2A, Baijiazhuang Lu, near Nansanlitun Lu
10/6595-2982
HOURS: Daily 24 hours
COST: Most entrées less than ¥100
METRO: Gongtibeilu (Line 10)
Famous for its hand-pulled noodles, Hai Di Lao is much more than just a hot pot joint. With many locations dotted around Beijing, it’s widely held to serve the best hot pot in town.
As well as good-quality meat and vegetable ingredients, Hai Di Lao has a sauce station where guests can create their own condiments, and fun extras like manicures while you wait for a table.
If you want to try hot pot, this is a good place to do it. It has all the atmosphere of a traditional hot pot house and is clean and relatively well organized too. The decor is smarter than cheaper hot pot restaurants, with wood fittings and gold accents.