This weekend I stopped by a quaint new café nestled beside the Beijing Arts Exhibition Center off of Jingshun Lu. The English Tearoom is a lovely and surprisingly roomy new eatery featuring breakfast, lunch and light dinner – and of course, afternoon tea — from Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30am-7pm. Sunday was its official opening, and the owners were quite enthusiastic to share the news about this unique café. Jennie is originally from England, and her husband Mo is from China – together, their unique vision for a family-friendly tearoom in China was born.
The bright and airy dining area is decorated with vintage pictures on the walls and charming table settings with assorted coverings and fresh flowers. The black board features all beverage choices and daily specials, and the front counter showcases fresh baked goods. A smaller children’s room is a great place for families with little ones to enjoy a meal while the kids are entertained by their own play area. High chairs as well as a private nursing section illustrate the kid-friendly atmosphere of The English Tearoom, and an enclosed outdoor area will soon boast tricycles and small bikes to further entertain the little ones. It’s obvious the owners have young children and are sensitive to families’ needs and desires!
Traditional English scones, baked cakes and biscuits are always on the menu, ranging from RMB 20-30. There are 10 sandwich selections from which to choose, however the option to build your own is available, too! Try the roast chicken & avocado sandwich, vegetables & cheese, or classic Marmite & cheese or hard-boiled egg, all from RMB 38-75 and accompanied by a side salad, coleslaw and oven baked crisps. Home-made specialty dishes, salads and soups are also on the menu, as is a separate breakfast menu (available until 11am on weekdays or noon on weekends) and a children’s menu.
Birthday parties and special occasions are welcome at The English Tearoom, just contact them directly for specifics at 158 1099 8410. Also, visit their website at www.englishrearoombeijing.com for an overview of the restaurant and specific directions on how to get there.
If you live around here, we like to call their location Shunyi – although across the Wenyu River it’s technically Chaoyang. It is located on Shun Huang Lu (顺黄路) – turn northwest off of Jing Mi Lu (京密路) by the Beidong Flower Market. About 200 meters on the right, enter through the Chinese style gates and the restaurant is at the end of the drive on the left – look for the red phone booth!
