Indulge in Pancakes From These Places This Shrove Tuesday

Tomorrow (Feb 13) is Pancake Day, aka Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent in the Christian calendar. Dating back to the 16th century when British Christians would eat pancakes in order to use up eggs, butter, fat and other rich foodstuffs ahead of Lent it has now basically become an excuse to stuff yourself silly with pancakes.

In honor of Pancake Day we’ve put together a list of some of the best places around Beijing to satisfy your pancake needs. From traditional French crêpes to fluffy American pancakes or a good old jianbing, there are plenty of spots you can try. 

Please bear in mind that as it’s Chinese New Year some places may be closed, so it’s best to check ahead to make sure they’re open.

Panorama

When it comes to crêpes nowhere beats Panorama in Sanlitun Courtyard No.4. This French restaurant serves up both savory and sweet crêpes and there are tons of different fillings to choose from. For savory crêpes, or galettes as they are called in French, they have numerous different variations on the menu! 

Our personal favorites are the Captain (RMB 78), which is stuffed with smoked salmon, red onion, dill, capers and cream with a slice of lemon on the side to drizzle over, and the Bollywood (RMB 75,) which is stuffed with grilled chicken curry, bell pepper, Emmental cheese, onion and white wine. Both are served with a side salad. They also have no shortage of sweet crêpes, ten altogether, with traditional offerings like Lemon and Sugar (RMB 40) as well as more indulgent ones like Banana and Nutella (RMB 50).

They’ve also currently got a winter special the Raclette (RMB 98) galette (pictured above) which features roasted potatoes, raclette cheese, bacon, onions and a drizzle of cream to finish it all off.

Panorama
81 Sanlitun Courtyard No. 4, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯机电院81号
Hours: 10am-midnight
Phone: 010 6506 1893

Poupée Café and Bistro

Another crêpe place, Poupée only opened up last year in The Box. They have a range of both sweet and savory crêpes on offer which you can either order from their takeaway crêpe window or enjoy them in their bistro. Savory fillings include things like like Ham, Cheese and Sour Crème (RMB 48) and Salami and Cheese (RMB 54) or for sweet fillings they have things like Nuts Chocolate (RMB 34) or Oreo Chocolate (RMB 36, pictured above). 

Poupée Café and Bistro
12 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District, 朝阳区朝阳门外大街12号
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 187 0139 5637

Tigers

Tigers, formerly known as Tiger Pancake House, specializes in American style pancakes. Their thick, fluffy pancakes are sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth, coming loaded with a variety of ice cream, fruit and whipped cream. Their Special Strawberry Pancake (RMB 68) topped with fresh strawberries, strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, pieces of freeze-dried strawberry and syrup is a must try. 

If you’re looking for a more savory option, you can also order one of their numerous brunch dishes that include pancakes such as the Army Brunch (RMB 78), which sees pancakes served up with a beef patty, Cheddar cheese, fries and coleslaw.

Tigers (Sanyuanqiao Branch)
1, B1 1959 Shijjianli, Fenghuang Lu
凤凰环路1959时间里B1-1号
Hours: 10.30am-9.30pm
Phone: 010 5977 3017

Peiping Machine

This Chinese brewery takes the humble jianbing and brings it to a whole new level. At their Fangjia branch they have six different kinds of jianbing on their menu, each with a unique twist. A number of them combine the jianbing with another popular Chinese dish such as their Shishan Roast Duck Jianbing (RMB 58) or Braised Pork Belly Jianbing (RMB 38). They also do some western variations on the jianbing, like the simple Cheese Jianbing (RMB 28) or Salmon and Avocado Jianbing (RMB 68). To accompany one of their bings why not also try one of their signature craft brews?

Peiping Machine (Fangjia branch)
E101, 46 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区方家胡同46号院
Hours: Mon-Fri 4pm-1.30am, Sat-Sun 3pm-1.30am
Phone: 132 4023 5240

Lily’s American Diner

Another purveyor of American style pancakes, Lily’s American Diner keep things simple with their American Pancakes (RMB 59 for two, RMB 69 for three) that see buttermilk pancakes served up with two fried eggs and a side of bacon. Their pancakes are available all day so you can even order them in the evening and treat yourself to some brinner. 

Lily’s American Diner (Sanlitun branch)
1-037, Bldg 5, Shoukai Bojun, 8 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新东路8号院手开铂郡小区底商5号楼1-037号
Hours: 7am-10pm
Phone: 010 8418 5497, 137 1838 9020

Bewaffle

At their Pingan Xingfuhui Shopping Center branch, Bewaffle also offers up a variety of crêpes along with their signature waffles. They have sweet options available like Nutella (RMB 28) or Cinnamon Apple (RMB 35) and also a few savory options such as Roast Pepper, Ham and Cheese (RMB 42). (Please note that crêpes aren’t available at their Sanlitun store.)

Bewaffle (Pingan Xingfuhui branch)
111, L1, Pingan Xingfuhui, Lize Lu
丽泽路平安幸福汇1层L111号
Hours: 8am-7.30pm
Phone: 186 1060 2911

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Images: Dianping, Meituan Waimai, Unsplash