Eating at the World's
SUE BRATTLE
Travellers Put Beijing Wonder Top of Their List
TRB Hutong, Beijing
5/5
I HAD a huge birthday while we were working in Beijing, China, and it called for a treat. There was one standout choice, what was then called the Temple Restaurant Beijing, or TRB.
Fast forward four years, and the restaurant now renamed as TRB Hutong has been ranked TripAdvisor’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World. I’m not much swayed by lists, to be honest. But this accolade really pleased me, mainly because I spent that birthday lunch – a freezing cold but sunny January day – happily being cosseted by lovely staff while eating the most exquisite Western food.
For those of you who have never been to Beijing, it struggles to deliver truly five-star service so I know TRB must have put customers at the centre of their training. Once they realised it was my birthday, they really did pull out all the stops.
This included tastings of just about every dish they served and every wine they had, plus glasses of a brand new phenomenon, a sparkling Chandon from a Chinese vineyard. And the nice thing was, the waiters asked our opinion of everything, and really listened to our answers.
We had a five-course meal for 298 yuan (approximately $47) and paid around $20 more for five paired wines. My memorable dishes were a shallot tart with Iberico ham, and pistachio panna cotta – but there was the surprise lemon birthday cake, Colin’s curry pumpkin soup, and the delight of a menu that made it difficult to choose.
The restaurant itself is lovely, a mix of a 600-year-old temple, a gorgeous courtyard decked out with contemporary Chinese art (where a member of staff meets you when you arrive), and a disused TV factory. It’s down a traditional side street (or hutong) near the Forbidden City and has achieved something of a miracle in a city as huge as Beijing – a sense of peace and tranquillity.
I’m not a restaurant critic, but everything about the TRB was a delight and our congratulations go to the proprietor Ignace Lecleir and his team. They were getting it right from the beginning and it’s always good to see such passion being rewarded. We went back for a celebration dinner just before we left Beijing, but it’s the lunchtime experience that really stands out.
Top tip: when you book, request a window seat. Most other seating is long bench tables, nice for a group of friends or if you’re dining solo but not so good if you’re going out as a couple.
TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travellers’ Choice Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the World:
1. TRB Hutong, Beijing, China. 2. Epicure, Paris, France. 3. Ristorante Villa Crespi, Orta San Giulio, Italy. 4. Restaurante Benazuza, Cancun, Mexico. 5. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium. 6. Le Brouillarta, St-Jean-de-Luz, France. 7. David’s Kitchen, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 8. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain. 9. Aramburu, Beunos Aires, Argentina. 10. Adam’s, Birmingham, UK.
Top picture: The TRB Hutong’s courtyard. Photo: TRB Group.
October 2019
MORE INFO
CHINESE WEBSITES in English are not always as helpful as they might be, but the TRB Hutong one is as classy as the restaurant. READ MORE
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Eating at the World's
Best Restaurant
SUE BRATTLE
Travellers Put Beijing Wonder Top of Their List
TRB Hutong, Beijing
5/5
I HAD a huge birthday while we were working in Beijing, China, and it called for a treat. There was one standout choice, what was then called the Temple Restaurant Beijing, or TRB.
Fast forward four years, and the restaurant now renamed as TRB Hutong has been ranked TripAdvisor’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World. I’m not much swayed by lists, to be honest. But this accolade really pleased me, mainly because I spent that birthday lunch – a freezing cold but sunny January day – happily being cosseted by lovely staff while eating the most exquisite Western food.
For those of you who have never been to Beijing, it struggles to deliver truly five-star service so I know TRB must have put customers at the centre of their training. Once they realised it was my birthday, they really did pull out all the stops.
This included tastings of just about every dish they served and every wine they had, plus glasses of a brand new phenomenon, a sparkling Chandon from a Chinese vineyard. And the nice thing was, the waiters asked our opinion of everything, and really listened to our answers.
We had a five-course meal for 298 yuan (approximately $47) and paid around $20 more for five paired wines. My memorable dishes were a shallot tart with Iberico ham, and pistachio panna cotta – but there was the surprise lemon birthday cake, Colin’s curry pumpkin soup, and the delight of a menu that made it difficult to choose.
The restaurant itself is lovely, a mix of a 600-year-old temple, a gorgeous courtyard decked out with contemporary Chinese art (where a member of staff meets you when you arrive), and a disused TV factory. It’s down a traditional side street (or hutong) near the Forbidden City and has achieved something of a miracle in a city as huge as Beijing – a sense of peace and tranquillity.
I’m not a restaurant critic, but everything about the TRB was a delight and our congratulations go to the proprietor Ignace Lecleir and his team. They were getting it right from the beginning and it’s always good to see such passion being rewarded. We went back for a celebration dinner just before we left Beijing, but it’s the lunchtime experience that really stands out.
Top tip: when you book, request a window seat. Most other seating is long bench tables, nice for a group of friends or if you’re dining solo but not so good if you’re going out as a couple.
TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travellers’ Choice Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the World:
1. TRB Hutong, Beijing, China. 2. Epicure, Paris, France. 3. Ristorante Villa Crespi, Orta San Giulio, Italy. 4. Restaurante Benazuza, Cancun, Mexico. 5. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium. 6. Le Brouillarta, St-Jean-de-Luz, France. 7. David’s Kitchen, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 8. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain. 9. Aramburu, Beunos Aires, Argentina. 10. Adam’s, Birmingham, UK.
