FLO Restaurant at the third East ring boasts being Beijing's only authentic French brasserie and winner of five consecutive years for “Best French Restaurant in Beijing from 2004-2008” by That's Beijing Magazine. The house is famous for it's sauerkraut and goose liver, and Chef de Cuisine Bertrand Combe is working hard to retain the reputation of the restaurant that has been around for quite some time now.

On our visit we wanted to check the reputation's foundations. For a start, we opted for the genuine goose liver and found out that the pure liver as well as the Terrine version is of excellent quality. With a dense, but not too strong texture, slightly grilled on top, the pure liver is a true feast for the taste buds. Served on the traditional slice of toast, the Terrine-style goose liver was a true French countryside experience in the middle of Beijing. The figue served on the side nicely offset the strong earthy tastes with a lighter, sweeter and Mediterranean touch.

The Marseille fish soup presented us with a creative, hearty variation on the French Soupe de crustacés. Served with the olive oil Rouille paste and some grated cheese, the dish inventively combined seafood – pieces of clam and shrimp – with mushrooms and parsley. A robust combination that goes well with Beijing winters.