Outside at Gingko Tree in Beijing

  • CLOSED: Gingko Tree
    (4)

    Closed

  • White Vegan
Vegan
Chinese
International
Buffet

This first vegan restaurant in Sanlitun area caters Chinese style lunch buffet (around 39 rmb), but has also more international a la carte menu. Restaurant is situated in an inner courtyard of Gongti Beilu street, close to various other restaurants like Bookworm, Salsa Caribe and Kro's Nest. Reported closed to HappyCow.

Venue map for Gingko Tree
© OpenStreetMap contributors

4 Reviews

First Review by mumpsimus

Avatar bluepaper

bluepaper

Points +69

Vegan
04 Nov 2013

Tea Ceremony

After I found the restaurant I was surprised because I expected worse according to the previous reviews.
But the restaurant is comfy and the owner very obliging.

Every Sunday he invites guests to his cook show.
A tea specialist presents from 3-5 p.m. (also on Sundays) several kinds of tea in a traditional way (I was told it's 40 RMB)

There's a huge table with lots of (organic) vegan snacks in the middle of the restaurant.
The food looks very nice. I recommend dishes which are not too oily, e.g. the dumplings. The portions are not too big, so that you can have main meal and dessert.
I missed some vegetable-creations. The vegetables they offer seem to be just boiled and cut into pieces.

Pros: manifold offer, comfy

Cons: not creative with vegetables

Avatar Minni

Minni

Points +261

Vegan
02 Oct 2013

Not my favourite

I'd really want to like Gingko Tree, since the staff is really nice and I like the atmosphere, but I find their food disappointing.

I hear the lunch is really good, but personally I have just visited Gingko Tree twice in the evenings. On both occasions the food wasn't very good. Maybe they were bad choices from my part, but I have had much better Chinese food with a cheaper price elsewhere.

Update on Oct 2013: Ginkgo tree has renewed their menu, and it's no longer in English. Menu is on a tablet computer and you choose yourself. I've tasted around 5 dishes from the new menu, and they have been alright. But the Western food seems to be all gone. Lunch buffet is still great!

Nice thing that it's vegan though, and there's a small counter downstairs where you can get vegan sausages and other snacks.
Updated from previous review on Wednesday September 12, 2012

Pros: all vegan, store downstairs, nice staff

Cons: some dishes aren't great

Avatar Pitaya

Pitaya

Points +1257

Vegan
23 Mar 2013

Good new vegan place

This restaurant opened already in summer 2011 with name "Loving mum's vegan cuisine", but it closed down almost immediately for some "repair work". It took a long time for them to open again, but now the restaurant is back in business! I tried their lunch buffet which costs 39 yuans. Buffet was very good, with salads and different kinds of warm dishes, mainly Chinese but also some spaghetti etc. There were also capers, olives, croutons etc. to add to your salad.

I was a bit suspicious if everything is really vegan, but when I was leaving the restaurant, restaurant manager or owner, kind Chinese lady came to talk to me and gave me a discount coupon. She told me that everything is really vegan both in lunch buffet and in a la carte -menu: no milk, no eggs, she assured. I didn't see the menu, but she said that it's more "international", not so much Chinese food.

I really hope this first real vegan/vegetarian restaurant in Sanlitun area will survive - and people will find it. It's situated in the far end corner of the restaurant yard behind Bookworm. At least the lunch buffet seems to be really popular among local Chinese crowd.

You can also order their dishes (or take a look at their menu) via Sherpa's Food Delivery Service: http://www.sherpa.com.cn/listMenuItem.shtml?selServiceCharge=15&restaurantID=11003B01&delTag=1

- I wanted to update this review after many visits to the restaurant. This place keeps getting better and better. They are constantly changing their menu and it has turned more and more Chinese, which I think is a good thing, as their Chinese dishes have always been the best ones.

At lunch time you get a coupon worth of 10 yuans if you clear your plate - so the next time when you'll have lunch it will only cost you 29 rmb.

Updated from previous review on Friday March 15, 2013

Pros: Good lunch buffet, Central location , Friendly staff

Avatar mumpsimus

mumpsimus

Points +60

Vegetarian
21 Oct 2012

Could eat there everyday

I come to this restaurant at least once every week, their food has greatly improved I feel, and this place is easily one of my favorites in Beijing now.

Firstly, they have removed most of the western options from the menu, except their hamburger and sandwiches which was a wise decision I feel, their western food was just not that great and it might have put some people off. Their Chinese food however has continuously improved, even though there are some personal favorites of mine you can't really go wrong with any of their dishes. Staff are really friendly, speak English and are fairly knowledgable. Anyway, all their food is vegan, no MSG and their pricing is fair, so definitely a place to check out. If you work in the area they also deliver lunch boxes for only 28 yuan directly to your office.

Pros: Friendly and knowledgable staff, all vegan

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