The new Sheraton Dongcheng’s Bene brings upscale Italian dining to a part of the city devoid of competition. The food isn’t the city’s best Italian cuisine, but it’s solid, and the environment is very comfortable. The best thing here is the Bene pizza roll (¥108), a unique dish that’s hard to come by in Beijing. It’s extremely cheesy, and also stuffed with mushrooms, artichokes and delicious salami, served with a rocket and parmesan salad. The Bene spinosini (¥158) features perfectly textured, lemony house-made pasta with an assortment of fresh seafood, artichokes and sun-dried tomato. The minestrone (¥58) here is also good, with a tasty broth and parmesan served on the side. But while the pappardelle all’aragosta (¥158) looks fantastic, the over-cooked lobster in the dish seems like a waste of a quality ingredient. With the exception of the incredibly creamy fresh mozzarella and invigorating bruschetta, the rather small anti-pasto plate (¥98) doesn’t particularly impress, either—we prefer the one at Va Piano. The antipasto di mare (¥118) is a much better choice, featuring a good tuna carpaccio. Service is professional but tends to hover about the table a bit much for a Western restaurant and, as in all hotel restaurants, there’s a 15 percent surcharge.

Our rating: 3.5/5 stars

DETAILS

What: Bene

Where: Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng, 36 North Third Ring Road East, 北三环东路36号

Tel: 5798-8995

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