Villa Castanea: Bratwurst, Brewing and the Beijinger Beer Festival!
Hopefully you’ve been reading about the Beijinger Beer Festival, which is set to take place on July 23. But have you got your ticket yet? If not, check out this link for info on where to pick up tickets, as well as more info on the festival itself and what beers will be available. Now, you might be asking yourselves about what and where the venue for the festival – Villa Castanea – is. We were just about to tell you ...
Set in the northwest of Beijing, not too far from the Fragrant Hills and Summer Palace, Villa Castanea is a European-style restaurant set on a perch looking out towards hills that roll off into the distance (it sounds hard to believe from downtown Beijing, but yes, this is true). The name sounds Spanish, and the executive chef is a Spaniard, but the overall theme is more German. The chef’s Spanish influence is definitely there on the menu, but you can also expect juicy bratwurst, huge servings of pork knuckle and all sorts of other roasted, grilled and fried meats, along with copious quantities of mustard, potato and sauerkraut. There's much more besides that, of course – you'll definitely want to leave room for one of the memorable desserts on offer.
Beijingers don’t seem to believe a German restaurant is worthy of the name unless they brew their own beer, and Villa Castanea ticks that box with a brewing operation overseen by a German brew master turning out three beers – “White,” “Dark” and “Pilsner.” I can at least vouch for the first two of those, though I haven’t sampled the Pilsner – I suppose the opportunity will present itself on July 23.
Besides the main dining room, the site also has multiple private rooms, each decorated in varying shades of German, from huge banquet rooms to a tiny, ornately decorated room that looks like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film.
The real charm of Villa Castanea, though, is the setting. There’s the view, the fresher air, and – the main reason why we’re holding the beer festival there – a large outdoor garden area that’s ideal for enjoying an afternoon away from Beijing. See the photos for proof, then start picturing yourself there, in the sun, surrounded by tents pumping out ice-cold beer, chefs grilling lunch on the barbecue, DJs spinning summer tunes … Does that sound like Beijing? It will be Beijing for real on July 23, so get your tickets – look out for opportunities to win tickets on this website – and we’ll see you there!
Villa Castanea. Daily 11am-10pm. 266 Wan'an Donglu, Pu‘an Dian, Haidian District. (6272 0130; 6272 0131)
七叶香山, 海淀区万安东路普安店266号
Photos: Villa Castanea
