Shichahai Food Street

Shichahai Food Street

In the past, Shichahai used to be quite peaceful during the day, but things have changed. Restaurants such as Starbucks, Roast Meat Season, Hakka House, and Tea Horse Road remain bustling in the evenings, while the newly opened “Nine Gates Snacks” is even livelier during the day, having gathered 11 time-honored snack shops that had once disappeared due to renovations in Qianmen.

Exiting the slender alley of Yandai Xiejie and crossing Yinding Bridge, continue westward until you reach Xiaoyou Hutong beside the former residence of Soong Ching Ling. Suddenly, a traditional-style courtyard siheyuan comes into view — this is “Nine Gates Snacks.” Walk around the corridor, pass through a narrow passageway lined with tables just like those on the street outside, all occupied by diners. Further inside, the space suddenly opens up into a proper dining hall, dimly lit by only a few orange lamps. To the right, there is another parallel passageway with a long queue — this is the food street that brings together over ten time-honored brands, including Yue Sheng Zhai, Bao Du Feng, Cha Tang Li, Nian Gao Qian, Nai Lao Wei, Yang Tou Ma, and Dou Fu Nao Bai. Particularly amusing are the names of many private rooms, which are named after Beijing landmarks such as “Qianmen” and “Chongwenmen,” showcasing the authentic flavor of old Beijing.

Dining at “Nine Gates Snacks” requires good time management. The operating hours are 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM — they close promptly after that. It’s said the venue can accommodate 400 people dining simultaneously, but during peak hours, it feels a bit cramped. It’s common to see people carrying trays, anxiously searching for a seat, and ending up eating standing up while looking for a place. A staff member mentioned that due to the limited space, some of the time-honored brands have had to reduce their menu offerings.

Shichahai Subdistrict: Located in the northeastern part of Xicheng District, Shichahai Subdistrict borders the Shichahai water system (comprising Qianhai, Houhai, and Xihai). Formed by merging the area east of Xinjiekou North Street from the former Xinjiekou Subdistrict with the former Changqiao Subdistrict, Shichahai Subdistrict covers an area of 5.80 square kilometers. It stretches from Jiugulou Street, Di’anmen Inner and Outer Streets in the east, adjacent to Dongcheng District; to Xinjiekou South and North Streets and Xisi North Street in the west, connecting with Xinjiekou Subdistrict; from Jingshan Front Street, Wenjin Street, and Xi’anmen Street in the south, bordering Xichang’an Street Subdistrict; to Deshengmen East and West in the north...  More details about Shichahai Subdistrict++