As the center of education of Beijing and even China, Haidian district harbors the majority of Beijing’s top universities. So if you are looking for good budget restaurants, look no further, because all the domestic and overseas students in Haidian can assure you of that. Besides, as the district further extends northwest to the mountains and villages, you can experience the local village restaurants and spacious specialty restaurants without having to venture too far away from the downtown area.
Bai Family Mansion
Restaurant, Restaurant with Rooms, Chinese, $$$
You shouldn’t miss this restaurant if you are a Qing dynasty history buff. Not only will you be able to try the Beijing’s Imperial Court food in a resplendently decorated, Imperial Court-like hall, you’ll also get friendly service from the staff who dress like princesses and officials from the Qing dynasty.
Visiting Haidian District without dining at Hai Wan Ju is a crime. The head branch of the famous noodles with bean paste restaurant is located in Haidian, where you can try the most authentic Beijing dish along with some other traditional Beijing snacks like pea cake and fried hawthorns.
The restaurant managed to fit literally 99 Mongolian yurts near the outskirts of Beijing as its distinctive VIP rooms. You may feel free to feast on roast whole lamb, homemade yogurt, and suutei tsai milk tea while enjoying the Mongolian singing and dancing performances that accompany the food.
This small restaurant located in Beijing’s college district is heaven for spicy food lovers. Specialized in spicy skewers from Sichuan, the restaurant’s dishes have flavors recognized by Sichuan locals as authentic.
Canteen, Food Court, Japanese, Fast Food, Vegetarian, Coffee
Located near Renmin University, the warmly decorated restaurant is a harbor for students nearby. It’s known for its delicious and cheap Japanese food. It is also a café and pub with a comprehensive menu of coffee and drinks.
Since most of the high-end Japanese restaurants are in east Beijing and the affordable ones in the west, this makes Sushinomi a unique being and the one go-to izakaya for foodies who fancy top-rank Japanese taste in Haidian district. Its unadon and salad are the two dishes highly recommended by its customers.
There are two places you should go in Beijing for the best Korean food: one is Chaoyang’s Wangjing; the other is Haidian’s Wudaokou. While Wangjing has Beijing’s biggest concentration of Korean residents, Wudaokou is known for the large group of Korean overseas students in the nearby universities. Ming Dong Bang is the most popular Korean restaurant in Wudaokou. Its Korean noodles with black bean sauce and bibimbap are must-tries.
The restaurant is hidden in a village in the northeastern outskirts of Beijing. It’s so low-key that you can’t even find the sign for it if not looking carefully, but once you sit down in its greenhouse-like dining room and have a bite of its Italian food made from fresh ingredients, you’ll know why the restaurant is worth the trip. Besides, it is said that the restaurant doesn’t have a menu, and the dishes are all decided by the chef according to the ingredients available on the day – delightful for those who love surprises.
Ever thinking of dining in a traditional Chinese garden? Jianyi Jingyuan is going to realize that dream. The spacious hotel and restaurant is designed to look like a Chinese garden, offering exquisite dishes from both Chinese and Western cuisines. It’s surrounded by several parks in the suburbs, which makes it a perfect place to stop by during an outing.
