Beijing - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Meituan, Elema, Sherpa’s, JSS… the list goes on and on. Delivery apps are EVERYWHERE in Beijing (and most other big cities in China), and they will deliver any food item you can buy in the city. Western fast food, gourmet burgers, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Indian, Southeast Asian, countless varieties of Chinese food… the list just goes on and on. Most of the delivery apps will deliver grocery items too (including alcohol, cleaning supplies, and other household items). - Nov 2024
Almost anything is available here, but some of it is expensive. There's great pizza, sushi, and even barbecue near the embassy. Sadly, I have yet to find truly good Indian food. Delivery apps are numerous. If you don't speak Chinese you can use the English-language app JSS, although prices may be slightly higher and options are a bit limited. Sherpas is also popular. You will need WeChat pay, which you can't set up until you're in country and have a Chinese bank account. JSS will allow you to pay cash on delivery, but the delivery people don't always have change. - Nov 2021
There are food delivery apps, some in English, that can have anything you'd want delivered to your house. - Nov 2020
Food delivery services are ubiquitous, with the English-language app Sherpas or the more popular Meituan in Chinese. Beijing does have a lot of choices for foodies, although these restaurants are all subject to sudden closure or other health restrictions. - Aug 2020
Hundreds of options available, you can find pretty much anything. China has the best delivery system in the world probably. Anything can be ordered from your phone, and it's all cashless and electronic. Efficient and easy. - Jul 2020
Chinese food is amazing. I still dream of soup dumplings. Lots of choices, lots of delivery. Beijing is a culinary delight. - May 2020
Everything is available. Prices are higher then the US, unless you want to eat only low quality noodles and rice. - Nov 2019
Everything can be delivered if you have WeChat. Think of living in NYC but bigger. - Oct 2017
Tons, endless options, ranging from 50 cents for a full meal to extravagant higher-than-the-west prices at luxury restaurants. - Dec 2015
Yes. Pizza, McDonald's, etc. can all be found in addition to low and high end Chinese food. Price range is about the same as the States. - Apr 2015
All kinds of American fast food, and also many international restaurants of all kinds. The authentic Chinese food is extremely greasy, spicy and salty for my taste. Funny to say but in comparison, McDonald's food seems less hazardous to your health. - Aug 2014
Most Western fast food places are well-represented. There are Starbucks and McDonalds everywhere. Within a half mile of my house, we have a Mrs. Fields cookies, a Domino's pizza, Subway, Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Baskin Robbins and a Papa John's pizza. Chinese food is typically quite inexpensive. You can get giant tubs of tasty stir-fried noodles for about $1 on the street near the house. Western food can be expensive. I like to eat at Elements Fresh and a lunch of salads, smoothies and sandwiches there for my family of 5 can easily cost $60-70. - Jul 2014
Everything from cheap as chips noodles to fancy European-style restaurants (with European prices.) - Jun 2013
Some American fast food is present (McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, and others) -- and they have delivery service. Prices are comparable to the U.S. Most “decent” restaurants are foreign, though there’s a good Taiwanese restaurant near the U.S. Embassy, a good Shanghai dumpling restaurant, and lots of Peking duck places (but none of the above are cheap). Cheap dumplings and steamed buns can be found, and “jianbing” (a crêpe with egg and spices) from street vendors should not be missed. - Aug 2011
Food is cheap in China but it isn't very good quality. Very greasy but you can eat from street vendors and get fat on just a couple bucks a day. You can also blow your entire paycheck on some place fancy if you want as well. - Apr 2011
American chains McDonald's, Burger King, Fatburger, KFC and DQ are all here. Except for McDonald's and KFC, they all cost $1 to $2 more than the same thing would cost in the US. KFC is cheap but has a very different menu than the US. McDonald's has a localized menu as well, but they have many American favorites (the Big Mac) and things cost $1-$2 less at McDonald's here vs. the US.There are plenty of other great restaurants as well - Chinese people love to eat out and this being the capital, you can sample any type of Chinese cuisine from anywhere in the country. You could eat at a different restaurant every meal every day for 3 years and maybe sample 10% of the restaurants in Beijing. Chinese food is cheap, you can go with 10 people to dinner and the bill comes to maybe $3 each with drinks. - Jan 2011
Starbucks: $4.50 for a grande mocha (oops, just gave away my not-so-secret addiction). McDonald's, KFC, Subway - even a Fat Burger. But I still prefer the many Chinese food options, many of which are dirt cheap and delicious. - Apr 2010
Plenty of fast food, American and local. There are some decent restaurants in different price ranges. - Jan 2010
