Anatra alla Pechinese, Jiaozi e la Gastronomia Imperiale di Pechino
Beijing cuisine (北京菜 — the culinary tradition of China's northern capital, combining the roasted meat traditions of the northern Chinese and Mongolian nomadic heritage (Peking Duck, roasted lamb) with the elaborate court cuisine of the Qing dynasty Imperial Kitchen (御膳房) and the dumpling (饺子 — jiǎozi) culture of northern China): Peking Duck (北京烤鸭) is the most internationally celebrated Chinese dish and the defining food experience of a visit to Beijing.
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Quanjude — The Original Peking Duck Since 1864
Quanjude (founded 1864) serves Peking duck using the original imperial court technique — ducks hung in a fruitwood-fired oven until the skin lacquers to a deep mahogany. Carved tableside, wrapped in pancakes with hoisin and julienned scallions.
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Da Dong — Modern Thin-Skin Peking Duck
Chef Dong Zhenxiang's 'crispy-without-fat' Peking duck has thinner, crispier skin than any other preparation in Beijing. The multiple Da Dong locations are perennial contenders for best duck in the city; book weeks ahead.
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Hand-Folded Jiaozi in a Hutong Dumpling House
Northern China's spiritual food — pork and cabbage jiaozi, hand-folded in the traditional Northern Chinese crescent shape — is best eaten in a hutong dumpling house where you can watch the dough rolled and the filling spooned at the table.
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Ghost Street (Guijie) — Late-Night Crawfish & Hot Pot
Ghost Street (Dongzhimen Nei) is Beijing's most famous late-night food corridor — 150+ restaurants open until 4am serving mala crawfish (the city's great summer obsession), Sichuan hot pot, and northern Chinese grill skewers.
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Wangfujing Snack Street — Extreme Street Food
Wangfujing's snack street skewers scorpion, silkworm pupae, and seahorse alongside authentic Beijing snacks — candied hawthorn on a stick ('bingtang hulu'), sesame flatbread ('shaobing'), and lamb skewers from Xinjiang vendors.
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Siheyuan Courtyard Restaurant — Hidden Hutong Kitchen
Beijing's finest dining hides inside restored hutong courtyards — private dining rooms serving northern Chinese cuisine in 300-year-old courtyard houses. Book through concierge; the entrance is an unmarked wooden gate on a narrow lane.