Floral Hotel Splendid Valley Beijing

This restaurant, annexed to an art gallery, sports a dining room complete with historical garden views through its floor-to-ceiling windows. Liaoning fisherman’s-style dishes are re-created here, with produce from Changbai Mountains and fish from Bohai Sea and Liao River. Signatures include green willow clams, and stir-fried sea snail with green onion—both flavoursome and full of umami.

Lei Garden hails from Hong Kong and specialises in authentic Cantonese fare. This is their first Beijing outpost and it rolls out food of a consistently high standard. Most ingredients are sourced from their own farm to ensure quality and freshness. The signature roasted pork belly boasts alternate layers of fat and meat, with crispy skin and juicy flesh. To avoid disappointment, pre-order slow-cooked soups that take over six hours to make.

The three-storey complex with an art gallery, a main dining room and a space for private banquets boasts pristine white walls dotted with artworks and greenery. It serves simple fare like smørrebrød (open sandwiches) for lunch; there is a single tasting menu at dinner. Pickled, smoked and cured ingredients are used aptly to show Nordic influences, without being overpowering. Meat and seafood sourced globally are complemented by seasonal produce.

Though its name means "purple and gold", this cosy restaurant is clad in hand-embroidered orange fabric with a bird theme. The Hakkanese chef reinterprets traditional Cantonese fare with a refined touch and occasional Hakkanese twists. The braised pork belly ribs with preserved mustard greens are made with rose myrtle fruit wine from his home county. The double-boiled chicken and fish maw soup with conch seduces with its rich, deep umami.

Designed by German architect Ole Scheeren, this dining room seamlessly blends pared-down modernism with hutong traditions. Imagine circular booths that create an array of semi-private spaces. The experienced head chef from Hong Kong showcases his solid, savvy skills in signature dishes like roast pigeon. The menu includes many items that are available in individual portion sizes, so diners can sample the variety of his repertory. The delicately-crafted dim sum is recommended at lunchtime.

Hidden in the courtyard of a historic temple, this cosy, modern, professionally run dining room raises customer expectations. Polished, immaculately crafted dishes starring top-notch local produce hit the spot every time. The premium signature menu is inspired by the chef’s personal history and stars luxury ingredients. The seasonal menu lavishly calls upon ripe, mature produce and Le Grand Dessert finale is definitely worth writing home about.

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