Veg-Friendly Chinese Restaurants in Beijing

Oct 1 is National Day in China, but what you might not know is that it is also World Vegetarian Day. Established in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society “to promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism,” it's now observed around the world.

In honor of the day, we'll be taking a look at some of Beijing's vegan- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants around town. In this first part, we'll be taking a look at veg-friendly Chinese restaurants, followed by non-Chinese restaurants tomorrow and on Tuesday. 

In this list, we've focused on some purely vegetarian Chinese restaurants, plus a few Yunnan restaurants. With Yunnan province's diverse range of fresh vegetables earning it the moniker “Kingdom of Mushrooms” – more than 250 wild edible mushrooms grow there – it should be no surprise that Yunnan restaurants are up there as being some of the most vegan- and vegetarian-friendly when it comes to Chinese cuisine.

Please note: Some of these establishments have multiple locations; for brevity's sake, we've listed one for each. You can check Dianping for more locations.

Vege Tiger 

With a handful of restaurants across Beijing, Vege Tiger serves up a vegetarian buffet every day for lunch and dinner. They serve up a range of vegetarian versions of Chinese cuisines and are well known for their fake meat dishes like Barbecued “Chuanr” (面筋 miànjīn), Kung Pao “Chicken” and Braised Vegan “Meat” Balls.

They also, of course, have plenty of veggie-based dishes up for grabs like Fried Potatoes with Green Beans or Garlic Broccoli, along with a variety of dumplings, baozi, noodles, and rice. At only RMB 78 per person, Vege Tiger is a real steal! If you want to find out more, you can click here to read about a visit we made back in 2023.

Vege Tiger 素虎素食 (Qianmen branch)
1-3, 1/F, Bldg 3, Zhengyang Market, Qianmen Xijie, Xicheng District
西城区前门西大街正阳市场3号楼一层1-3号
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm, 5.30pm-9pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9pm
Phone: 010 6301 0212

Tianchu Miaoxiang Vegetarian Restaurant

Earning itself a spot on the 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand list, Tianchu Miaoxiang is famous for its mock meat, fish and mushroom dishes. Seriously, the way these dishes look you’ll find it hard to believe it’s not real! One such dish is their version of Sauerkraut Fish 酸菜鱼 suāncàiyú (RMB 76) called 沧海桑田 cānghǎisāngtián, an idiom similar to “the winds of change.” The dish features slices of fake fish, tofu, wood ear mushrooms and cabbage all cooked in a sour soup. 

Some other dishes to try are the Kung Pao Cuizhen 宫保翠珍 gōngbǎo cuì zhēn (RMB 52), a play on Kung Pao chicken, Malaxiangguo 麻辣香锅 málàxiāngguō (RMB 52) – you can relax knowing there won’t be any surprise meat in this one –and Colorful Dumplings 彩色水饺 cǎisè shuǐjiǎo (RMB 30) filled with mushroom, tofu and carrot filling. 

Tianchu Miaoxiang Vegetarian Restaurant 天厨妙香素食馆 (Chaowai branch) 
2/F, Bldg D, Chaowai Soho, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳门外大街乙6号朝外Soho大厦D座2层0260号
Hours: 10am-9.30pm
Phone: 010 5900 1088, 010 5900 1288

In & Out 

Not to be confused with American burger chain In-N-Out, In & Out is a Lijiang-themed eatery with a few branches around Beijing. This upmarket Yunnan restaurant has a great array of super fresh vegetarian and vegan dishes. Some must try ones are Stir-Fried Porcini Mushroom with Peppercorn Leaves 花椒尖炒鲜牛肝菌 huājiāojiān chǎo xiān niúgānjūn (RMB 248, pictured above), Fried Porcini Mushroom and Eggplant with Black Garlic 牛肝菌黑蒜烧茄子 niúgānjūn hēi suàn shāoqiézi (RMB 78), Cucumber Flowers with Tree Tomatoes 树番茄拌黄瓜花 shù fānqié bànhuángguā huā (RMB 48), Baked Eggplant with Pepper 烧椒火烤茄子 shāojiāo huǒkǎo qiézi (RMB 36), Fried Shiping Tofu 石屏香煎豆腐 shípíng xiāngjiān dòufǔ (RMB 48) and Sauteed TaiAn Potatoes with Pickles 酸菜炒太安洋芋片 suāncài chǎo tài ān yángyùpiàn (RMB 38). 

