Vineyard Café
Cuisine: Café
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: No, but there are lots of kid-friendly options.
General kid-friendliness of menu: Most of the dishes on the main menu are appropriate for kids.
Kid-friendly staff? The friendly staff speaks English well.
Bathroom: Clean sit-down toilet, but no change table.
Best items for kids: Crinkle-cut chips, beef or veggie burger, and crispy jacket potato skins.
Kids’ play area: No play area but if you’re happy for your kids to play out of sight, the hutong outside is great for exploring.
Seating: Standard chairs. Highchairs are available and there’s outdoor seating in the courtyard.
Price: RMB 300-350
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Must-order item: Poached eggs and salmon with hollandaise sauce.
Award: Best Café
In a nutshell: A cozy place to enjoy great food with family and friends in a relaxing hutong setting. Families flock to the Vineyard for their weekend brunches, so stroller traffic jams are common. Best to book a table in advance and avoid the hassle of competing for a table.
Tue-Sun 11.30am-3pm, 6-10.30pm. 31 Wudaoying Hutong (just north of the Confucius temple), Dongcheng District (6402 7961); 东城区五道营胡同31号
Hutong Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: No, but the main menu has plenty of kid-friendly options.
General kid-friendliness of menu: Lots of funky pizza toppings and half-and-half available if you can’t make up your mind. One large pizza can feed a family of three.
Kid-friendly staff: The staff speak some English, but you may have to ask for things twice.
Bathroom: Clean sit-down toilet. However, it’s very small and you may need to bring your own tissues.
Best items for kids: The barbecue chicken, three cheese or pepperoni pizzas will all go down a treat. Parents can try the Brie and walnut salad.
Kids’ play area: No play area, but there is an indoor fishpond. Houhai is just around the corner and you can explore the surrounding hutongs post meal.
Seating: Wooden tables and chairs. Highchairs are available.
Price: RMB 200-250
Accepts credit cards? No
Must-order item: The spinach pizza. Delicious.
Award: Best Funky Pizza
In a nutshell: Many of their pizzas are vegetarian and their selection of toppings is healthier than your standard pizza joint. It’s located in a hard-to-find hutong, so eating here can make you feel like a true Beijinger. The chatty oddball mix of clientele adds to the locals-only vibe and you’ll never need to worry about noisy kids.
Daily 11am-10pm. 9 Yindingqiao Hutong, Houhai, Xicheng District (8322 8916); 西城区后海银锭桥胡同9号
Argo
Cuisine: Mediterranean
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: Yes
General kid-friendliness of menu: In addition to the kids’ menu, the main menu has lots of options for kids.
Kid-friendly staff? The staff is polite and speaks English well.
Bathroom: Clean sit-down toilet but no change table.
Best items for kids: Spaghetti with meat sauce, whole cod fillet, dip platter. The traditional Greek dessert baklava is delicious.
Kids’ play area: Located on the first floor, it has small stools and some wooden toys. Best to bring some additional toys from home.
Seating: Standard tables and chairs. Highchairs are available.
Price: RMB 300-350
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Must-order item: Pita bread with hummus or tzatziki and the moussaka.
Award: Best Greek
In a nutshell: Offers the most authentic Greek and Mediterranean dishes in Beijing. The prices are reasonable and the hutong setting is peaceful and unpretentious.
Daily 11am-10pm. 59 Wudaoying Hutong (100m west of Vineyard Café), Dongcheng District (8403 9748); 东城区五道营胡同59号
