Springing Back to Life: The Beijing Venues That Reopen This Week

Springing Back to Life: The Beijing Venues That Have Reopened

Tom Arnstein | Mar 3, 2020 2:30 pm | Add a comment | 1081 reads

There are only so many times you can order Hulu to your door or have drink at Paddy's, which is why we can't just help being a little bit thrilled with each new wave of reopenings after an interminably long month of closures. It also gives us a some hope that things are (ever so) slowly getting back to normal.

If you do venture out, remember to wear a mask when possible, abide by any restrictions put in place by the individual venues, and don't expect the hutongs to fully reanimate just yet. An example on that last point: The Orchid (as well as The Bake Shop and Toast), who had reopened today, are considering closing again due to tightening restrictions on who can enter the surrounding hutongs ("Only if you look Chinese. Literally.") as the city reacts to new cases originating from outside of China. If you want to be completely safe, make sure to check ahead that your intended destination is open (check our ongoing openings blog here, updated daily).

In alphabetical order, these are the restaurants have reopened in the past couple of days (scroll to the bottom to see the venues due to open later in the week):

Brotzeit

Itching for a schnitzel? Go get your fill at Brotzeit whose Grand Summit and China New World venues are now back open and ready for business, as well as available via delivery platforms Meituan and Sherpa's. They also have several new lunch deals for dine-in or delivery, including mains, sandwiches, salads, and lunch boxes with free sides and drinks (RMB 58-68). More on those here.

Daruma

Yakitori restaurant and izakaya Daruma reopened as of Monday, 3pm till late daily, joining the party that bustling neighbors and sister brands El Barrio and Bottega in Nali Patio have maintained throughout this extended CNY. Favorites from our initial visit included their moreish chicken meatball and egg skewer, Nagoya-style chicken wings, and soba noodles.

Jing-A Brewpub (Xingfucun)

While there's still no word on when Jing-A's Longfusi taproom will reopen (that hasn't stopped them delivering), their Xingfucun brewpub is officially open for full service as of today onward, from 11am till late, daily. Satiate your quarantine cravings with their smoky barbecued ribs, burgers, and, of course, beer galore.

Latina

Even more meat awaits at Grand Summit's Brazilian barbecue restaurant Latina, open as of Monday. With endless skewers of lamb, beef, and pork, dinner here certainly makes a "freedom at last" statement, just so long as you're a carnivore.

Obentos

Obentos in Grand Summit reopened as of Monday, which is good news for anyone who has exhausted the offerings of Moka Bros over the past few weeks. Head over to feast on their hearty-yet-healthy Japanese-inspired grub or find them on Meituan, Eleme, Jinshisong, and Sherpa's for delivery. Full details here.

Side Street (as of Mar 4)

After reopening and then closing again, Side Street is giving it another shot in Jiaodaokou, implementing several safety measures (masks, reduced seating) that should see them stay open for good. That will be a big relief to locals who look to the bar for a healthy dose of some of the city's best, most creative burgers and various craft beer options.