Noodle Bar

It's a cozy little restaurant perfect for a cold, windy evening. I got mixed wild mushrooms with thin noodles (38 RMB). I was delighted by the amount of mushrooms it came with; the mushrooms completely covered the entire bowl. The broth was nice, though a bit too salty for my taste. The beef brisket with thick noodles (38 RMB) was also very tasty. I'm not a fan of thick noodles generally, but I'd recommend getting them here. The thick ones are very chewy and delicious, while the thin noodles don't stand out as much.

On the other hand, the cold dish we ordered, marinated boiled egg & tofu (18 RMB), was a disappointment, both in the taste and in the amount. It was literally one egg and a few slices of tofu, which altogether would not have been any larger than the egg. Both felt a little dry and salty without being flavorful. Definitely not worth it.

I would visit this place again on a windy evening. But beware, the place is small with a large door, which means that every time someone comes in the restaurant, you'll be hit with a gust of cold air.

Great place to stop in for a hot bowl of hand made noodles on a cold day. The brisket is tender and juicy, and the flavorful broth will warm you to the core. Such a small place though that it can be hard to get a seat, which is a shame. Would love to see them open another location or expand a little so more people could enjoy their delicious noodles.

It's cute, quaint and enjoyable. They've got noodles that hit the spot. And as long as one sits away from the door, in the winter months it makes for an escape from the cold.

Great place to go in a cold winter night to get really good hot noodles. Just stay away from the seats near the door or you will freeze.

This place is a joke for the price you pay. 36 Kuai is already four times the price I'd spend for the same quality noodles at a local restaurant, but the The Noodle Bar has the gall to charge you a 10% service fee for what? For a drafty restaurant that has a rude head waitress? For two small pieces of beef brisket? For "kale" that is served as a generic green vegetable? This place is clearly designed for Beijing's elite to feel like they are eating something unique in a quiet and hidden setting, but I felt cold, hungry, and cheated when I paid the bill.

You have to be quick to get a seat in this tiny place (or patiently wait your turn), but it's worth it - while you wait you can watch the chefs expertly make fresh hand-pulled noodles, that are soon served up in a steaming bowl of hot, delicious soup! Although disappointed that the 'beef' noodles were more like 'chunks of fat' noodles, the broth was nevertheless very flavourful and delicious - and the bok choy, tofu, and peanut side dishes we tried were very good. The noodles themselves were delicious, and at just RMB 36 a bowl - good value for money. When that beef noodle craving kicks-in again we will definitely be back!

Went here for the first time with my family and found that the food was good, fast, simple and entertaining for the kids. Everything was fresh and served efficiently.

Last night was the fourth and final time I will go to this restaurant. The last time was more than a year ago and their canned mushrooms in the noodles carried a moldy taste, so I hesitated in going back. I went back since I was craving warm, chewy noodles and was in the area. Five minutes into the meal a piece of plastic about the size of an orange floated to the top of my soup. I bit into it thinking it was a piece of tendon, the waitress apologized and said it was plastic used to wrap the raw beef. I'm pretty easygoing so I kept eating rather than waste food. About ten minutes later, I was chewing into a noodle and saw a short black hair stuck on the side of the noodle. After a bit more fishing, I found an eyelash. Needless to say, I totally lost my appetite and left. The waitress' only response was, "oh that's just cow hair," as if that made it better. None of the chefs apologized as they just stared at us. Terrible experience and will never be returning. So much for an "Elite" concept Noodle Bar -- you need to step up your game... esp. in the sanitation department. Yuck!

I too liked this place I had visited recently. The freshly prepared noodles makes one feel good, and the I like the flavour of soya sauce here.

The noodles here are fresh and the vegetables (assuming you don't go straight for the meat dishes) crisp. Right now they've got a fantastic wild mushroom noodle bowl--the shiitake was so rich and meaty. This may be seasonal, so try it while they're still offering it!

As the summer is more or less already there, you don't have to worry anymore about the quantity of seats as you can now be served in the Hidden City patio! Quality remains excellent.

For a simple but refined noodle experience close to Sanlitun, this Noodle Bar is the place to go. You get in, take your seat (assuming there are some available), fill in the order form and there you go.

Watch the chiefs pull the noodles, cook them and serve them in this dark broth with the meat you order, and enjoy them as beef noodles rich like this are not legions. Special distinction for the large piece of turnip served in the broth, as it's still firm but easy under the teeth, and certainly packed with flavors. I usually go for thin noodles and tripes, but any kind can be recommended. Been twice since 01/01, will go again!

