huguosi Xiaochidian
For the deep-fried bites
Elbow through crowds to the counter and point at what you want, from deep-fried pastry brushed to a candied gloss to savouries like sesame buns stuffed with shaved beef – the Chinese version of sliders.
68 Huguosi Dajie, Xicheng District, Beijing
Baoyuan Dumplings
For the Beijing dumplings
Dumplings coloured with vegetable dyes glisten green, orange and purple at this nondescript restaurant. These celebrated dumplings (whether rainbow or au naturel) come stuffed with chive-flecked pork, herby greens or garlicky chicken.
North of 6 Maizidian Jie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 86-10-6586-4967Lao Liu Hot Pot
For the hotpot
In the hutongs above Beixingqiao metro, aromas from 100 grills, pots and woks mingle in the smoky air. The so-called Third Alley is beloved for this low-key eatery, which packs in parties for its coal-fired cauldrons. Order the hotpots, and you’ll get dishes of paper-thin-sliced meat, vegetables and crinkly tofu skin.
73, Beixinqiaosantiao, Beijing, 86-10-6404-7011Nestgram
For the pastries
Breads at this Taiwanese bakery are a cross between bagels and doughnuts: not too sweet, flavoured with traditional Asian goji and durian and riotously coloured. (The shop’s name comes from the Chinese word for seven colours of the rainbow.) Try the matcha rolls stuffed with frozen cream.
28 Sanlitun Beili, BeijingWhat to Do
Sanlitun
For the shopping and people-watching
Go to this shopping district for the local outpost of Dover Street Market, called IT Market, and stay for the people-watching. Shopping is Beijing’s favourite sport, and its players offer some of China’s best entertainment, thanks to their outrageous style and capacity for hauling a dozen branded bags at once. Start at Sanlitun North Area, and migrate down to Bar Street for cocktails at a dimly lit speakeasy.
Xingfusancun 4th Alley, Chaoyang Qu, Beijing, beijing.doverstreetmarket.com
798 Art District
For spotting new talent
Galleries, studios and art centres cluster in this former factory district northeast of the centre, also known as Dashanzi. Hive Art highlights up-and-comers in a vaulted warehouse crawling with greenery. Follow the maze of boutique spaces to the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, home to big-time Asian artists and a design shop.
1 Qixing W. St., Chaoyang Qu, Beijing, 798district.com
Dashilar
For the grassroots design
Explore Dashilar West Street and Yangmeizhu, where upstart designers and artists occupy the defunct printing houses; their workshops and galleries are open to walk-ins. Then take tea at Meeting Someone, where art installations hang from the ceiling.
Chaoyang Park
For the green space
This network of parks, bridged ponds and fruit trees is worth a visit, but the latest draw is the jet-black Chaoyang Park Plaza development. Take in views of the city from the main building’s top-floor observatory.
1 Chaoyang Park S. Rd., Beijing, 86-10-6595-3490, sun-park.com
Atmosphere
For the cocktails and sunset views
The ear-popping elevator takes you up 80 storeys to a vista of glittering skyscrapers, massive sprawl and sunsets in 20 shades of pink. Sip a handcrafted cocktail and take in views from the city’s highest watering hole.
1 Jianguomenwai Ave., Beijing, 86-10-6505-2299, shangri-la.com
Beijing Confucian Temple
For the urban sanctuary
Stroll through this tranquil 700-year-old community of lacquer-red halls with gilded artichoke-leaf eaves. The five-acre site sits at the end of a traditional street shaded by locust trees. Come for a respite after a street snack or before drinks in lively Fen Si Ting Hu Tong.
No. 13-15 Guozijian Ave., Dongcheng District, Beijing, 86-10-8402-7224, kmgzj.comHow to Get Around
Public Transportation
Beijing’s 18 metro lines are cheap, clean and well marked in English for easy navigation. Prices range according to distance, starting at CNY3 and rarely more than CNY5. Smart Cards require a CNY20 deposit. Download the Explore Beijing app for maps and directions or visit travelchinaguide.com for more information.
Taxis
Designated cars with roof lights abound in Beijing; look for the driver’s registration number displayed on the passenger side of the dashboard to ensure it’s an official taxi. You can find them waiting outside most hotels. (There’s no guarantee they’ll stop if you try to hail one.) Make sure you have your destination address in English and Chinese. Beijing taxi meters start at CNY13 to CNY20. Ask for a fapiao if you’d like a receipt. There is a local version of Uber called Didi Chuxing, but registering requires local bank details.
