Bang the Gong: Temple Restaurant Now Open

The week begins with good news for avid followers of fine dining: Temple Restaurant Beijing is open (or rather, "soft opening") as of today (Monday, November 21).

For the moment, Temple (or TRB, as they seem keen on calling it) is only open for dinner, and reservations are essential. To book, call 8400 2232 or email meet@temple-restaurant.com.

Set in a 600-year-old former Buddhist temple (later converted into a TV factory post-1949) just north of the Forbidden City, the long-anticipated project is headed up by Ignace Lecleir, who was general manager at Maison Boulud from 2008 to 2010, and chef Zak, who formerly worked under top chef Pierre Kofmann in London. The menu will be based around high-end Western dishes - Ignace has told us to look out for the foie gras with sea lettuce and lobster, and oxtail tortellini. We can also expect a classy wine list and good drinks in the adjoining bar.

In addition to the restaurant, the space will also house a boutique hotel called The Temple Hotel, as well as offering a gallery space and luxury shopping options.

Where is it? It's at 23 Shatan Beijie, but you're going to need more help than that. From Chaoyangmen, it's straight west along Chaoyangmennei Dajie, which then becomes Wusi Dajie. Go straight past the National Art Museum of China (Meishuguan). After you pass the National Art Museum, look for a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which is at the entrance to a hutong - that's Shatan Beijie. Turn up there and go straight to the end of the alleyway, where you'll find a big metal gate - the entrance to Temple is just to the left. Check out the map below for a visual clue (a larger version of the map is available here).

For more information, take a look at Temple's website. We look forward to hearing (and writing) more about Temple in the coming weeks - if you've been at one of their tastings already, tell us what you thought in the comments space below!

Images: Judy Zhou and Temple Restaurant Beijing