The Best International Restaurants in Chaoyang, Beijing

Located in the heart of Chaoyang’s Central Business District, Pak Pak is a fabulous restaurant that serves up some of the city’s tastiest Thai food. Beijingers rush to Pak Pak for both lunch and dinner. With the restaurant’s atmosphere being as business-casual and relaxed as it is, Pak Pak makes the perfect place to dine for all sorts of clientele and occasions—whether you’re dining with co-workers, or are trying to wow someone, Pak Pak’s ambiance is suitable.

As appealing as the atmosphere is, it is really the food that draws Beijingers in. While dining at Pak Pak you can expect a large menu full of modernized Thai cuisine – fried rice served in a pineapple, multiple types of curry with exceptional portions and delicious sticky rice dessert to finish – and a laundry list of tasty cocktails to pair with the dishes. No matter the dining occasion or meal, Pak Pak is always a good choice.

Pineapple Fried Rice | © Ruocaled / Flickr

The Taco Bar has successfully done what many other restaurants in Beijing have failed to do: filled a niche that was never quite fulfilled. The Taco Bar has succeeded in bringing authentic Mexican food to the Chaoyang district. The Taco Bar has recreated what a Mexican restaurant is like back in the U.S.A.—it has the same energetic and warm feeling, and offers authentic dishes and drinks.

Expect perfectly crispy tortilla chips with just as perfect salsa to match, a variety of deliciously crafted tacos (you can’t go wrong with any of them!), and margaritas that are both salty and strong enough to pair with any plate and palate. Alongside the restaurant’s surprisingly spot-on atmosphere and menu, the staff is both warm and welcoming. Due to its authenticity, the restaurant fills up with hungry customers quickly, so it is wise to always make a reservation beforehand to ensure that you don’t miss out on dinner at The Taco Bar.

Located in the Sanlitun sub-district of Chaoyang is Bottega, a restaurant that is rated time and time again as one of the city’s best places to dine. This critically acclaimed Italian restaurant is best known for its Neapolitan-style pizzas and stylish atmosphere, and less so for its large portions and extraordinary wine list. The interior is beautiful, with modern fixtures and chic décor. Bottega has successfully created both a comfortable and sophisticated dining area. The staff here is accommodating and attentive, with a customer-oriented mind, making the entire Bottega experience even more enjoyable. For authentic Italian pizza served by a trained staff, Bottega is the place to go.

For the more health-conscious eaters in Beijing, nooxo is a fantastic choice. Located in the heart of Chaoyang’s Sanlitun sub-district, nooxo is a small, sleek restaurant that serves up some big flavors. Specializing in bringing healthy, dairy-free food and drinks to Beijing’s expats and locals, nooxo’s menu offers delicacies you cannot find at most other places—grain bowls, smoothie bowls, juices, and soups made from high-quality fresh and tropical ingredients. One of the perks of eating at nooxo is that customers can assure that they are eating clean while not having to splurge on the healthy choice they’re making. Overall, eating at nooxo is an excellent, guilty-free choice for both carnivores and vegans alike!

This simply decorated and totally fabulous Yunnan restaurant is located in Sanlitun, a sub-district within Chaoyang. Customers continually praise In & Out for its authentic yet modernized Yunnan cuisine, its beautiful plating, and its wanderlust-provoking atmosphere. Unlike other Yunnan restaurants in the area, In & Out has taken the initiative to make traditional cuisine more pleasing to the eyes; the plating techniques used here are creative and incorporate carved pineapples and beautifully portioned dishes.

Another characteristic of In & Out that sets it apart is that its menu caters to an array of palates. It offers Yunnan dishes that are suitable for most eaters, incorporating fish, meat, and vegetables with varying levels of spice, almost anyone who dines here will find something to enjoy. With the atmosphere being as clean, simple, and relaxing as it is, dining at In & Out is a wonderful experience.

Located just across from the Brazilian Embassy in Chaoyang district is Caravan, a funky place that gives Moroccan food a wonderful name in a city that desperately needed it. Satiating the hunger of both expats and locals with a fusion of Cajun and Moroccan dishes, Caravan is best known for its artsy atmosphere, its mouth-watering menu, and its attentive staff.

The owner of Caravan has successfully crafted a place where Beijingers can dine and mingle in a culture-promoting atmosphere. The restaurant frequently hosts live music events, showcases artwork, and on Sundays, hosts a no-phone-at-the-table social to promote communication and the development of relationships. Another initiative of the restaurant is to supply Beijing with deliciously prepared Moroccan food—to say that Caravan has successfully done this would be an understatement. This is one of Chaoyang’s best restaurants.

This picture-perfect venue located on Chaoyang’s Nali Patio is a favorite of many. With its innovative menu consisting of well-balanced dishes that are full of flavor, Mosto provides Beijingers with an eclectic spread of food in an impressive atmosphere. From the exterior, customers have a view of Mosto’s patio, a quaint seating area that looks over the city. Inside, the restaurant is beautifully put-together with an array of colors accenting its furniture and walls, with polished woods complementing the floors and other furniture, and leafy plants making Mosto feel exotic and green.

While the restaurant itself is picturesque, the food that it serves is even more so. Customers can expect a meal made of high-quality ingredients with creative flavors. Top that all off with Mosto’s reasonable prices, and you’ve got one of the best places to dine in Chaoyang.

An eatery that specializes in Western cuisine, Lily’s American Diner has satisfied Beijing’s U.S. expat community’s yearning for just-like-home meals in a way that other restaurants haven’t. Determined to provide customers with a warm, homey feeling, Lily’s American Diner takes customer service seriously—they strive to create an atmosphere that is both friendly and accessible for English speakers. Similarly, the restaurant has centered its menu around filling the voids that many expats have while dining in Beijing: items such as baked cod, fried okra, waffles, onion rings, and pulled pork sandwiches can be found on the menu.

To ensure that customers are satisfied with what the restaurant has to offer, Lily’s American Diner pushes for feedback on their website to aid in the development and implementation of the food they serve. With its spot-on Western fare and respect for its customers, dining at Lily’s American Diner is always a delicious pleasure.

The restaurant’s menu is both enormous and easy to read (thank you, restaurants that include pictures in their menus!), and offers an assortment of dumplings in various colors, flavors, and fillings. Unlike other jiǎozi (dumpling) eateries, the Baoyuan Dumplings Restaurant offers surprisingly colorful meals—diners can opt to have green, purple, orange, or tan dumpling skins, each with their own flavors. While the colored dumpling skins are sure to brighten anyone’s day, the choice of fillings will certainly make more restricted eaters feel at ease; Baoyuan Dumplings Restaurant is more than happy to accommodate dietary restrictions. For an authentic taste of China with a colorful twist, the Baoyuan Dumplings Restaurant is an absolute must while in the Chaoyang district.

Dumpling @ 八方雲集 | © Simon Lee / Flickr

For an elegant dining experience in a sophisticated restaurant with a stunning view of Chaoyang’s Central Business District, F Bistronome is the place to go. The award-winning restaurant is an extraordinary combination of high-class amenities with a laid-back feeling. Decked out in lavish décor, F Bistronome’s interior is chic-as-can-be, making the already fabulous ambiance even more so. The restaurant’s menu consists of creative plates inspired by French and European cuisine. The dishes served here are delicious and loaded with flavor—including foie gras, oyster, and salmon-based dishes. With attentive staff to match the already impressive venue, F Bistronome makes for a wonderfully lavish meal.

Foie Gras Loco Moco | © djjewelz / Flickr