Here‘s a Beijing secret locals don’t always share: you don’t need to hunt for halal restaurants across the city. Just go to one street.
Niujie (Ox Street) in West Beijing has been the city’s Muslim quarter for over a thousand years. The name comes from the original 石榴园 (pomegranate orchard) — “liu” (pomegranate) sounded like “niu” (ox), and the neighborhood became famous for its beef and lamb.
These days, it’s a 1.5-kilometer stretch of halal shops, restaurants, and snack windows where you can eat for a week and still not try everything. 😋
The best part? It’s all halal. Every single shop on this street.
Here’s what to eat on this halal food street:
If you like chewy, soft, not-too-sweet sweets, this is your place. Baiji is famous for their lv da gun (驴打滚) — the classic Beijing rolled rice cake with red bean filling and soybean powder. The red bean paste has actual bean chunks in it. It’s sweet but not overwhelming.
Niujie is famous for its lamb. Jingtai Maji proves why. These are electric-grilled lamb skewers — large chunks of fat and lean meat, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Order without chili powder if you want to taste the lamb itself.
This name appears on every Beijing halal food list for a reason. Ju Bao Yuan is famous for its old Beijing copper pot hotpot — hand-cut lamb, fresh tripe, and that rich sesame paste dipping sauce.
Yueshengzhai started as a halal deli inside the Niujie Halal Supermarket, and it’s grown into a must-visit spot. Their zhimayangrou (芝麻羊肉) — deep-fried lamb coated in sesame seeds — is crispy on the outside, tender inside, with zero gamey taste.
This place is a “queue king” for a reason. Their beef shaobing (牛肉烧饼) is like a burger stuffed with juicy, flavorful beef — one is enough for a meal. And their plain salt-and-pepper sesame pancake (椒盐烧饼) is literally 1 RMB. Crispy, flaky, and worth every cent.
Most small stalls and windows take Alipay or WeChat Pay only. Link your foreign credit card to Alipay before you go. Cash works everywhere.
50-100 RMB per person is plenty. A lamb skewer is ~15 RMB, a beef pancake is 5 RMB, and a box of pastries is 20-30 RMB.
Take Subway Line 7 or Line 19 to Niujie Station (牛街站). Exit C (Southwest Exit) is closest to the main food street. The entire halal restaurant area is a 5-minute walk from the station.
Yes. The Niujie Halal Supermarket (牛街清真食品超市) at No. 5 Niujie Street has everything you need — fresh lamb, beef, spices, frozen dumplings, and packaged snacks. It’s a one-stop shop for halal groceries.
Look for the official green and white “清真” (qīngzhēn) sign displayed on the storefront or door — this indicates the restaurant has passed Beijing’s official halal certification.
If you want to explore Beijing’s food scene without the guesswork, we offer a street food tour for foodies who want to taste real Chinese flavors — curated by people who live here, eat here, and love sharing what they’ve unlocked.
We can also arrange halal options upon request. 😊
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