Qianmen Street and Xianyukou: the first Quanjude, Bianyifang's closed-oven duck and Tianxingju's stewed liver, with cafes in the Yangmeizhu alleys.
Liqun Roast Duck, a casual duck house on Beixiangfeng Hutong near Qianmen, serves Beijing kaoya with duck gizzard and intestine dishes in Beijing.
OrderOrder the Beijing roast duck, then try the duck gizzard and duck intestine dishes alongside it.
TipThe room is modest and a little hard to find; follow the duck drawings on the walls of nearby streets, and reserve in advance.
Tianxingju on Xianyukou Street near Qianmen, founded in 1862, serves Beijing-style stewed liver with steamed stuffed buns from early morning in Beijing.
OrderOrder the Beijing-style stewed liver with steamed stuffed buns, the shop's classic pairing.
TipFounded in 1862 as Huixianju, the shop opens at 07:00 on Xianyukou Street near Qianmen, so it works as a breakfast stop.
Quanjude on Qianmen Street is the first restaurant of the Peking duck brand, serving roast duck with mustard duck feet and stuffed mushrooms in Beijing.
OrderOrder the Peking duck, with the webbed duck feet in mustard and the stuffed mushrooms as sides.
TipThis Qianmen restaurant is the first Quanjude; service runs in two sessions, with a break between 14:30 and 16:30.
Bianyifang on Xianyukou Street, a brand founded in 1416, roasts Beijing duck in a closed oven and sells crispy duck varieties near Qianmen in Beijing.
OrderOrder the closed-oven roast duck, or the vegetable-scented crispy duck the kitchen has patented.
TipFounded in 1416, the brand roasts duck in a closed oven without an open flame; this Xianyukou branch is near Qianmen.
Yan Garden by Chef Fei is a Michelin Selected Chaozhou restaurant in a restored siheyuan near Qianmen, Beijing, with a century-old toon tree in the courtyard.
OrderTry the fish maw sauteed tableside with dried shrimps, crabmeat and XO sauce, and the marinated goose web.
TipAsk for a table in the restored courtyard, where diners sit under a century-old toon tree; the restaurant belongs to Mandarin Oriental Qianmen.
Jingyi on Liulichang East Street in Beijing is a small alley room with a short calligraphic menu of Hubei river fish and home cooking, with limited seats.
OrderBraised tofu with fish roe, hot and sour young lotus root with chicken gizzards, osmanthus grass jelly.
TipSeats are limited, so come early or expect to wait in line; in winter, ask for the piping-hot egg-drop glutinous rice wine.
Liuji Zhizi Kaorou on Lazhu Hutong in Beijing grills beef, lamb and squid on an iron griddle in the old zhizi kaorou style, near Hufangqiao in Xicheng.
OrderGrilled beef, beef tongue and lamb, with squid whiskers and chicken gristle skewers.
TipCtrip lists a waiting area, so expect a queue at mealtimes; the city food guide suggests Beibingyang soda or erguotou with the grilled meat.
Zhungeer on Longtan Road in Beijing cooks Xinjiang dishes, from big plate chicken to red-braised naan-wrapped lamb, with free parking on site.
OrderBig plate chicken, red-braised naan-wrapped lamb and the tomahawk hand-grasped lamb with pilaf.
TipCtrip lists free parking, a phone-charging point and large tables for ten or more; the kitchen runs straight through the afternoon on weekends.
Voyage Coffee's Sanlihe Park branch in Beijing shares its building with a local bookshop and has outdoor seats facing the river, with ducks sometimes in view.
DrinkDirty
TipGive a taxi or DiDi driver 'Sanlihe Park' (三里河公园) rather than the street address; it is a 10-minute walk from Qiaowan station on Line 7, exit D.
Soloist Coffee Co. on Yangmeizhu Xiejie in Beijing fills a two-storey hutong coffeehouse with old lamps, globes and typewriters, plus a second-floor terrace.
DrinkCappuccino
TipSit at the ground-floor bar to watch the baristas, or take the second-floor terrace for sun and a view of the old houses; the ground floor is often crowded.
Tiao pours Beijing-themed cocktails in a two-storey hutong bar inside Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, and is ranked No. 50 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.
DrinkCaochang Hutong, jasmine-infused baijiu with frozen green Sichuan peppercorns
FoodSmall bites with the cocktails, such as sesame crackers
TipThe dark bar is downstairs and the terrace upstairs suits people watching; the hotel lists live DJ sets, so arrive earlier for a quieter seat.
Yin San Douzhi on Dongxiaoshi Street in Beijing opens at 05:30 and closes at midday, serving douzhi with braised meatballs and miancha in a ten-table shop.
TryDouzhi with jiaoquan and braised meatballs
TipIt opens only for half a day, so come early; customers queue to the door, carry their food to a seat and often share tables with strangers.
Chen Ji Luzhu Xiaochang on Langfang Ertiao in Beijing, near Qianmen, sells luzhu, flatbread stewed with pork intestines and lung, until 20:00.
TryLuzhu huoshao, flatbread stewed with pork intestines, lungs and tofu
TipCtrip lists a bowl with one base and two flatbreads, plus cold-dish sets; the shop closes at 20:00, so go for lunch or an early dinner.
Gongmenkou Mantou Pu, the founder store at 1 Xiangchang Road in Beijing, sells sticky bean buns, red-bean rolls and steamed buns from 07:00 to 19:00.
TrySticky bean buns, red-bean rolls and sesame-paste sugar rolls
TipCtrip lists sticky bean buns, red-bean rolls and sesame-paste sugar rolls as favourites, and the shop closes at 19:00.
Hepingmen Market on Qianmen West Street is a renovated Xicheng vegetable market in Beijing that also stocks pickles, mustard oil and shrimp oil.
Fortune Long on East Xinglong Street in Beijing has served zhajiangmian since 1994, over three floors, with two caldrons of soybean sauce made fresh each day.
TryZhajiangmian with house-made noodles
TipIt is always jam-packed, so avoid peak mealtimes; Michelin also picks the fried pork balls and the blanched ox tripe in sesame sauce.
Feng Yuan Chunbing near Tiantan in Beijing is a spring pancake shop on the 2025 Dianping Bichibang list, serving chunbing at lunch and dinner on Xingfu Lane.
TryChunbing, spring pancakes with stir-fried fillings
TipService breaks between 14:00 and 17:00, so time a visit for lunch or an early dinner; it sits west of Building 20 in the Xingfu Beili community.
Jingdong Chengji Roubing on Fuguang Road in Beijing is a meat pie shop west of Building 17 in Xingfu Beili, open for lunch and dinner on the Dianping list.
TryRoubing, Beijing meat pies
TipService breaks from 14:00 to 17:00, so go at lunch or after 17:00; the Beijinger lists it near Guangminglou and Longtan Lake in its 2025 rundown.
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