The Forbidden City in Beijing is primarily a historical and cultural site, so with a limited choice of restaurants or eateries inside. However, there are plenty of eating options available just outside the Forbidden City, in the surrounding areas. Here we’d like to introduce you some eating and drinking places within the ground as well as outside the Forbidden City.
Cafes or Refreshment areas for tourists in Forbidden City
There are some places to eat in the Forbidden City, more convenient than before, such as Ice Cellar Restaurant, Palace Museum Restaurant, and the Corner Tower Cafe outside the Palace Museum Shenwu Gate, etc.
The food in these eateries is just basic. When traveling to the Forbidden City, you are recommended to bring water and biscuits and other necessities in case of emergency.
The Corner Tower Cafe 角楼咖啡
Actually, the Forbidden City Corner Tower Cafe is located on the left side of the outside Shenwu Gate ( Gate of Divine Prowess, or the North Gate) when you finish your visit on your south-north visiting path. So when you go out of the north gate to Forbidden City, just turn left and take a break to immerse yourself in the Palace Musuem’s Cafe culture.
On December 1, 2018, the Palace Museum Corner Tower Coffee was officially opened, and visitors can enjoy coffee and feel the culture of the Palace Museum without having to be in the ” the palace”. With partitions, gray bricks, wooden chairs and other coffee shop interior furnishings, antique, and wall wallpaper, the Corner Cafe is now a tourist attraction itself in Beijing. In November 2020, it was selected into the list of the first Beijing Internet celebrity punch card (100 in total).
The “Palace” flavor is full of “The palace Selection” menu list: heart-nourishing coffee, three thousand beauties milk tea, Buddha’s hand tea, a ride of red dust concubine smile – Lychee black tea and other special drinks.
Address: Shenwumen West Room, Palace Museum, No.4 Jingshan Qianjie, Beijing
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 08:30-17:30
Palace Museum Restaurant 故宫餐厅
Location: Near the Hall of Clocks and Watches (钟表馆附近）
Food: Chinese fast food mainly
Area: Indoor restaurant + outdoor area,
There are many people dining in the place, you need to queue at noon, and if you want to eat a serious meal, just avoid the peak hours.
This Palace Museum Restaurant in the Palace sells some simple fast food, such as chicken wings, cream of mushroom soup, hot dogs, etc., which really saves lives on a snowy day, because it is hot!
The price is not expensive, set around 40-50 yuan or so.
This restaurant is located next to Wanchun Jinfu Afternoon Tea (万春金福下午茶）, you can order the sesame paste in the afternoon tea, and then bring it to the restaurant to eat, the combination of Chinese and Western.
Wanchun Jinfu Afternoon Tea 萬春金福下午茶
Located in the Hall of Kun Ning (坤宁宫内). Inside, there is a small courtyard with the good environment and afternoon tea sets, dishes more Chinese, the appearance is also good-looking, very the feeling of the palace lady.
The first is the golden Fortune latte. Black sesame walnut paste, warm drink, also OK. Drinks are around 30 yuan and snacks are 18 yuan.
Ice Cellar Restaurant 冰窖餐厅
What is it like to eat in the ice cellar of the Forbidden City more than 300 years ago? The “Ice Cellar” restaurant, is a stone cellar near the famous Cining Palace ( 慈宁宫 ). Since the ice cellar is a semi-underground building, from the outside, it looks like a huge and low old house.
The History of Ice Cellar
The ice cellar of the Imperial Palace was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. There are 4 existing, north-south, semi-underground arch cave buildings. The rammed earth between the wall and the arch roof and the roof tiles are very thick, and the heat insulation is very good.
The Layout of Ice Cellar Restaurant
The Ice Cellar Restaurant is mainly divided into three parts: a book bar, a cafe and a restaurant.
The book bar and the coffee are opposite each other in the same courtyard, and the book bar sells books and cultural and creative products from the Palace Museum Press. The Cafe environment is simple and fresh, sitting inside looking at the outside of the red walls and green tiles, light and shadow mottled, bamboo shadow dancing.
How to Get to Restaurant
Just follow the red wall from the Cafe, then walk to the restaurant.
The ice cellar restaurant also develops creative products with the cultural characteristics of the Forbidden City according to the cultural connotation of the ice cellar. For example, the packaging design of ice cream with palace characteristics is derived from the imperial ice of the Qing Dynasty, which is full of cultural characteristics of the Forbidden City.
After the introduction of cold drinks, ordinary visitors can also enjoy the “Royal ice storage”, so that visitors can enjoy quality services at the same time, through cultural creativity to understand the ancient palace summer methods and ice system.
1.The ice cellar restaurant of the Forbidden City is in the direction of Cining Palace ( 慈宁宫), or you are most likely to be Lost in the Forbidden City!
2, The ice cellar restaurant is open from Tuesday to Sunday 08:00 to 16:00, but basically 3:30 p.m. no more dinner.
It is closed every Monday.
3, There is no mobile phone signal in the ice cellar due to the heavy masonry,. You can turn on the WIFI.
If you’ve been visited the eating places above in Forbidden City, please give us some feedback for the convenience of the new visitors.
Remember to dress comfortably, wear comfortable shoes for walking, and bring sunscreen, water, and snacks as needed. Be respectful of the historical site, don’t touch or climb on the buildings, respect any photography restrictions, and be mindful of other visitors. Enjoy your visit to the historic and magnificent Forbidden City!