Discover six of the best lesser-known courtyard restaurants
Gege Fu
You know you're in for a special evening when six princesses in ceremonial dress greet you with a curtsy and cries of ‘Welcome!'.
Gege Fu was home to one of Emperor Kangxi's sons in the Qing dynasty before Empress Dowager Cixi bestowed it to Princess Rongshou in the 19th century.
Now it's a restaurant with a comprehensive palace theme and a menu and service to match. Its three courtyards house a reception area, a main dining hall and restored rooms.
The latter has been painstakingly restored to replicate the traditional study, living room and dining room of a Qing dynasty residence.
The friendly staff, who use traditional forms and phrases of greeting, hover to answer anyquestions and are eager for guests to try sitting on the daybed or putting on ceremonial robes just for a laugh.
Eating here is an expensive affair though. Gege Fu offers mainly set menus for groups; the smallest for two to four people, and ranges from a really basic duck soup set at 488RMB (which we don't recommend; the 688RMB sets are better value) to 3,488RMB for sharks' fin.
Yet think of it as paying for admission to a performance, because it really is theatre – every hour in the evenings from 5.30pm, princesses float towards the main dining hall to put on traditional dances watched over by mockmenacing courtyard guards.
Great if you want to dine like royalty or to bring a friend who's on company expenses for a cultural evening out.
9 Daqudeng Hutong, BeiheyanDajie, Dongcheng district (6407, 8001). Open 11am to 2pm; 5.30 to 9pm daily. Meal for two around 900RMB. 格格府,东城区北河沿大街大取灯胡同9号
Guigong Fu
Guigong Fu is an impressive Qing dynasty-styled courtyard complex that was once the home of Duke Gui, the brother of Empress Cixi.
The massive 7,000sqm site sprawls over four courtyards with eighteen intimate private rooms, though it's much nicer to dine al fresco.
The restaurant itself is called King of Kings Duck, which explains the 20 plus duck dishes that incorporate everything from the innards to the tongue.
The signature dish, the Duck King's Duck (298RMB/168RMB half) isdelightfully succulent with none of the typical cloying oil that makes one stop after a few pieces.
Thanks to the new Guangdong management group, King of Kings also offers Cantonese cuisine. The pan-fried pepper beef rib with crispy garlic (88RMB) is highly recommended – tender, flavourful and delicious.
You might also want to sip on one of the 15 teas on offer; try the basic Pu'er (30RMB) or the exclusive Xihu Longpian (80RMB). A great place for those who want to experience beautiful lao Beijing.
11 Fangjiayuan Hutong, Chaoyangmennei Nanxiaojie, Dongcheng district (8511 2223) Open 11am to 2pm; 5 to 10pm daily. Meal for two around 600RMB. 桂公府，东城区朝内南小街芳家园胡同11号
Liuzhai Shifu
Unlike the other courtyards featured here, there's nothing dramatic about Longcheng Tang. Its furnishings are ordinary and its walls sport peeling paint – which is as authentic as it gets if you want to eat like the locals.
The courtyard is charmingly rustic - a tree grows in the middle, a doorway allows you to peek into the kitchen and smiling ayis take your order, offering matronly recommendations.
The Chinese-only menu features dishes from Guilin so do get the Guilin beef noodles (12RMB), which are wholesome, with springy noodles in a flavourful beef broth.
Also good are the walnut paste pork balls (28RMB) – compact and sweet – and the delicious beer-marinated fish wok (58RMB) – tender meat that falls off the bone covered by crunchy, deep-fried skin.
Be sure to get a bottle of the suanmeitang (sour plum juice, 4RMB) which helps cool you down in the heat.
Donghuangcheng Gen Beijie, Zhangzhizhong Lu, Dongcheng district (6401 9498) Open 10.30am to 10.30pm daily. Meal for two around 100RMB. 龙城堂广西柳州餐厅，东城区东黄城根北街28号
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