Bao Li
Bao Li
Bao Li serves high-end Cantonese food on Calle de Jovellanos in Cortes, listed both in the Michelin Guide and in the Guía Repsol. Siblings María Li Bao and chef Felipe Bao recreate traditional Cantonese recipes and reinterpret them, stepping away from the Chinese cooking Western kitchens have replicated so far. The room reads elegant, refined and classic, prices sit in the top band, and it's closed on Mondays.
Social
From restaurantebaoli on Instagram
Recetas con siglos de historia que cobran una nueva dimensión gracias a una mirada contemporánea y una técnica precisa. #Baoli #restaurantebaoli #cantonesegrandcuisine #cocinaimperial #madrid
La experiencia Bao Li continúa en la bodega, con una selección de etiquetas cuidadosamente elegidas para maridar con la alta cocina china. #Baoli #restaurantebaoli #cantonesegrandcuisine #cocinaimperial #madrid
Un ritual milenario que convierte el Pato Imperial Beijing en una experiencia única en mesa. #Baoli #restaurantebaoli #cantonesegrandcuisine #cocinaimperial #madrid
Platos que honran la tradición y celebran el sabor en cada elaboración. #Baoli #restaurantebaoli #cantonesegrandcuisine #cocinaimperial #madrid
Un entorno que invita a descubrir la cocina china desde una perspectiva única. #Baoli #restaurantebaoli #cantonesegrandcuisine #cocinaimperial #madrid
Donde la tradición asiática encuentra una nueva expresión. Bao Li. #Baoli #restaurantebaoli #cantonesegrandcuisine #cocinaimperial #madrid
Background
About Bao Li
The Story
Bao Li is María Li and Felipe Bao's Cantonese restaurant on Calle de Jovellanos in Cortes, between the Congreso de los Diputados and the museums. The room reads elegant, refined and classic, and it trades Tuesday through Sunday. It's listed in the Michelin Guide and the Guía Repsol.
The Cuisine
Cantonese cooking, traditional recipes reinterpreted by the Bao siblings and built around the ingredients. The carta is published on the restaurant's own site.
The Most Ambitious Project
Bao Li opened in early 2023 on Calle Jovellanos, facing the Teatro de la Zarzuela and behind the Congreso de los Diputados, next door to the classic Casa Manolo. It's the most ambitious of the siblings' restaurants and the one María feels closest to. The interior is by Jean Porsche, the designer behind Coque, with lattice screens, wood, reds and golds, and tableware made specially by Vista Alegre. There's a private room with its own street entrance.
Felipe's cooking is exacting: some dishes went through close to twenty versions, and he has said he's never had so many thermometers in one kitchen. The rule, in the family's words, is no shortcuts, so if a reduction needs five hours, it gets five.
What to Order
Dim sum is one of the strengths: xiao long bao of Iberian pork, of txangurro, and of boletus and black truffle in a translucent dough. The carta leans on shellfish, lobster, king crab and blue lobster, with dishes such as crispy lobster with mango and passion fruit topped with caviar, a crispy egg wonton with Huelva carabinero finished with the juice from its head, king crab in ginger sauce with rice cannelloni, and buddha jump, the traditional stew of abalone, seafood and boletus.
The Cantonese roast duck, lacquered like Peking duck, is the dish María points to as the result of their years of research. There's also a fortune chicken, sweet-potato noodles with marinated Iberian pork from an old recipe of the Baoli village, glutinous rice with Iberian pork, a golden lotus rice wrapped in a lotus leaf with scallop, caramelised black cod, and a fried rice with aged beef and golden yolk served in a Fabergé-style egg dish.
Tea and Wine
The tea list is worth asking about, including a pu-erh fermented for 20 years that the Baos' father brought over. Cocktails include a Negroni made with a Jerez vermouth, and the wine list pours Champagne by the glass, such as Chavost's Blanc d'Assemblage Brut Nature.
