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A taste of Beijing

Fangshan Restaurant

仿膳饭庄

Opened in 1925 by cooks who had worked in the Qing imperial kitchens, Fangshan sits inside Beihai Park and is the original 'imitation imperial' restaurant: its whole premise is reproducing what was served to the court. The repertoire runs to several hundred dishes, including the small steamed pastries recorded as favourites of Empress Dowager Cixi. The setting, in a lakeside park pavilion, does most of the work; the cooking is formal, mild and ceremonial rather than exciting.

¥250–400 per person≈ US$37Xicheng, 1 Wenjin Street, inside Beihai Park; Beihai North station (Line 6)
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Why come here

A place worth making time for

No Michelin star. Known as Beijing's original imperial court cuisine restaurant, founded 1925 by former Qing palace cooks, and the standard reference point for 仿膳 (imitation imperial) cooking.

The house favourites

What to order

Point at the Chinese. Staff will understand it even where the menu has no English at all.

  • Pea flour cake (豌豆黄)
  • Kidney bean roll (芸豆卷)
  • Steamed corn flour cake (小窝头)
  • Braised sea cucumber, imperial style (宫廷烧海参)

What it actually tastes like

Imperial pastries are only faintly sweet and have a dry, powdery texture that reads as under-sweetened to Western palates. Sea cucumber and other banquet textures (gelatinous, slippery, bouncy) matter more here than flavour intensity.

Allergens in this kitchen

gluten/wheatsoysesameshellfishegg

This is the kitchen, not one dish. Woks, fryers, blanching water and utensils are shared in almost every Chinese restaurant, so for a serious allergy treat the whole premises as the unit rather than ordering around it.

Get to know the menu

Local specialities to try here

Pea flour cake 豌豆黄Lightly sweet, cool, smooth and slightly grainy