Hua Jia Yi Yuan

Hua Jia Yi Yuan built its name on a simple idea: Beijing food deserves a Beijing setting. The flagship occupies a series of linked siheyuan courtyards where waiters in traditional dress glide between private rooms, and the menu reads like a museum of imperial snacks - camel paw in sauce, donkey meat sandwiches, and the famous summer noodles.

It is theatrical without being touristy, and the courtyard seats are exactly what out-of-town guests come to Beijing to find. Book a private room for groups and ask for the tasting set, which covers a century of Beijing cuisine in one sitting.