Budget
Donghuamen Night Market
The place to come for exotic snacks such as scorpions, starfish, and silkworm grubs. You can also buy more typical snacks like fried noodles, dumplings, and kebabs. More expensive than a "real" neighbourhood market, but still reasonably priced.
Wangfujing Snack Street
Many stalls selling Beijing-style snacks, both sweet and savoury.
Oriental Dumpling King
Cheap and delicious Dongbei northeast style dumplings. This is a chain, one of several around town. Their location in Harbin is recommended in several guidebooks, but if you're not going there you can get the same dumplings in Beijing. A few dozen different kinds, and can be boiled or fried. As with many dumpling places, order by weight: An order is usually two liang èr liÇng which is 100g, about 10-12 dumplings.
Midrange
Yuxin Sichuan Restaurant
One of the contenders in the ongoing competition for Beijing's best Sichuanese, Yuxin delivers on authenticity, flavor, and service. It's always busy, and always good.
é¿å®å¤§å§é¢ï¼å»ºå½é¨å 大è¡7å· ChángÄn Dà jùyuà n, Jià nguómén Nèidà jiÄ QÄ« hà o. Take the subway Lines 1 or 2 to Jianguomen, take Exit A, and walk west. Try their location in the Chang'an Grand Theatre for a calmer setting decorated in a traditional style, with alcoves divided by bamboo screens.
vegetarians
For vegetarians, Beijing's first pure vegetarian buffet restaurant is in the Confucius Temple on Guo zi jian street, west of the famous Lama Temple. No English menu so far, but one can just ask for the buffet, which contains a large variety of delicious vegetarian dishes, as well as a vegetarian hotpot, and a large selection of dessert.
Ginkgo Restaurant & Bar
Run by a British expat this place offers great breakfast, afternoon coffee and a host of interesting live music events.
Vineyard Cafe
Great place for Western-style breakfast and brunch in a restored hutong home. Also great European/fusion dishes, including some vegetarian options. A good dessert choice is the chocolate brownie with ice cream.
Chinese food:
Guijie
The most famous street for food in Beijing is probably Guijie sometimes called Ghost Street, which runs east-west along Dongzhimen Nei Dajie from Jiaodaokou Dong Dajie to to Dongzhimen Lijiaomen Bridge on the Second Ring Road, Dongcheng District. Red lanterns, traditional courtyards, hundreds of restaurants along the street. Eating on Ghost Street is about more than food and drink, it's a way of life for many Beijingers. Take your pick of restaurants, there are all kinds here.
Huajiayiyuan
One of the largest tourist traps. Tasteless food in lovelly plates though. Housed in a series of interconnected courtyards. Not Destined for people who like chinese food but like taking pictures of food. Try places where you see locals waiting on benches to be seated instead.
Wangfujing branch
This king of Beijing hotpot has been around since the 19th century. Founded by the Hui ethnic Muslims, Donglaishun serves halal cuts of top-quality lamb and beef. Also serves cooked-by-chef dishes, including traditional Beijing sweets.
Subway: Line 1 to Wangfujing
Yuxiang Renjia
Delicious Sichuan food. If you want to try Sichuan but are a little afraid of the spiciness, this place is a good choice: It's still spicy, but not as mouth-numbing as some other places. Reasonable prices, and a faux rural-village decor. There are 6 or 7 locations around town.
Non-Chinese Food:
Top end
Chinese food:
Dongsi Shitiao branch
Considered by some to be the best Beijing duck in the city, this upscale restaurant also delivers on a nice atmosphere. Reservations suggested. full/half beijing duck is ¥240/120 with extra ¥8 for condiments. Meal is served with free hot water, small soup, light fruits and black sesame for dessert.
This is the newer and more impressive of Dadong's branches.