In & Out 一坐一忘 (Sanlitun branch)
1 Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯北小街1号
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm, 5pm-9.30pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-3pm, 5pm-9.30pm
Phone: 010 8454 0086

Dali Renjia

Another Yunnan eatery, Dali Renjia is the place to go for mushroom fans, with two full pages dedicated to the delicious fungi. To just name a few, there are Steamed Mixed Mushrooms Wrapped in Banana Leaves 包烧什菌 bāo shāo shén jūn (RMB 78), Fried Tea Mushrooms 香辣茶树菇 xiānglà cháshùgū (RMB 52) and Stir Fried Mushrooms with Beans 龙角牛肝菌 lóngjiǎo niúgānjūn (RMB 128). Aside from mushroom dishes, a few others worth trying are the Fried Small Gourd 清炒小丝瓜 qīngchǎo xiǎo sīguā (RMB 38), Mint and Tofu Skin 薄荷云皮 bòhe yún pí (RMB 28) and the classic Grandma’s Mashed Potato 老奶洋芋 lǎonǎi yángyù (RMB 38).

Dali Renjia
80 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District (100m north of Gulou Dongdajie)
东城区东城区宝钞胡同80号（鼓楼东大街往北走100米）
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 010 8402 2479

Qingchun Perma

Qingchun Perma is the newest restaurant on this list, opening up its first Beijing branch in July last year. Located in Taikooli in Sanlitun, this chic vegetarian restaurant serves up a range of veggie versions of traditional Chinese dishes at very reasonable prices. You can't go wrong with any of their “Qingchun Top 12 Favorites,” which have everything from Pan Fried Dumplings 生煎包 shēngjiānbāo (RMB 32) to Fried Rice with Black Truffle 黑松露炒饭 hēi sōnglù chǎofàn (RMB 56), Quinoa Spicy Tofu 藜麦椒麻豆腐 límài jiāomá dòufu (RMB 24), Crystal Dumplings with Black Truffle Sauce 黑松露水晶包 hēi sōnglù shuǐjīng bāo (RMB 42) and more. 

Qingchun Perma 庆春朴门
4/F, N2, Sanlitun Taikoo Li North, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路太古里北区N2楼四层
Hours: 11am-9.30pm
Phone: 010 8780 7099

Little Yunnan

With three locations in Beijing, Little Yunnan has a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Some personal favorites of ours are the Crispy Fried Beans with Tea Leaves 普洱茶干煸豆角 pǔěrchá gānbiāndòujiǎo (RMB 48) and Fried Mushroom with Yunnan Pepper Sauce 树盐小蘑菇 shùyán xiǎomógū (RMB 42). They're certainly not the healthiest option as they’re both deep fried but they are truly delicious! Other dishes worth trying are the Stir-Fried Preserved Vegetable Lotus Root 弥渡腌菜炒藕条 mídù yāncài chǎo ǒu tiáo (RMB 38) and Stir-Fried Yunnan Fermented Tofu with Spicy Yunnan Vegetables 蕉叶包烧石屏豆腐 jiāoyè bāo shāo shípíng dòufu (RMB 48).

Little Yunnan (Dongzhimen branch)
8 Yongkang Hutong, Dongzhimen Beixiaojie, Dongcheng District
东城区东直门北小街后永康胡同8号
Hours: 11am-10pm
Phone: 010-64027019

King’s Joy

Although they lost one Michen star in the 2025 rankings, King's Joy still received two stars last year and has the distinction of being the first vegetarian restaurant in the world to be crowned with three Michelin stars. This restaurant sources all its ingredients locally, so its menu changes with the seasons. Some current menu items are Nepal Truffle and Quinoa Tofu, Clay Pot Pumpkin Tremella Stew and Shangri-la Matsutake Soup.

They have a few different set menus available, and as you’d expect from the Michelin stars, they do tend to be on the pricey side. You can get the Imperial Grand Menu for RMB 999/per person, the Seasonal Tasting Menu for RMB 1,399/per person, the Comprehensive Set Menu for RMB 1,999/per person and the Indulgent Set Menu for RMB 3,999/per person.

King's Joy Vegetarian Restaurant
2 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区五道营胡同2号
Hours: 11am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9pm
Phone: 010 8404 9191

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Images: Unsplash, courtesy of the restaurants, RJ Fry, Dianping