Beijing’s Western fine dining scene is small for a city its size, and within that disproportionately tiny community the upper reaches are dominated by a short list of chefs and restaurateurs. So when a full-service, linen-tablecloth, fine dining establishment serving contemporary Western cuisine quietly opened its doors late in 2015, our first reaction was one of embarrassment. How could we have been so out to lunch to miss such an opening? Most restaurants of this quality have slick PR machines that shout about the opening for months – not so with The Georg. This was the first indication something is different about this place.
With so much talk floating about but not a lot of information there’s only one thing for it: polish our best shoes and head over to see it for ourselves. The restaurant is part of a compound operated by Georg Jensen, the high-end Danish silverware brand, which includes a lounge and gallery. The space is spread over a number of rooms in a beautifully renovated courtyard mansion on the Yu River, a small stream that flows into Houhai. Scandinavian design dominates the aesthetic: from the lack of ornamentation, to the low-lit stucco walls that seem to emanate light towards elegantly laid tables.
The magnificently grand two-storey entrance hall separates The Georg into three distinct arenas, each of which hosts a different act of the drama that unfolds over the course of an evening. We are greeted and warmly led to a stool at the bar. Our table is ready – the small dining room of nine tables only has one seating a night – but we’ve been instructed to relax a bit first over a glass of champagne. This is the way things are done at The Georg: take your time, relax and enjoy the holistic experience that master of ceremonies Stefano Censi tailors to each guest. The young Dane is as well versed in Old World wines as he is liable to crack a joke over a cocktail at the bar. This sums up the prevailing attitude at The Georg: excellence doesn’t mean rigidity. Talent and skill speak for themselves.
A braised beef short rib is consumed almost as quickly as the rich Italian red paired with it, only to be followed by a thin slice of broiled porchetta with green apples and caramelised onion. The sliver of rolled pork belly is crispy like bacon but with a depth of porky flavour seldom afforded the less worthy cuts. The sweets, caramelised oats with green apple and shiso followed by a warm crumble of baked fruit and nuts that arrives topped with a caramel crème, have a cleansing affect that soothes the palate and the stomach. It’s a fitting end to a meal that has delivered every possible ounce of flavour without so much as a gratuitous gramme of fat or oil.
The meal ends and the third act begins as we stroll to the lounge. Sunk deep between the cushions of a plush leather sofa, we reflect on what has been one of the most exceptional meals we have enjoyed in Beijing. With a truly stunning space and well-practised hands on both sides of house, The Georg has irreversibly changed the nature of fine dining in the capital for the better.
Address: 45 Dongbuyaqiao Hutong, Near Dianmen Dajie, Doncheng District 东城区东不压桥胡同45号(地安门东大街附近)
