Madrid is full of places where you can enjoy Chinese food, but only one of them has been recognized as the best in Europe. It is China Crown, a restaurant located in the Salamanca district that focuses on imperial Chinese cuisine. It has been chosen as the ‘Europe’s Best Chinese Cuisine Restaurant 2025′ by the World Culinary Awards, one of the most prestigious awards on the international gastronomic scene.
Each year, these awards choose the best restaurants and chefs in different regions of the world. They are committed to excellence, innovation and leadership in the gastronomic industry and have a jury made up of experts, critics and hospitality professionals. For them, China Crown “is consolidating its position among the best gastronomic projects in the world”, according to the World Culinary Awards in a press release.
More than 40 years of imperial Chinese food
Since it opened its doors in 1981, China Crown has been dedicated to bringing Asian cuisine to Spanish diners. Its owners, Maria Li Bao and Felipe Bao, come from a long line of cooks and arrived in the country as children.
Among their most outstanding dishes are the Beijing Imperial Duck, their selection of dim sums or the “golden mountain” rice, sautéed with old beef tenderloin and egg pearls. In addition, they offer a tasting menu with seven different dishes, coffee or tea and a dessert of Cantonese torrija to the 5 Chinese species for a price of 70 euros per person.
The restaurant, located at Calle de Don Ramón de la Cruz, 6 (Salamanca district), has an elegant and cozy decoration to attract customers. As explained on its website, this atmosphere “evokes class and distinction” and will also allow diners to “travel to the most authentic China through their palate”.
The restaurant has been listed in the Michelin guide since 2023, a recognition that has been maintained year after year, and which already anticipated the prestige recognized by the World Culinary Awards.
An expanding project
China Crown’s artisanal sweet potato noodles with Iberian pork broth or China Crown’s Yuxiangs-style Chinese eggplants are no longer only found in Madrid. This summer, the brand opened a new establishment in Marbella, at the Don Pepe Gran Meliá hotel, expanding its presence nationwide. They are committed to bringing their Asian cuisine to the Costa del Sol, one of the most touristic regions of the province of Malaga.
In this new restaurant they maintain the tradition, the original ingredients and an aesthetic linked to the ancient dynasties. And, for those who celebrate private events, they also offer an exclusive catering service with flavors from China.
In any case, China Crown’s growth is not a novelty, as in 2017 it already consolidated as a gastronomic business group. It has 20 restaurants specialized in Asian cuisine and includes brands such as Shanghai Mama, Sushi Bar Tottori, Bao Li, Lelong Asian Club, Indochina Brasa and Kaito Hand Roll Bar.