Capital M (前门M餐厅) is on the top list of my favorite restaurants with a view in Beijing. The letter “M” comes from “Michelle”, or Michelle Garnaut, an Australian restaurateur, the owner and founder of Capital M. This is Michelle’s fourth restaurant in China after the Fringe in Hong Kong, M on the Bund and Glamour Bar in Shanghai.
It is said that it took seven years for Melbourne-born restaurateur Michelle Garnaut to turn Capital M a reality. Capital M’s charm is three-fold: artistic decoration, elegant fare and wine, and stupendous view.
All the dining rooms are ornately built. The main room known as “The Silver Room” features parquet flooring, hand-painted mural, gold-leaf pillars and elegant lighting, suitable for corporate dinner, romantic wedding and important events. It is a cozy and opulent setting for European culinary indulgence.
Its menus change with the seasons taking advantage of the local food and imported delicacies to satisfy your taste buds. It offers dining and drinking service for brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and drinks. A range of fine wines and classic cocktails are on offer at the bar.
Below is part of the sample menu for dinner at Capital M:
Mezze Platter ~ for sharing
dips of tzatziki, babaganoush, hummus & htipiti
cauliflower fritters, tarator, fried haloumi cheese
fresh vegetable shards, spinach & feta pies & spiced olives
all served with our own warm flat bread
Oysters & Caviar
Fine de Claire No.4
Freshly shucked Oysters from Brittany
Mandarin Beluga Caviar
(sustainably farmed from Qiandaohu) with Melba’s toast
& all the classical trimmings
Red Gazpacho & White Gazpacho
Ajo Blanco, with almonds and grapes
& the classic Gazpacho AndaluzMoroccan Modern ~
Heirloom carrots, organic chickpeas,
sweet Medjool dates, petals and leaves,
sumac & spices, orange blossom dressing
Desserts
Hot Raspberry Soufflé
with a cool berry swirl ice-cream (20 minutes please)
Very Famous Pavlova…
proudly served in all M’ restaurants since 1989
a light, fluffy & crisp meringue base topped with
passion fruit ice-cream, lashings of fresh cream,
fresh fruits and passion fruit sauce ~
Eating outside is one of the best features attracting legions of dinners to Capital M, which provides the terrace for beautiful al fresco dining. The terrace allows to have one of the most impressive views in the city – Overlooking Tiananmen Square, busy Qianmen Street, Forbidden City ……
How to get there?
Take subway line 2 and alight at the station of Qianmen and exit from Exit B and walk south to a pailou (decorative archway gate) to Qianmen Street. Don’t enter the archway and instead just turn left to a sideway, then you see a sign overhead with the big letter “M” on top of a group of grey buildings.
Strolling along the buildings and you can spot the sign for entrance to Capital M on the third floor.
Walking out of the elevator, you will enter the bar area for Capital M.
Restaurant: Capital M
Average Cost: approx. 366 yuan per person
Add: 3/F, No.2 Qianmen Pedestrian Street 东城区前门大街2号3楼
Tel: 0086 (10) 6702 2727 Fax: 0086 (10 ) 6702 3737
Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:
Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Autumn Tour
Great Wall Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour
Further Readings
Best Time to Visit Beijing
How to plan a trip to Beijing
Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites
Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping
Wangfujing Walking Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Gui Jie ( Ghost Street) Food Street
Any questions, just drop a line.
