Chinese New Year in Beijing feels slower.
Fireworks fade.
Families gather.
Meanwhile, warm food takes over the streets.
If you visit Beijing during Spring Festival, don’t rush between attractions.
Instead, eat your way through the city.
Slowly.
Intentionally.
What to Eat in Beijing During Chinese New Year ? Here are the dishes I always return to — plus the places I trust, with addresses you can actually use.
🥩 Copper Hot Pot (Beijing-Style Lamb Hot Pot)
First, start with copper hot pot.
Locals slice fresh lamb by hand. Then they dip it into bubbling broth. Next comes sesame sauce, garlic, and cilantro.
One bite warms your stomach.
Another warms your heart.
On cold New Year nights, this is comfort.
I usually go to:d
- Nanmen Hot Pot (Tiantan Branch) 南门涮肉（天坛店）
No. 1–2, Building 13, Dongli, Yongdingmen East Street, Dongcheng District
(near the South Gate of Temple of Heaven) - Jubaoyuan (Niujie Main Store) 聚宝源（牛街总店）
No. 5-2 Niujie Street, Xicheng District
(steps from Niujie Subway Station) - Manhengji Hot Pot (Pinganli) 满恒记火锅（平安里西大街店）
Southwest corner of Pinganli West Street & Zhaodengyu Road, Xicheng District
(closed on Feb 16)
Go early if you can.
Otherwise, expect a wait.
Still, waiting feels easier when steam rises from every doorway.
🥮 Huguosi Snacks: Old Beijing in Small Bites
What to Eat in Beijing During Chinese New Year ? Next, try traditional Beijing snacks.
I often stop at Huguosi Snacks (Main Store) 护国寺总店 .
Address:
No. 93 Huguosi Street, Xicheng District
(across from the People’s Theater)
This place carries generations of flavor.
You’ll see trays of pea cakes, sticky rice rolls, and warm sesame tea. Meanwhile, locals grab breakfast on the way to work.
Nothing feels staged here.
Instead, it feels real.
Order a few items. Share them. Taste slowly.
This is how Beijing mornings begin.
🦆 Beijing Roast Duck
Then, of course, comes roast duck.
Crispy skin.
Warm pancakes.
Sweet bean sauce.
During Chinese New Year, roast duck feels celebratory. However, it also feels familiar.
My usual spots:
- Quanjude (Qianmen Branch) 全聚德（前门店）
No. 30 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District
Hours: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM - Siji Minfu (Forbidden City Branch) 四季民福（故宫店）
No. 11 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Hours:
Mon–Thu: 10:30 AM – 9:30 PM
Fri–Sun (Chinese New Year): 10:30 AM – 10:30 PM - Yulin Roast Duck Restaurant 玉林烤鸭店（总店）
Commercial Unit, Building 9, Yulin Xili, Yulin East Road, Fengtai District
However, don’t rush this meal.
Let the duck arrive.
Watch the slicing.
Then take your time.
🔥 Zhi Zi Barbecue (Old Beijing Iron-Plate BBQ)
Later, when evening falls, follow the smell of sizzling meat.
Zhi zi barbecue (炙子烤肉) cooks marinated beef and lamb on hot iron plates. The sound alone pulls you inside.
It’s smoky.
It’s loud.
It’s delicious.
I like:
- Baqi Barbecue (Xinjiekou) 八旗烤肉（新街口店）
No. 23 Banqiao Ertiao, Xicheng District - Liu Ji Zhi Zi Barbecue (Hufangqiao) 刘记炙子烤肉（虎坊桥店）
No. 85 Lazhu Hutong, Xicheng District - Kaorou Liu (Hufangqiao Old Shop) 烤肉刘清真老北京炙子烤肉(虎坊桥老店)
No. 41 Qian’er Hutong, Xicheng District
Order meat. Then add flatbread. Finally, sip warm tea.
Outside, winter air waits. Inside, plates disappear quickly.
🍡 Tanghulu: Sweet Ends to Cold Days
Finally, finish with candied hawthorn.
Tanghulu shines under streetlights. Red fruit. Crystal sugar. Crunchy shells.
Kids love it. Adults pretend they don’t.
I always grab one anyway.
Two good stops:
- Di’anmen Tanghulu 地安门冰糖葫芦
No. 147 Di’anmen East Street, Dongcheng District
(about 460 meters from Shichahai Subway Station Exit C) - Ma Ji Tanghulu 马记糖葫芦
Inside Niujie Halal Supermarket, No. 5 Niujie Street, Xicheng District
Hold it with gloves. Bite carefully. Smile quietly.
Before You Leave the Table
Chinese New Year in Beijing isn’t about fancy dining.
It’s about warmth.
It’s about steam rising from hot pots.
It’s about duck shared at round tables.
It’s about sweets eaten while walking home.
So slow down.
Eat locally.
Follow your nose.
And let Beijing feed you — one winter dish at a time.
Further Reading
Things to Do in Beijing during Chinese New Year 2026
Beijing in February 2026: Wear, Weather, What to See
Best Street Food in Beijing: What to Eat and Where to Find It
Huguosi Street, Beijing (Huguosi Snack Street): Map & Travel Tips