The Chef
The Team
Bao Li is run by siblings María Li Bao and Felipe Bao, who come from a family that has run Chinese restaurants in Spain for decades and who lead the China Crown group, with China Crown in Salamanca and the Shanghai Mama restaurants among its venues. María was born in China and grew up in Madrid, between the family restaurant in Aranjuez and two cultures; she oversees every detail of the room, from the design to the service and the tableware. Felipe runs the kitchen. Together they spent more than a year recovering family recipes and travelling to study traditional techniques before opening.
Highlights
What Diners Say
Consensus
Bao Li Ratings & Reviews
Professional Ratings
decor 8.3/10, service 8.1/10, typical spend 70€
Diner Ratings
TripAdvisor
4.3
29 reviews
TheFork
4.7
4.5
311
Bao Li ranks #125 of 1001 rated restaurants in Madrid. Diners rate it 4.3/5 on TripAdvisor (29 reviews) and 4.7/5 on TheFork.
Reservations
How to Book Bao Li
Booking
Book online at covermanager.com (covermanager).
Experience
Bao Li Dining Experience
The room reads elegant, refined and pretty classic, the kind of space that doesn't shout for attention. The cooking is Cantonese, traditional recipes reinterpreted by the Bao siblings, letting its ingredients carry it, in keeping with a Calle de Jovellanos address listed in both the Michelin Guide and the Guía Repsol.
Navigate
Bao Li Location & Neighbourhood
Address
C. de Jovellanos, 5, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Get directions→Getting There
Bao Li is on Calle de Jovellanos in Cortes, between the parliament and the museums, so the pavements carry politicians, visitors and locals in roughly equal measure.
Nearby
Cortes sits between the parliament and the museums, so the pavements carry politicians, visitors and locals in roughly equal measure. The eating covers everything from cocktail rooms to serious kitchens, often behind doors that give nothing away. Congreso de los Diputados and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza bookend it.
Nearby landmarks
Landmarks within walking distance of Bao Li.
Nearby Restaurants
Where to stay nearby
Hotels we rank within walking distance of Bao Li.
Details
Bao Li Reservations, Hours & Contact
Opening Hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 12:00–16:30, 19:30–00:00 |
| Wednesday | 12:00–16:30, 19:30–00:00 |
| Thursday | 12:00–16:30, 19:30–00:00 |
| Friday | 12:00–16:30, 19:30–00:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00–16:30, 19:30–00:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00–16:30 |
Bao Li hours verified 2026-08-10. Contact the restaurant to confirm.
Contact
Good to Know
Questions
Bao Li FAQ
Does Bao Li have a Michelin star?
+
No. Bao Li is listed in the Michelin Guide, which means the inspectors selected it, but it doesn't hold a star. It's also listed in the Guía Repsol.
Where is Bao Li in Madrid?
+
On Calle de Jovellanos in Cortes, the barrio between the Congreso de los Diputados and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, near the Prado.
When is Bao Li open?
+
Tuesday to Saturday for lunch, 12:00 to 16:30, and dinner, 19:30 to midnight. Sunday is lunch only, 12:00 to 16:30. Closed Mondays.
Is there a tasting menu at Bao Li?
+
Yes, two: the tasting menu Bao Li at €120 per person (minimum two), running from spring rolls and dim sum through Beijing-style duck, and a shorter tasting menu Cantón at €90 per person with Cantonese roast duck.
How much does it cost to eat at Bao Li?
+
Expect around €51–100 per person. Its two tasting menus are €90 (Cantón) and €120 (Bao Li, minimum two people).
Who is behind Bao Li?
+
Siblings María Li Bao and Felipe Bao, who also run the China Crown group. Felipe leads the kitchen and María oversees the room.
What should I order at Bao Li?
+
The dim sum, especially the xiao long bao, the carabinero wonton and the Cantonese roast duck, or one of the tasting menus on a first visit.