The Noodle Bar concept is quite direct – a concise menu with simple dishes, clearly specializing in big bowls of beef noodle soup (with beef brisket, beef tendon, or beef tripe), veggie dishes, and about 5 cold appetizer dishes. I recommend ordering the set menu for RMB 42 (bowl of beef brisket, tendon and tripe noodles with a small appetizer and Oolong Tea).

With only 12 seats in total, this is a great spot for a quick, casual lunch with a friend or two (not more considering the limited seats). It’s small and cozy rather than intimate and romantic. It’s not pretentious or aiming to be anything more than simply what it is: A Noodle Bar.

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Just a word of warning - this place is HARD to get a seat at if you arrive for dinner after 7pm (there are only 12 seats). We arrived late, and were completely bummed to miss out on seats, as the bowls of noodles looked DELICIOUS! The place has a great cosy, intimate environment...just make sure you get there early to be able to enjoy it!

Yum. I went here last night with a friend and I was really impressed. Nestled in the 1949 Hidden complex, the Noodle Bar is a perfectly gentrified place to itch your noodle scratch or give out-of-towners a gentle introduction to Chinese noodle soup. The Noodle Bar is aptly named--although it takes it's influence more from Kyoto than Beijing. Crowned with only 12 seats around a substantial noodle counter, the bar gives off a modern communal feel while still being intimate enough for a date. There is no magic here, as you can see your noodles being pulled, dipped in water, bathed in broth and garnished with chosen meat. The menu is simple and ordered much like sushi--just check off items on a list. You have a choice of thin or thick noodles, brisket/tripe/tendon, several hot veggies and half a dozen of cold dishes. Soups are 38RMB and sides are less than 20RMB. The broth is very flavorful and can be tweecked with any one of the 5 condiments that are left on the table. The noodles are chewy, without being too dense.
The side veggies were good--we ordered the vinegared spinach with peanuts (yum) and the sauteed lettuce (which was just ok).
I highly recommend Noodle Bar...you might even see me there!

surprised by the space here,ten around seats enclose the operating platform,all the bar comes to ten around square metres.you can appreciate chef's skilled performance in front of you,when his 'handicraft' presented for me,wow!general portions and rich ingredients,from meat to vegetable.the stewed beef loaf,marinated beef tripe and tendon top at the bowl,the hearty soup is a key to the flavor,of course quality noodles is another key.vinegar、soya sauce、chili sauce and the chopped peanut offer good and wide complement to your noodle.if you feel a little greasy,one cup of oolong tea is a quite suitable choice.

The beef noodle soup was good, but I'd stop short of crowning it as the most authentic in Beijing. I could be wrong, but somehow I don't think the laws of physics allow someplace so clean and clearly not hole-in-the-wall (dare I say, gentrified?) to have entirely authentic beef noodles.

Watching the noodles being hand-pulled was fun, and would be great for families with small children. No reservations and limited seating means this place is off the table for large groups, but its location in 1949 - The Hidden City makes it a perfect date place. You could check out the art gallery before hand and afterward have a few drinks at 1/5.

Had the best (authentic) beef noodle soup ever in Beijing (like how they do it in Hong Kong and Malaysia!) The bar was packed when we got there however, the outside table (long bench) was a great alternative. Will come back for more (but wished we didn't have to walk all the way to the other outlet to buy our glass of wine that went great with our noodle soup.)

We took the kids here last night - great spot, loved the decor, attentive service and lightning-fast food. We were entranced by the noodle-making process (wanna learn how!) and the noodles themselves were sensational - great texture and flavour, with that divine al dente bounce.

Although the menu choice is very small and sweet in its simplicity, a teensy bit more variety would make me more inclined to come back for more - seafood or chicken, for example. The vegetables in my broth were great, including a hodge podge of delicious mushrooms, but the broth itself could have done with a flavour-injection, so one point off for this, as well as for the drink selection - beer or coke (the latter sent my son into a caffeine-fuelled-frenzy - never again!).

The garlic cucumber and soy beans are fragrant, fresh and well worth it.

Get there early if you want a seat at the bar to watch these talented chefs at work.

Noodle Bar is Beijing’s best kept secret; traditional, integrity-filled, artisanal, hand-pulled what noodle experience, in a contemporary setting. Beijing tradition in a bowl.