Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant

Lots of restaurants specialize in Beijing’s most famous dish, and debate rages endlessly over who serves the best fowl. This place is less over-blown and over-priced than many of its rivals, and for that it gets our vote (see Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant).

Guizhou Luo Luo Suan Tang Yu

Sharing a hotpot is an essential Beijing experience and there’s no better place to do it than on beguiling “Ghost Street.” The décor may be a bit dingy but ingredients are fresh and the broth and dipping sauces are terrific (see Guizhou Luo Luo Suan Tang Yu).

Three Guizhou Men

Authentic Guizhou food, uncompromisingly spicy and sour, is generally too coarse for foreign tastes, but here it is blended with more conventional Chinese flavors. The atmosphere is stylish, in keeping with the local hipster fondness for minority cuisines (see Three Guizhou Men).

Han Cang

Little known even in China, the cuisine of the southeastern Hakka people is a delight. They use heaps of hot salt to bake chicken and fish, and do lots of dishes featuring smoky pork. Han Cang does excellent Hakka dishes and has a fun and vibrant atmosphere to boot.

Bellagio

A supremely hip and stylish Taiwanese chain, also serving quality Hakka dishes. Everything looks stunning, and it tastes even better. Leave room for one of the hugely popular red-bean ice desserts (see Bellagio).

Made In China

The kitchen is open allowing diners to view ducks roasting and nimble fingers speedily making disks of dough and spooning in fragrant fillings to make the little dumplings known as jiaozi, a Beijing specialty (see Jiaozi).

Noodle Bar

Agile chefs knead and pull noodles in front of your eyes before adding them to your soup. Though space and menu options are limited, this is a feast for both the eyes and the stomach.

• 1949 – The Hidden City, 4 Gongti Bei Lu (behind the Pacific Century Mall)

• 6501 1949

Afunti

The most famous and popular Uighur establishment in Beijing, specializing in Muslim Xinjiang cuisine. Expect lots of lamb, skewered and roasted, in addition to after-dinner table-top dancing and live music (see Afunti).

Huang Ting

A beautiful restaurant: a recreation of a traditional siheyuan (courtyard) house reusing thousands of bricks from demolished properties, along with wooden screens, carved stone friezes, and door guardian stones. Dishes lean towards the Cantonese, but there are also Beijing favorites, including classic Beijing roast duck (see Beijing duck).

South Silk Road

A fashionable, superior chain owned by a Beijing-based artist serving authentic Yunnanese food. Diners can sample all manner of flowers, insects, and mysterious animal parts, as well as more conventional dishes (see South Silk Road).

Samwei Bookstore Teahouse

A relaxed place with cultural and musical events.

• 60 Fuxing Men Dajie (opposite the Minzu Hotel)

Confucian Teahouse

Just across from the Confucius Temple. English spoken.

• 28 Guozijian Lu

Fu Family Teahouse

A stylish teahouse on the south bank of picturesque Hou Hai (see Fu Family Teahouse).

Hong Hao Ge

Bamboo decor beside a park behind the Military History Museum.

• 9-12 Yuyuan Tan Nan Lu

Lao She Teahouse

Tea plus acrobatics, magic tricks, and Beijing Opera.

• 3 Qian Men Xi Dajie

Ming Ren Teahouse

A chain of teahouses; this branch is conveniently close to Hou Hai.

• Building 3, Ping’an Dajie

Purple Vine

Lovely place located just outside the west gate of the Forbidden City.

• 2 Nan Chang Jie

Xi Hua Yuan Teahouse

Decorated with ornate Qing-style furniture. Just over the road from the Purple Vine.

• Bei Chang Jie

Ji Gu Ge Teahouse

Popular teahouse in area of antique shops south of Tian’an Men Square.

• 132–6 Liulichang Dongjie

Tian Qiao Happy Teahouse

Tea ceremonies with food and bite-sized cultural morsels at the upstairs theater.

• 1 Bei Wei Lu