Top picture: The TRB Hutong’s courtyard. Photo: TRB Group.
October 2019
MORE INFO
CHINESE WEBSITES in English are not always as helpful as they might be, but the TRB Hutong one is as classy as the restaurant. READ MORE
RELATED
BUG, SCORPION STREET SNACKS: Starfish, larvae, bugs and seahorses were among the specialities on offer at Beijing’s Donghuamen Night Market. We recall this unusual market… READ MORE
MUSEUM QUALITY FOOD: The Chinese province of Sichuan takes its distinctive style of cooking very seriously — so much so that it has set up a museum devoted to the subject… READ MORE
DINNER AT RICK STEIN’S: When I first met Sue 30 years ago we used to head to Cornwall in the south-west of England for short breaks, staying at scenic coastal towns such as Rock and Port Isaac. Sue had been going to the area… READ MORE
IN FRANCE, NOTHING STOPS LUNCH: We were in France on the third leg of our mature persons’ gap year when Colin’s birthday came around and I booked a table for lunch in the pretty town of Anduze in the Cévennes… READ MORE
ANDY MURRAY, RESTAURATEUR: Andy Murray is a champion tennis player – but what’s he like as a restaurant owner? Is his mash as good as his smash? READ MORE
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SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
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LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!
Eating at the World's Best Restaurant
Travellers Put Beijing Wonder Top of Their List
SUE BRATTLE
TRB Hutong, Beijing
5/5
I HAD a huge birthday while we were working in Beijing, China, and it called for a treat. There was one standout choice, what was then called the Temple Restaurant Beijing, or TRB.
Fast forward four years, and the restaurant now renamed as TRB Hutong has been ranked TripAdvisor’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World. I’m not much swayed by lists, to be honest.
But this accolade really pleased me, mainly because I spent that birthday lunch – a freezing cold but sunny January day – happily being cosseted by lovely staff while eating the most exquisite Western food.
For those of you who have never been to Beijing, it struggles to deliver truly five-star service so I know TRB must have put customers at the centre of their training. Once they realised it was my birthday, they really did pull out all the stops.
This included tastings of just about every dish they served and every wine they had, plus glasses of a brand new phenomenon, a sparkling Chandon from a Chinese vineyard. And the nice thing was, the waiters asked our opinion of everything, and really listened to our answers.
We had a five-course meal for 298 yuan (approximately $47) and paid around $20 more for five paired wines. My memorable dishes were a shallot tart with Iberico ham, and pistachio panna cotta – but there was the surprise lemon birthday cake, Colin’s curry pumpkin soup, and the delight of a menu that made it difficult to choose.
The restaurant itself is lovely, a mix of a 600-year-old temple, a gorgeous courtyard decked out with contemporary Chinese art (where a member of staff meets you when you arrive), and a disused TV factory.
It’s down a traditional side street (or hutong) near the Forbidden City and has achieved something of a miracle in a city as huge as Beijing – a sense of peace and tranquillity.
I’m not a restaurant critic, but everything about the TRB was a delight and our congratulations go to the proprietor Ignace Lecleir and his team.
They were getting it right from the beginning and it’s always good to see such passion being rewarded. We went back for a celebration dinner just before we left Beijing, but it’s the lunchtime experience that really stands out.
Top tip: when you book, request a window seat. Most other seating is long bench tables, nice for a group of friends or if you’re dining solo but not so good if you’re going out as a couple.
TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travellers’ Choice Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the World:
1. TRB Hutong, Beijing, China. 2. Epicure, Paris, France. 3. Ristorante Villa Crespi, Orta San Giulio, Italy. 4. Restaurante Benazuza, Cancun, Mexico. 5. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium. 6. Le Brouillarta, St-Jean-de-Luz, France. 7. David’s Kitchen, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 8. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain. 9. Aramburu, Beunos Aires, Argentina. 10. Adam’s, Birmingham, UK.
Top picture: The TRB Hutong’s courtyard. Photo: TRB Group.
October 2019
MORE INFO
CHINESE WEBSITES in English are not always as helpful as they might be, but the TRB Hutong one is as classy as the restaurant. READ MORE
RELATED
BUG, SCORPION STREET SNACKS: Starfish, larvae, bugs and seahorses were among the specialities on offer at Beijing’s Donghuamen Night Market. We recall this unusual market… READ MORE
MUSEUM QUALITY FOOD: The Chinese province of Sichuan takes its distinctive style of cooking very seriously — so much so that it has set up a museum devoted to the subject… READ MORE
DINNER AT RICK STEIN’S: When I first met Sue 30 years ago we used to head to Cornwall in the south-west of England for short breaks, staying at scenic coastal towns such as Rock and Port Isaac. Sue had been going to the area… READ MORE
IN FRANCE, NOTHING STOPS LUNCH: We were in France on the third leg of our mature persons’ gap year when Colin’s birthday came around and I booked a table for lunch in the pretty town of Anduze in the Cévennes… READ MORE
ANDY MURRAY, RESTAURATEUR: Andy Murray is a champion tennis player – but what’s he like as a restaurant owner? Is his mash as good as his smash? READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our up-to-the-minute guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE