Vegan-friendly
Chinese
功德林素菜馆 北京市崇文区前门东大街2号 is a well known, historic restaurant. Moved to this space in 2010. Offers many different dishes. Drinks are only in Chinese letters listed. Open Mon-Sun 10:30am-9:00pm.
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2 Qianmen E St, ChongWenMen, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi, Beijing, China
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Last update on 28 May 2018 by XanderLeaDaren
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Added by luana on 30 Jul 2009
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59 Reviews
First Review by BeijingCat
SamSim
Points +70
Great tasting! - Edit
Nice ambience. Has feel of an expensive restaurant but pricing is only slightly above average. Portions are huge though so it may be good to keep this in mind when ordering. Each dish is presented exquisitely and looks like real meat. Choose the ‘recommended items’ on the menu and you won’t go wrong
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-04-12
Guest
MinervaG
Points +1715
Confusing, but good - Edit
Firstly, the food was good. The menu was confusing as there was nothing that said "vegetarian, vegetable based or vegan," so I was confused when the items were labeled as just duck or beef. I asked the waiter if everything was vegetarian/vegan and he confirmed that it was (he used translate to speak to me). FYI for the foreigners interested, the bathrooms are traditional Chinese bathrooms where you squat (not strange as it's normal here).
Read moreWith that being said, the reason I gave 4 stars was because the food wasn't mind-blowing. Maybe I didn't get the right items (they have a lot of options). After seeing the Michelin stars outside the restaurant, I expected more depth to the flavor.
We had dumplings, duck (waiter confirmed it's made from bean curd and oyster mushrooms), and the meat pie. All were good, but not worth going out of my way for. The portions are very filling. I recommend 2-3 dishes for 2 people.
Updated from previous review on 2025-04-04
Cons: Confusing menu
Guest
piglet_enthusiast
Points +1117
Large vegan selection - Edit
There are so many vegan options, it's easy to get overwhelmed! We enjoyed everything we had and also liked the pleasantly calm atmosphere.
Read moreGuest
Erikoo
Points +47
Delicious Food in a Calm Atmosphere - Edit
Visited Gongdelin around 4 PM on a weekday—the restaurant was quiet with only one other table, making it a peaceful spot for a late lunch.
Read morePros: Great food variety, Comfortable seating, Friendly staff
Cons: Confusing menu, Drink menu only in Chinese, Restroom okay
Guest
Manjuvegan
Points +899
Excellent option - Edit
Wide variety of Chinese dishes. If there’s a meat/fish dish that you wish you could try, here’s the place to find its vegan counterpart. I highly recommend the “meat pie”. It was absolutely delicious (and inexpensive). Service was also good. I’ll be going back for sure!
Read moreGuest
ImmiPaterson
Points +331
Great selection - Edit
My son and I visited this place two days in a row because we liked it so much.
Read moreBoth times we ordered 5-6 dishes between us and took half away in takeaway containers for our dinners. For 6 dishes it cost about 280 yuan.
Food is delicious. Really huge selection. It seemed most was vegan.
The restaurant is very easy to find and accurate on the map. You can type in the name in Didi, and taxi straight there.
Guest
thesunrisedreamers
Points +2169
A good option in the area! - Edit
We tried this chain in Shanghai and kept getting our breakfast bao's from there, so did the same here in Beijing! We ate here once and tried the Vegan duck pancakes (79 yuan) but for some reason they deep fried the vegan duck in a batter. The rest was nice though! We also ordered two mushroom noodles which was way bigger than expected for 12 yuan. And a portion of wontons which came with fifteen!!! Only 30 yuan. we were very full!
Read moreGuest
bookowl1000
Points +199
Typical Chinese food - Edit
I have lived in China for many years and to me this felts like a typical Chinese restaurant, even down to the types of dishes on the menu (which is in English and Chinese as well as having pictures), which just happened to be mock meat and fish. They are not trying to be anything other than what a normal Chinese person would expect, not foreigners or tourists. It felt so normal. It was not dirty or shabby, just not new or modern, nor trying to be. I can understand how some foreigners may think cold and unfriendly, but I did not thinks so….it just seemed normal; getting on with their jobs and not being in your face. Chinese staff do not hover around or ask you things such as if you are enjoying your meal or if you want anything else, you have to get their attentions.
Read moreWent at lunchtime and had to wait for a table ; did not mind as the food was good. Prices were not cheap but reasonable. It is not my favourite vegetarian place to eat in China, but worth it. Beijjng has more vegetarian eating options than where I live so I get excited by so much choice.
