Zagat Survey Publishes First Beijing Guide Rating the Best Places to Eat, Drink, Stay and Play (China)
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Zagat Survey Publishes First Beijing Guide Rating the Best Places to Eat, Drink, Stay and Play (China)
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Category: Asia Pacific - China - Industry economy -
Figures / Studies
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2008-05-06
Made in China Takes Top Food; Ritz-Carlton, Financial St. is Top Hotel;
Nightspot Lan Has Highest Appeal and Shin Kong Place is Top Shop
Zagat Survey, LLC, the world's leading
provider of consumer survey-based leisure content, today announced the
release of its first-ever guide to Beijing. Based on the collective
opinions of 1,244 surveyors, the guide includes ratings and reviews for 432
of the city's finest restaurants, hotels, nightspots, shops and tourist
attractions. For travelers serious about immersing themselves in Chinese
culture, the guide provides travel tips on leading museums, how to get
around and phrases to use when navigating the city's menus and sites.
With the 2008 Summer Olympics around the corner, there's never been a
better time to visit China's capital city. Having recently undergone
unprecedented growth, Beijing boasts myriad new restaurants, hotels,
nightspots, stores, subways and light rails, with restored national
monuments.
"It's amazing to see the transformation that is taking place in
Beijing," said Tim Zagat, CEO, Zagat Survey, "All the work that has gone
into prepping for the Summer Olympics means a new guide by consumers for
consumers will be an invaluable necessity."
Dining in Beijing: In addition to ratings and reviews, the new guide
also measures diners' behavior. The city's newfound culinary sophistication
comes at quite a price, as 73% of surveyors report spending more per meal
than they did two years ago. But higher prices aren't deterring diners, as
91% indicate that they eat out just as much as ever -- as for complaints,
service and smoking are number one and two. Not surprisingly, Chinese food
is surveyors' favorite cuisine. When asked to get specific, Sichuan cuisine
leads Cantonese, second, and Shanghainese, third, but the local specialty,
Peking Duck, also proves extremely popular with two dedicated roast duck
restaurants making the city's four most popular eateries.
The capital's dining scene continues to upgrade with several hot
openings, from the likes of French master Daniel Boulud's Maison Boulud a
Pekin to a slew of luxurious hotel restaurants such as the Regent Bar &
Grill, Jaan at Raffles and Le Pre Lenotre at the Sofitel Wanda. As the
guide amply demonstrates, the city offers myriad world-class eateries as
well as bargain spots from which to choose.
Of the guide's 228 eateries, Made in China took Top Food honors with
"the best Peking duck in the whole wide world", Green T. House won for
Decor thanks to its "blow-your-mind" digs, Top Service went to the "superb"
Danieli's and this year's Most Popular pick is the "bustling", "chic"
Alameda.
Most Popular:
1. Alameda 6. Hastune
2. Din Tai Fung 7. Pure Lotus
3. Made in China 8. Green T. House
4. Beijing Da Dong 9. South Beauty
5. The Courtyard 10. Liqun Roast Duck
Hotels: Among Beijing's 35 leading hotels, the Ritz-Carlton, Financial
St., won the Top Overall thanks to its "huge spa", "spacious rooms" and
"excellent" staff. The Most Popular hotel is The Peninsula, due in part its
"fabulous food" and "amazing" rooms. Eager to show the world a modern face,
nearly every major Beijing hotel has undergone major renovations, while
newcomers like the Sofitel Wanda in Chaoyang and the Ritz-Carlton and
Westin in Xicheng have invigorated formerly staid areas. A list of the Most
Popular hotels follows:
Most Popular:
1. The Peninsula 6. Great Wall Sheraton
2. St. Regis 7. Kempinski
3. Grand Hyatt 8. Kerry Centre Hotel
4. China World 9. Ritz-Carlton, Financial St.
5. Shangri-La 10. Westin, Financial St.
Ni Hao Nightlife! The guide covers 44 leading nightspots. Among them,
there are plenty of sleek new bars and clubs (some open 24/7) armed with
libations to quench the growing class of thirsty hipsters. Compared to
other major world cities, alcohol here is generally inexpensive. Many of
the city's nightlife newcomers have embraced futuristic decor. For example,
the Philippe Starck-designed lounge/restaurant Lan (voted No. 1 for Appeal)
boasts a surrealistic look, while Song resembles a postmodern amphitheater.
China Doll is a 21st-century take on 1930s Shanghai, whereas Face
juxtaposes Colonial Asian furnishings with the most mod of merrymakers.
Surveyors deem the Most Popular nightspot, Centro in the Kerry Centre
Hotel, a place for "high-rolling" "locals as well as travelers". The ten
most popular nightspots are as follows:
Most Popular:
1. Centro 6. Vics
2. World/Suzie Wong* 7. Banana
3. Redmoon 8. Lan*
4. Baby Face 9. Lush*
5. Face 10. Bed Tapas & Bar
* Indicates a tie with the place above
Shop 'Til You Drop: Beijing has jumped into the high-end retail game as
of late with shoppers spending beaucoup bucks at outrageously upscale malls
such as Shin Kong Place, which wins top honors for Quality, Display and
Service. This not-so-ordinary shopping center hosts powerhouse retailers
such as Chanel, Dior and Gucci. As for the bazaars the city is known for,
e.g. Silk and Yashow markets, they've undergone face-lifts, with spruced-up
stalls filled by the staff in matching uniforms. In order of popularity,
check out these twelve popular places:
Most Popular:
1. Friendship Store 7. Yashow Market
2. Silk Market* 8. Hongqiao Market
3. Panjiayuan Market 9. China World Mall
4. Shanghai Tang* 10. Foreign Language Books*
5. Pacific Century Place 11. Malls at Oriental Plaza*
6. Sogo 12. Place, The*
*Indicates a tie with the place above
So Many Sites to See: As the Imperial capital of China for more than
700 years, Beijing has a treasure trove of royal palaces, parks and
temples. Below is a list of Zagat surveyors' favorite spots, any of which
would rank highly anywhere in the world.
Most Popular:
1. Forbidden City 4. Great Wall, Mutianyu
2. Great Wall, Badaling 5. Tiananmen Square
3. Summer Palace 6. Temple of Heaven
Zagat Survey's Beijing guide ($15.95) was edited by Bill Corsello, Jen
Lin-Liu, Paul Mooney and Sherisse Pham and is available in all major
bookstores throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, Hong Kong and parts of
Europe. Beijing content is also available online at ZAGAT.com and on mobile
devices via ZAGAT.mobi. In addition to travel tips and special indexes, the
guide includes fold out color maps of the city and Beijing's subway and has
stick on tabs to mark your favorite places. The guide is available in
English, with a Mandarin Chinese version expected to be available next
year.
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