Café
Lao She Teahouse
A traditional-style Qianmen teahouse named after the writer Lao She, serving tea and snacks by day and staging Peking opera and folk arts shows in the…
Nailao Wei (Niujie)
A time-honoured dessert shop near Niujie, founded in 1888, that makes nailao, the traditional Beijing milk curd set with fermented glutinous rice wine.
At a glance
- Type
- Traditional milk curd dessert shop
- Area
- Niujie, Xicheng, Beijing, China
- Price
- $ · Budget
Good to know
- Time-honoured brand
- Traditional nailao milk curd
- Budget
Why we recommend it
Nailao Wei is a time-honoured Beijing brand that specialises in nailao, a traditional milk curd dessert. The Beijing government lists its main store at Room 107, 202 Guang'anmen Inner Street, in the Niujie area of Xicheng. The business was founded in 1888 by Wei Hongchen under the name Lin Ji Lao Pu and took its current name, Nailao Wei, in 1988.
Nailao is often translated as Beijing cheese, but it is closer to a set custard. According to Beijing's official tourism resource site, it was a royal delicacy during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Fresh milk was mixed with fermented glutinous rice wine, baked in a wooden cask and then cooled in an ice cellar, and the secret method meant that few people outside the court ever tasted it. Today it is an everyday snack. The Beijing government describes Nailao Wei's version as having a delicate texture and a mellow, sweet taste, and its 2025 food walk notes a subtle rice wine aroma.
Traditional recipes for the related Beijing yogurt sweeten the milk with sugar or honey, add rice wine and sometimes nuts and raisins, and heat the mixture in small bowls set around a barrel with a heat chamber before cooling it. The result is soft, cool and lightly sweet, which makes it a good contrast to the rich halal food of the neighbourhood.
The shop is small and inexpensive, with an average spend of under 30 yuan per person according to the tourism site. It is best treated as a quick dessert stop rather than a place to linger. The tourism site lists opening hours of 9am to 9pm, but check locally, as times can change.
Niujie is Beijing's best-known strip of halal restaurants, so Nailao Wei combines well with a meal at a nearby halal restaurant. The Michelin Bib Gourmand hotpot restaurant Man Heng Ji began on the Niujie strip, and Jubaoyuan, founded in 1937 as a beef and mutton shop, is at 5-2 Niujie Street. The Beijing government's 2025 food walk ends here, after stops on Huguosi Street and in Xisi.
The shop suits families, budget travellers and anyone curious about traditional Beijing sweets. Nailao is served in small portions, so buy a few to share if you are with a group.
Nailao Wei (Niujie) FAQs
What is nailao?
A traditional Beijing milk curd dessert made with milk and fermented glutinous rice wine, closer to a set custard than to cheese.
When was Nailao Wei founded?
In 1888, by Wei Hongchen, as Lin Ji Lao Pu; it became Nailao Wei in 1988.
Where is the main store?
Room 107, 202 Guang'anmen Inner Street, Xicheng.
Is it expensive?
No. The average spend is under 30 yuan per person.
What does it taste like?
Delicate and mellow, with a light sweetness and a subtle rice wine aroma.
What are the opening hours?
The tourism site lists 9am to 9pm, but check locally.
What is nearby?
The halal restaurants of Niujie, including Man Heng Ji and Jubaoyuan.
Was nailao eaten at court?
Yes. It was a royal delicacy during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.