The Urban Edit
“What Would Jesus Do?” has been uttered by many a devoted soul over the centuries. Turns out at new bar La Social the answer is “surround himself with Hollywood dressing room lights, Day of the Dead masks and have one helluva party.”
Yes that’s right, if a little Latin American flair has been missing from your life (and let’s be honest we’re in Beijing, so yes it has), then this new venture from the guys behind the Mosto/Modo restaurants will make your heart sing.
Dunhuang is a lovely place, it really is. Sweeping desert sandscapes, ancient Buddhist grottoes… unfortunately it takes a butt-numbingly long and wallet-bustingly expensive flight to get there. You could say we’re grateful, then, that the Lost Heaven team have spared us the time and serious expense in bringing a little bit of the Silk Road to our very own former French Concession.
The vast venue is an attraction in itself, spread over two huge floors with a huge terrace brushing up against the leafy plane trees of Julu Lu. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the huge space, but do not miss (we did on our first two visits) the room tucked away at the back behind the bathrooms. A painstakingly accurate partial replica of Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves awaits, ignored by most of the diners. The perfect spot for a pre-dinner drink.
Absorb these Beijing Must Dos into your itinerary and we guarantee your experience will be at least 30% more authentic and joy filled.
Beijing has an abundance of great Japanese joints, in part because the Japanese are the biggest foreign community in the capital, but also because the ingredients can be flown in fresh and it’s damn good food. The only thing is that the best are usually the hardest to find, as they tend to be spread over the city, in locations that you’d never expect to find food, let alone the restuarants that you wished you knew existed. You will need the skills of a shinobi to track down the finest fare but luckily, we are here to help you. Here are five of our faves:
This restaurant, located down a hutong that seems deliberately dimly lit, is perhaps Beijing’s finest kaiseki, which determines that you put your dining fate completely in the hands of the chef. The food will be fabulous but it’s always a better experience if you turn up in a smaller group (three tops) and shell out for the most expensive menu.
The cat is out of the bag and firmly among the Beijing restaurant scene pigeons: the Georg has just opened to subtle-yet-sleek fanfare in a part of town you might be spending more and more time in.
The first concept restaurant from the Danish design brand Georg Jensen, the Georg’s design aesthetic was guaranteed, but this is rivalled – if not outdone – by its modern Danish food.
