Mala Youhuo Restaurant (麻辣诱惑), Beijing, China

The Best Restaurant in Beijing has a cult-like following where the line of obsessed and fanatical customers snake down the street in Xuanwu Qu seven nights a week for a chance to indulge in fine and consistent Sichuan cuisine. To accommodate the spillover of customers, a second branch located at northeast of Da Zhong Si was added.

The wait service is surprisingly warm and efficient for such a high-volume restaurant. The signature dish here is shuizhu yu which is fresh fish boiled with hot peppers with grass carp, catfish and blackfish as fish options. For the adventurous, try mala tianluo, field snails stewed in hot peppers, and served with tiny skewers to separate the snail meat from the shells. Countless other classical Sichuan dishes are offered as part of their extensive menu.

For fine dining in Beijing, the best restaurant in Beijing, Mala Youhuo is right on target.