Zagat Survey Publishes First Beijing Guide Rating the Best Places to Eat, Drink, Stay and Play

NEW YORK, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Zagat Survey, LLC, the world's leading provider of consumer survey-based leisure content, today announced the release of its first-ever guide to Beijing. Based on the collective opinions of 1,244 surveyors, the guide includes ratings and reviews for 432 of the city's finest restaurants, hotels, nightspots, shops and tourist attractions. For travelers serious about immersing themselves in Chinese culture, the guide provides travel tips on leading museums, how to get around and phrases to use when navigating the city's menus and sites.

With the 2008 Summer Olympics around the corner, there's never been a better time to visit China's capital city. Having recently undergone unprecedented growth, Beijing boasts myriad new restaurants, hotels, nightspots, stores, subways and light rails, with restored national monuments.

"It's amazing to see the transformation that is taking place in Beijing," said Tim Zagat, CEO, Zagat Survey, "All the work that has gone into prepping for the Summer Olympics means a new guide by consumers for consumers will be an invaluable necessity."

Dining in Beijing: In addition to ratings and reviews, the new guide also measures diners' behavior. The city's newfound culinary sophistication comes at quite a price, as 73% of surveyors report spending more per meal than they did two years ago. But higher prices aren't deterring diners, as 91% indicate that they eat out just as much as ever -- as for complaints, service and smoking are number one and two. Not surprisingly, Chinese food is surveyors' favorite cuisine. When asked to get specific, Sichuan cuisine leads Cantonese, second, and Shanghainese, third, but the local specialty, Peking Duck, also proves extremely popular with two dedicated roast duck restaurants making the city's four most popular eateries.

The capital's dining scene continues to upgrade with several hot openings, from the likes of French master Daniel Boulud's Maison Boulud a Pekin to a slew of luxurious hotel restaurants such as the Regent Bar & Grill, Jaan at Raffles and Le Pre Lenotre at the Sofitel Wanda. As the guide amply demonstrates, the city offers myriad world-class eateries as well as bargain spots from which to choose.

Of the guide's 228 eateries, Made in China took Top Food honors with "the best Peking duck in the whole wide world", Green T. House won for Decor thanks to its "blow-your-mind" digs, Top Service went to the "superb" Danieli's and this year's Most Popular pick is the "bustling", "chic" Alameda.

    Most Popular:
    1. Alameda                   6. Hastune
    2. Din Tai Fung              7. Pure Lotus
    3. Made in China             8. Green T. House
    4. Beijing Da Dong           9. South Beauty
    5. The Courtyard            10. Liqun Roast Duck

Hotels: Among Beijing's 35 leading hotels, the Ritz-Carlton, Financial St., won the Top Overall thanks to its "huge spa", "spacious rooms" and "excellent" staff. The Most Popular hotel is The Peninsula, due in part its "fabulous food" and "amazing" rooms. Eager to show the world a modern face, nearly every major Beijing hotel has undergone major renovations, while newcomers like the Sofitel Wanda in Chaoyang and the Ritz-Carlton and Westin in Xicheng have invigorated formerly staid areas. A list of the Most Popular hotels follows:

    Most Popular:
    1. The Peninsula             6. Great Wall Sheraton
    2. St. Regis                 7. Kempinski
    3. Grand Hyatt               8. Kerry Centre Hotel
    4. China World               9. Ritz-Carlton, Financial St.
    5. Shangri-La               10. Westin, Financial St.

Ni Hao Nightlife! The guide covers 44 leading nightspots. Among them, there are plenty of sleek new bars and clubs (some open 24/7) armed with libations to quench the growing class of thirsty hipsters. Compared to other major world cities, alcohol here is generally inexpensive. Many of the city's nightlife newcomers have embraced futuristic decor. For example, the Philippe Starck-designed lounge/restaurant Lan (voted No. 1 for Appeal) boasts a surrealistic look, while Song resembles a postmodern amphitheater. China Doll is a 21st-century take on 1930s Shanghai, whereas Face juxtaposes Colonial Asian furnishings with the most mod of merrymakers. Surveyors deem the Most Popular nightspot, Centro in the Kerry Centre Hotel, a place for "high-rolling" "locals as well as travelers". The ten most popular nightspots are as follows:

    Most Popular:
    1. Centro                    6. Vics
    2. World/Suzie Wong*         7. Banana
    3. Redmoon                   8. Lan*
    4. Baby Face                 9. Lush*
    5. Face                     10. Bed Tapas & Bar

    * Indicates a tie with the place above

Shop 'Til You Drop: Beijing has jumped into the high-end retail game as of late with shoppers spending beaucoup bucks at outrageously upscale malls such as Shin Kong Place, which wins top honors for Quality, Display and Service. This not-so-ordinary shopping center hosts powerhouse retailers such as Chanel, Dior and Gucci. As for the bazaars the city is known for, e.g. Silk and Yashow markets, they've undergone face-lifts, with spruced-up stalls filled by the staff in matching uniforms. In order of popularity, check out these twelve popular places:

    Most Popular:
    1. Friendship Store          7. Yashow Market
    2. Silk Market*              8. Hongqiao Market
    3. Panjiayuan Market         9. China World Mall
    4. Shanghai Tang*           10. Foreign Language Books*
    5. Pacific Century Place    11. Malls at Oriental Plaza*
    6. Sogo                     12. Place, The*

    *Indicates a tie with the place above

So Many Sites to See: As the Imperial capital of China for more than 700 years, Beijing has a treasure trove of royal palaces, parks and temples. Below is a list of Zagat surveyors' favorite spots, any of which would rank highly anywhere in the world.

    Most Popular:
    1. Forbidden City            4. Great Wall, Mutianyu
    2. Great Wall, Badaling      5. Tiananmen Square
    3. Summer Palace             6. Temple of Heaven

Zagat Survey's Beijing guide ($15.95) was edited by Bill Corsello, Jen Lin-Liu, Paul Mooney and Sherisse Pham and is available in all major bookstores throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, Hong Kong and parts of Europe. Beijing content is also available online at ZAGAT.com and on mobile devices via ZAGAT.mobi. In addition to travel tips and special indexes, the guide includes fold out color maps of the city and Beijing's subway and has stick on tabs to mark your favorite places. The guide is available in English, with a Mandarin Chinese version expected to be available next year.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the wildly popular "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas, and a range of other entertainment categories in over 100 countries and has been lauded as the "most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published" and as "a necessity second only to a valid credit card." Zagat content is available in print, on the Web, on the Palm and Windows Mobile operating systems, on BlackBerry, on mobile phones, and on TV. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.