Jùbǎoyuán

Beijing


A culinary mecca for hotpot-obsessed Hui Chinese, this is one of Beijing's most famous shuan yangrou (scalding mutton) eateries. Perennially packed, the faithful queue up to get their turn at the charcoal-burning pots, dunking hand-cut meat slices into a clear broth before coating them liberally in sesame paste and consuming heartily. English menus are available on request.

Directly opposite the restaurant is Shuru Hutong, which is worth a stroll for its many halal butchers and snack vendors.

Jubaoyuan has its own halal butchers, so you can rest assured about the provenance of your prime cuts. The queues outside mostly consist of people purchasing meat to cook at home, so don't be deterred. In any case, the restaurant is vast, so you shouldn't have to wait long. At ground level is a shop and several window booths that specialise in traditional Beijing sweet snacks.

Directly opposite the restaurant is Shuru Hutong, which is worth a stroll for its many halal butchers and snack vendors.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Beijing attractions

1. Niu Jie Mosque

0.09 MILES

Dating from around the 10th century when Chinese first began converting to Islam, Beijing's oldest mosque appears more like a Chinese temple with Islamic…

2. Fayuan Temple

0.38 MILES

Infused with an air of sleepy reverence, this working Buddhist temple is one of Beijing's most evocative. Perhaps it's the ancient Song dynasty pines,…

3. Southwest Gate City Wall Remains

0.96 MILES

The lesser sibling to the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, this restored chunk of Beijing's dearly departed ramparts is stranded in a phalanx of traffic. You…

4. Tianning Temple

1.08 MILES

Dating back to the Liao dynasty (around 1120), the pagoda in this little-visited temple is reputedly the oldest structure in Beijing. The octagonal tower…

5. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

1.15 MILES

Central Beijing's earliest church dates back to a chapel beside the house of Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who brought Catholicism to China in the early…

6. White Cloud Temple

1.38 MILES

White Cloud Temple is an active, vast and fascinating maze of halls, shrines and brightly painted immortals, tended by Taoist monks with their hair…

7. Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum

1.66 MILES

On the site of the old Temple of Agriculture (先农坛, Xiānnóng Tán), you'll find this museum exploring traditional Chinese building techniques. Brush up on…

8. Capital Museum

1.76 MILES

It's a case of 'so near and yet so far' for Beijing's flagship museum, which, on architecture alone, promises so much. A neat timeline exhibit charts the…