2024 Year-in-Review: New Restaurants Pt. 2

It has been quite the year for Beijing! In our 2024 Year-in-Review, we're taking a look back at the happenings in the capital from this year that was.

Following on from our previous post about new restaurants that opened up in 2024, we've got our second part which takes a look at eateries that opened up in the latter part of the year. We'll also have a post later this week about spots that opened new branches, so keep a lookout for that. You can take a look at our other 2024 Year-in-Review posts below.

• 2024 Year-in-Review: Places We Bid Goodbye To
• 2024 Year-in-Review: New Restaurants Pt. 1
• 2024 Year-in-Review: New Beijing Bars
• 2024 Year-in-Review: Most-Viewed Stories

Sumac

The Liangma River gained a new resident this year in the form of Lebanese restaurant Sumac. An offshoot of the Hong Kong-based restaurant of the same name, Sumac opened their Beijing branch at the end of June. They pride themselves on serving modern interpretations of traditional Lebanese dishes with the finest ingredients. 

The restaurant space itself is beautifully designed, making full use of the arched ceilings paired with a muted blue and white color scheme and a chic Middle Eastern vibe. They also have a lovely outdoor terrace area directly on the Liangma River.

Sumac 苏马克黎巴嫩餐厅
8, 1/F South Tower, Liangma Harbour Building, 53 Maizidian Jie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区麦子店街53号亮马港湾大厦南楼1层8号
Hours: 11am-midnight
Phone: 132 6426 2888

The Butcher & The Bottle

The Dongdaqiao neighborhood got itself a fancy new eatery in the form of The Butcher & The Bottle. The restaurant is dialed up to the nines design-wise, with paneled walls and ceilings, red leather couches and tables throughout. On the food side they've got a lot of Western classics like pizza, pasta, a range of other mains and, of course, lots of beef and grilled options. There are some tempting dishes on the grilled section of the menu here, especially an Angus Beef Cheeseburger.

The Butcher & The Bottle
102, 1/F, Bldg M, Sanhui Bogong, 3 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳门外大街三号山水铂宫M座1层102室
Hours: Daily, 11am-10pm
Contact: 185 1590 9499

BROWNSTONE

Spanish restaurant chain BROWNSTONE opened their first Beijing branch in Sanlitun Taikooli at the end of August. Founded in Shanghai back in 2010, BROWNSTONE specializes in authentic Spanish food and now has multiple locations in a number of cities across China. On the menu, they’ve got a range of classic tapas dishes and other Spanish dishes like a few different versions of paella, steak, cold cuts and more. As you’d expect from any Spanish restaurant worth their salt, they’ve also got red and white sangria (RMB 58/glass, RMB 268/pitcher), plenty of Spanish wines, cocktails, beer, mocktails and other soft drinks on the menu too.  

On to the space itself, BROWNSTONE boasts a beautiful terrace area with colorful tiled tables and bright red chairs that is a perfect spot once the warm weather returns. Inside, the tile and red theme continues, paired with elegant stained glass decorations inspired by Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Família. 

BROWNSTONE
S4-33, 4/F, Taikooli South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路19号太古里南区三层S4-33单元
Hours: 11am-midnight
Phone: 010 5211 8278

Grab a Chair

The Beixinqiao area was graced by the arrival of Taiwanese restaurant Grab a Chair back in October. It occupies a cozy little space with wooden minimalist décor and a prominent window that opens up to allow diners to sit on either side. Their menu is seasonal, with a focus on using fresh, colorful vegetables to create healthy dishes where the ingredients are the star of the show.

Grab a Chair
F19-20, Bldg 9, Block F, Kelin Bldg, 107, Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东四北大街107号科林大厦F座9幢F19-20
Hours: Mon & Wed-Sun, 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9pm (closed on Tue)
Phone: 131 4121 3578

Brunch & Bistro

In the Xingfucun area, Brunch & Bistro, located right on the corner of Chunxiu Lu and Xinzhongdong Jie, also opened up in October. The bright red exterior is difficult to miss, and the red theme continues inside, which, along with brown leather couches and exposed brick walls, gives the space a kind of chic diner vibe. 

Foodwise, they’ve got an array of Western dishes like burgers, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, pasta and a few desserts as well as some signature dishes. As for things to slurp on, they’ve got a pretty impressive bottled beer selection as well as few on tap along with a decent cocktail menu, wine, coffee, milkshakes, smoothies and other soft drinks. 

Brunch & Bistro
North side, 6 Gongti Beili, Dongcheng District
东城区工体北里6号楼北侧
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 132 6329 6686

Basil

This year saw healthy meal planner buisness Basil open its first physical location in Shangdu SOHO, so now you can enjoy their delicious meals in store. A cozy space with a couple of tables and some countertop seating, on the menu they've got a range of favorite healthy main meals and energizing snacks as well as a fridge stocked with overnight oats, juices, other soft drinks and a few alcoholic drinks as well.

Basil
2201, 2/F,Tower B Shangdu SOHO, Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东大桥路尚都soho北塔B座二层2201室
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 132 6129 6156; 185 1975 4685

Smelly Cat

A new Friends themed café opened up shop not too long ago in Weixing Zhizaochang Science Park, located just around the corner from The Roots. It has two rooms, both offering a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere, with the left side room decorated with Central Perk-themed furniture including the iconic orange couch. The right side includes Instagrammable replicas of Monica and Rachel's kitchen, the famous purple door and a foosball table. Both rooms, of course, also have episodes of Friends playing on loop, and there is plenty of memorabilia dotted around like Joey's dog statue, Phoebe's bike and other tidbits. 

Drinks-wise they've got a range of Friends-themed craft beers as well as themed specialty coffees plus normal coffees and soft drinks. On the food front, they've got your standard Western fare like burgers, pizza, salads, pasta and snacks. 

Smelly Cat
101, Bldg 17, Weixing Zhizaochang Science Park, Zhongguancun Nansanjie, Haidian District
海淀区中关村南三街卫星制造厂科技园17幢一层101
Hours: 11am-10pm

Beijing Chaoyang Gourmet Sightseeing Bus

Very recently, Beijing got its first "mobile restaurant" with the Beijing Chaoyang Gourmet Sightseeing Bus opening its doors. The second floor of the double-decker bus has been transformed into a fine dining area with large windows on both sides and a glass roof offering panoramic views of the city. The menu has been carefully designed by Wolfgang's Steakhouse and features dishes like NY Sirloin Steak and Slow Cooked Angus Chuck Roll.

The bus route itself takes around two hours and has a length of 40km, starting at Wolfgang's Steakhouse Huamao branch, heading west into the CBD, then northwest to the Liangma River before doing a loop around the Olympic Center and then finally back south to Guomao. You can check out the full route map below.

The Beijing Chaoyang Gourmet Sightseeing Bus starts at 6.45pm each day, with the bus setting off at 7pm and returning at 9pm. Tickets are RMB 680/person and can you can book tables for either two or four people. To read more and book tickets you can follow this link.

Wolfgang's Steakhouse (Huamao branch)
L301, 3/F, Bldg 19, 89 Xidawang Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区西大望路建国路89号院19号楼三层L301

READ: 2024 Year-in-Review: New Restaurants Pt. 1

Images: courtesy of the venues, Uni You, the Beijingers