Lamdre Becomes Only Beijing Entry in Asias 50 Best Restaurants 2026
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants for 2026 was revealed yesterday, and Lamdre was the only Beijing restaurant that managed to snag a place. It came in at #17 on the list, the first time that a Beijing restaurant has managed to rank within the top 20. Lamdre also received the Highest Climber Award, due to its impressive rise within the rankings after only placing 50th in last year's awards.
The 50 Best list follows the release of the 51 to 100 list on Mar 12, in which two Beijing restaurants were named. The first was a new entry to the list, Chef 1996 at #52, and then also Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road) at #84, which has featured in the top 100 for the past few years.
In total, 12 restaurants in the Chinese mainland placed in the top 100. Shanghai is the most dominant city on the list with five restaurants: Meet the Bund at #6, Ling Long at #9, Fu He Hui at #11, 102 House at #29 and La Bourriche at #48. The next top city is Beijing with its three restaurants, followed by Shenzhen with two: Fumée at #65 and Ensue at #79, then Chengdu has one with Co- at #69 and Hangzhou also has one with JinSha at #85.
Although Beijing only got three restaurants in the top 100, this is a vast improvement from only a few years ago, when Beijing failed to place on the list at all. It wasn't until 2023 that a Beijing restaurant managed to make the 50 Best, with Refer, which has since closed, managing to place at #50 that year.
Now, let's take a little look at the three restaurants featured in the top 100.
#17 Lamdre
Lamdre is a plant-based restaurant located in Sanlitun known for its refined, seasonal tasting menus (currently RMB 1,299) that transform Chinese ingredients into elegant, contemporary dishes. Lamdre is no stranger to accolades, having been awarded two Michelin stars in the 2026 Guide and two diamonds in the 2026 Black Pearl awards.
Owned by Zhao Jia and led by chef Dai Jun, Lamdre blends traditional culinary techniques with a modern, minimalist aesthetic, earning recognition for redefining vegetarian cuisine in China. Some signature dishes include tofu steeped in a matsutake and wakame broth, and ginkgo nuts with peach gum paired with Yunnan mushrooms in a Guizhou-style sour soup.
Lamdre 兰斋
1-04, Bldg 14, Courtyard No.4, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District
工体北路四号院14幢1—04
Hours: 11.30am-1.30pm; 6pm-8pm
Phone: 010 8597 8888
#52 Chef 1996
Chef 1996 is the first and only Sichuan cuisine restaurant to ever make it into the top 100 list. Their menu focuses on seasonal Sichuan dishes that reflect the 24 Chinese solar terms. A relative newcomer in Beijing's dining scene, Chef 1996 was only established in 2023.
Since opening, it's already gained a lot of recognition in the culinary world, being awarded two diamonds in the 2026 Black Pearl Awards and featuring on the Michelin-Selected Restaurants in the 2026 Guide. According to Asia's 50 Best, the signature crispy tea-smoked duck with house-made Shiranui marmalade and glutinous rice is not to be missed.
Chef 1996 1996川菜·主厨餐厅
A4, Jiangtaiwa, Xinghuo Dong Lu, Chaoyang District
星火东路将台洼甲4号
Hours: 11.30am-2pm; 5.30pm-9.30pm
Phone: 135 2150 9321
#84 Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road)
Xin Rong Ji specializes in Taizhou cuisine from Zhejiang province. The Xinyuan South Road location is the flagship store in Beijing, and this branch has long been a staple in the capital's fine dining scene. It has been awarded three Michelin stars every year since the Beijing Michelin Guide was established in 2019 and was also given two diamonds in the 2026 Black Pearl Awards. Asia's 50 Best lauds this branch as serving a "sensational rendition of Peking duck" and also recommends trying dishes like the soy-braised sea cucumber and stewed lamb soup.
Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road) 新荣记(新源南路店)
101, 1/F, Qihao Beijing East Tower, 8 Xinyuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District
新源南路8号院启皓北京东塔1层101
Hours: 11.30am-2pm; 5.30pm-9pm
Phone: 010 6501 5501; 010 6501 3667
READ: Bookings for Restaurant Week Spring 2026 Are Now Open
Images: Best 50, courtesy of the venues, RedNote
