Aleia

The Room

Aleia is the Spanish entry in the Metropolitan Oriental Plaza Michelin cluster — a modern Spanish grill restaurant with one Michelin star, specialising in the Galician and Basque grilling traditions applied to both imported and Chinese ingredients. The concept is explicit: this is the first serious Spanish fine-dining restaurant in inland China, and the mission is to argue that Spanish cuisine deserves the same recognition in China as French and Italian.

The signature dish is grilled octopus — the Galician pulpo a feira reinterpreted with Chinese Sichuan pepper and smoked paprika — and the restaurant's Josper charcoal grill produces a suckling pig that reviewers have called the best Iberian pig preparation in China. The tasting menu runs through tapas-style small plates, a grilled seafood progression, the suckling pig or a grilled lamb course as the main, and a Spanish cheese and dessert progression that borrows from both the traditional and modernist Catalonian traditions.

The room is the most visually modern of the Plaza cluster — light wood, warm amber lighting, a central grill that is visible from most of the seating. Seating is around sixty; the chef's counter seats twelve facing the grill and is the table to request for food-focused diners. Private rooms for eight to ten are available for business dinners.

The wine list is the deepest Spanish-focused list in inland China — a serious Rioja page, strong representation from Ribera del Duero and Priorat, and a Sherry programme that is unusual in this region and genuinely excellent. Pricing at ¥1,500-2,800 per person with wine places Aleia alongside the other Plaza Michelin rooms. Reservations require two to three weeks' notice.