Pros: All vegetarian , Extensive , Traditional Chinese
Cons: Not many vegetable options
Guest
Pherrink
Points +29
Great meal - Edit
Huge menu, huge portions. Ordered four dishes to share between 2 and couldn’t finish the last bits. Quick service and really tasty food. I am vegetarian when I travel, and vegan at home. I could not identify ANY milk or eggs in anything we ate today.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-10-03
Pros: Loads of options , Quick service , Inventive food
Cons: Loads of oil in the fried veg
Guest
PlayerOne
Points +220
Memorable experience - Edit
I recently dined at Gong de Lin with a group of friends, and our experience was outstanding. The food was ordered for me, and every dish that arrived was a delightful surprise. The portions were more than generous, leaving us all fully satisfied by the end of the meal.
Read moreWhat truly stood out was the range of flavors and textures in each dish. From vibrant, tangy flavors to rich, savory notes, every bite was a new adventure. The presentation and variety made the meal feel like a culinary journey.
Although I can't comment on any language barriers, as I was with native speakers who handled all the communication, I can confidently say that some of the dishes we enjoyed have now made it onto my list of truly memorable foods. If you're looking for a place where the food speaks for itself, this is it. Highly recommended!
Guest
Worldvegkitchen
Points +1321
Weird veg options but edible - Edit
We were in search for a nearby veg restaurant so came here. It’s a very Chinese menu - lots of fake meat and fake seafood. Not a whole lot of vegetables. It was ok.
Read moreGuest
thisisdat7
Points +26
Amazing restaurant centrally located - Edit
Love this place. Extensive menu and reasonable price. Very tasty and authentic food. No one speaks English but do not worry they have English menu and you will be fine.
Read morePros: Cumin Kebab, Fried rice , Beijing crepe
Guest
A_tourist
Points +310
Good - Edit
We arrived maybe 20 minutes before closing so we had to pick our menu fast. We had the fern noodles, glazed lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice and a dish with okra, walnuts and a third veggie.
Read morePros: Could enter even when arriving late
Guest
CaroMoreno
Points +206
So good and tasty- Cheap and bid portions - Edit
Traditional Chinese Food.
Read moreVegan chicken is amazing, lots of plant based “meat” options.
It’s inside the building , floor 2.
Guest
LauraR2912
Points +620
Good food - Edit
Huge menu, some options contain honey.
Read moreLarge portions.
Not the friendliest place but food was good.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-18
Guest
12munchies
Points +3505
good food / language barrier - Edit
They have a really huge menu, would probably need weeks to try everything what on the menu. It has around 30-40 pages. A few of them I posted as an example.
Read moreYou get like warm water for free to drink.
Orders come quick whenever the next dish is ready.
The size of the portion is huge! I ordered 5 dishes as it didn’t look that huge on the menu.
But: I guess it would have been enough for at least 3 persons.
Some of the dishes are really good, some I didn’t like too much.
One huge problem for me (and that’s why I only give 4 stats instead of 5) is the language barrier. I asked for vegan also specified with translator, but I only got answers like yes or no. When I for example asked if they can point out the dishes that don’t contain egg or milk, they were answering „no“ as if others is no egg or milk in any dish. So I ordered what I liked, always asked extra (milk, egg?) and got the answer no. But I wasn’t sure and that made me feel insecure about what I am eating.
If it is a fully vegan restaurant, please report that and it would definitely deserve 5/5 stars! If not it would be helpful to label the vegan dishes or make the waiter aware of veganism so that they can point out the vegan dishes.
The best dish I tried and super cheap were the dumplings. A huge portion for only 30 Yuan. Also the (hot) „duck“ was nice as it came with super thin wraps to wrap it up. I didn’t like the cold duck though (the have an extra section in the menu for cold dishes).
One really nice point again is: The waiter was seeing that I was obviously fighting to eat everything so he brought me boxes for takeaway without me asking for that. As said the restaurant is really good, menu huge, the food delicious and the people do their best. So usually 5/5 ! But because of I wasn’t really feeling sure what I am eating it’s only 4/5.
