The original Café Landmark in Hong Kong has been a staple casual dining spot for 25 years and that popularity means that you’ll face a significant wait for a table at any time of the day. However, with the opening of Café Landmark's first mainland China branch in newly-opened WF Central mall, you can now skip the queues (if you go on a weekday anyway) and enjoy a little of what the original has to offer.

Café Landmark may be a café but the menu is more sit-down service than quick salads and sandwiches, although the latter two are very much available. The signature dish is lobster linguine and what lobster linguine it is. I initially balked at the RMB 298 price point but the dish that arrives more than justifies the cost, positively bursting with lobster meat folded through a creamy sauce and plenty of al dente linguine. There is also a tomato sauce option that comes highly recommended.

Lobster features prominently throughout the menu. One example is the fruit-heavy lobster salad (RMB 198), which is clearly aimed at those with the money and inclination to treat themselves but who still want the illusion of something light. On the other end of the scale, the rich lobster bisque (RMB 88), which comes with a whole lobster tail, is also worth ordering.

If you want a more casual meal, there are several of the aforementioned sandwiches, including a classic club (RMB 88) and a very tasty crispy king prawn open sandwich (RMB 58), which comes with avocado and a tartare sauce-like dressing. There is also a globe-trotting array of main courses, from Singapore seafood laksa to spaghetti alle vongole. A good tip is if you want a coffee, go for the Café Landmark classic brew (RMB 44), which includes free refills. 

With its high-backed leather banquettes and deferential white-shirted staff, Café Landmark feels a little like a hangover from a previous century but it’s location in WF Central anchors it firmly in the future of Beijing’s dining scene.

Café Landmark
Daily 10am-10pm. 2/F, WF Central, 269 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District (6525 6623)
东城区王府井大街269号王府中环购物中心2层203-204C

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Photos: Robynne Tindall, Dianping