Updated from previous review on 2024-05-27
Pros: Dumplings !!!, hopefully vegan „duck“, Takeaway boxes
Cons: wasn’t too sure what i am eating /language barrie
Guest
jenso
Points +421
Good food - Edit
Good food, vast menu. Not so cheap though
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-12
Guest
AndreaHamer
Points +74
Amazing Chinese food without the worry - Edit
Incredible, authentic Chinese cuisine without the stress of worrying if it contains any meat! We ordered 6 dishes between two of us (too many!) but everything was amazing. The Kung pow 'chicken' was particularly good. And don't forget to try the sesame sauce cabbage! They also have an extensive menu (35 pages)
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-07
Pros: Extensive menu, Price, Location
Cons: Beer was limited to German Wheat beer
Guest
CamilaGalvez
Points +1767
Deliciosoooo - Edit
Tenia miedo que estuviera cerrado porque no estaba muy clara la información, pero llegamos y si estaba abierto. El menú es suuuper extenso y todo se Antoja. Todo lo que comí se me hizo delicioso. Voy a regresar seguro
Read moreGuest
Steffie91
Points +817
Not my favorite place - Edit
The atmosphere in this restaurant was cold and the stuff was very unfriendly from the beginning. We felt not welcome.
Read moreWe ordered some dishes. They were presented good but the taste was boring.
The prices were high. No one asked if we want to drink anything else. They were not interested in us as guests.
Pros: Everything is vegan
Cons: Expensive, Unfriendly stuff, Cold atmosphere
Guest
Prathna
Points +591
Extensive menu - Edit
Huge menu with lots of options. We tried the Bao buns and kung pao “chicken.” Both were very good and so affordable.
Read morePros: Large menu
Guest
Victoriaot
Points +176
A bit disappointing… - Edit
I wanna start by stating that the food wasn’t bad! But it was also not the best I’ve had in China. Reading about how famous it is, and seeing all the acclaims they have hanging on the walls in the waiting area (because the place is popular enough that you might have to sit and wait for a table), it’s hard not to get your expectations up! Unfortunately, the food didn’t really live up to the hype for me. It was good, like most of the food I had in China, but far from the best place I’ve eaten in Beijing…
Read moreThe prices reflect the popularity of the place, and I honestly felt bad that I had dragged my mom and her friend somewhere so expensive (relative to Beijing) when the food wasn’t even that amazing. We all agreed that this was probably our least favourite restaurant we visited.
The food looks good and is nicely presented, but the flavour was just okay. I wouldn’t mind eating there again but it wouldn’t be my first choice. I did order something where I wasn’t 100% if it was vegan, because unfortunately they don’t specify on there menu if the food is vegan or vegetarian, which stressed me out a bit.
Most disappointing I think, is the fact that for such a famous and expensive place it was really run down and the atmosphere wasn’t the nicest. It’s pretty small and they’ve squeezed in a lot of tables. The distance between tables wasn’t bad, but the bustling of the place meant that it was a bit noisy and not super cozy. The place felt old and unkept, with dirty wallpaper and dirty toilets with no soap or toilet paper, which is what I might expect of a Chinese public toilet - not a nice restaurant!
Pros: Lots of vegan and vegetarian options, Nicely presented food
Cons: Expensive, Not a nice atmosphere, Very busy
Guest
vivianspbrazil
Points +370
My non vegetarian girlfriend loved - Edit
The restaurant is really Chinese with a huge menu. They got in the Michelin guide in 2021 and 2023. A lot of vegan options and everything else is at least vegetarian. The food is really good, the vibe is nice and it is affordable.
Read morePros: Food, Chinese decoration, Huge vegetarian menu
Cons: Not obvious if it has egg or milk
Guest
MarineP
Points +244
Amazing restaurant - Edit
Amazing restaurant with wide choice of vegan dishes. Name on the front door isn’t translated in pinyin/English though - it’s written in Chinese.
Read moreGuest
Coweos
Points +701
Huge menu - Edit
The size of the menu is huge, I've never seen that many vegan options in my life (didn't put all the menu in pictures because there were too many pages !). The Beijing duck is served w very thin crepes and greens so you can make your own wraps. It is deep fried and was a bit too greasy for us. The bao buns were good and the noodles with gravy as well!
Read moreEverything was alright but I would recommend trying something else if you go to this place (and given the size of the menu it should be fairly easy!)
Pros: The options, Noodles with gravy, Bao buns
Cons: Beijing duck too greasy
Guest
anneso146
Points +147
Fantastic vegan Chinese food - Edit
Huge selection of delicious dishes
Read morePros: Great selection, Delicious food, Relaxed atmosphere
Cons: No desert
Guest
Zeberka12
Points +1634
Amazing! - Edit
The menu is huuuge! The restaurant has a nice Chinese vibe ^^
Read moreYou can find anything you could ever crave for! From dumplings, soups, and mock meats! 🤤
Beijing dishes 😍😍😍😍 are incredible!!!!
Updated from previous review on 2022-06-07
Pros: A lot of options, Chinese interior
Guest
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