Beijing's best bites

Best outdoor

1949-The Hidden City

This restaurant, converted from an electric factory, has plenty of open space, a gallery, two restaurants, a bar and a club. Duck de Chine is known to produce some of the city's best Peking roast duck. Taverna prepares pleasant Mediterranean foods, paired with good wines, and the noodle bar has some authentic Chinese hand-pulled flour noodles. Tel: 6501-1949

8. Best Yunnan

In &Out

Nine years after it was founded, the food only gets better. I came back from a tour of Yunnan recently, and found so many authentic Yunnan delicacies on the restaurant's menu: Cured pork rib hot pot was a particularly interesting chewing sensation. Lake wild cress, a wild river plant, and Shangri-La dried beef, which is chewy and spicy, were especially tasty. You can order a Yunnan love song from a Yunnan singer for your special guest. The only con is a long line at the gate. Tel: 8454-0086

Best Italian

Tavola

The economic downturn has been hard on foreign cuisine restaurants, but Italian chef Alberto Alboreggia and his team has maintained high standards, and cooks up delightful Italian treats. There are authentic Neapolitan dishes using specially selected cuts of meat, seafood from Japan, and fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs. Pizzas are topped with authentic buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy. Tel: 8532-5068

Le Dolce Vita

Chef Piero Colucci has worked hard to keep food quality stable, and has attracted more Chinese customers with healthy, nutritious Italian treats. Crispy, thin pizza is roasted in a brick oven near the entrance. Try the beef cappacio with mushroom sauce, and pasta with flatfish and pumpkin. They have a good house wine, and the city's best tiramisu and expresso. Tel: 6468-2894

Impressive Chinese interior

9 Dynasty

This Chinese restaurant has a South China-style garden in its interior. Rooms are in a pavilion style, linked by stone paths, with bamboo, miniscapes, and famous Chinese paintings on the wall. One room has a 15-m-long wooden table made from scented rose wood. The second floor has a theater with professional performers performing Kunqu Opera. Offerings comprise Cantonese and Shandong styles, as well as what is termed "private cuisine". Beside high-end seafood, there is deep-fried fish head, Cantonese roast goose and braised prawn with cheese. Tel: 6439-5899

Na La Restaurant

The restaurant located at the foot of the Fragrant Hills has a wooden architectural style resembling the Forbidden City. Colorful, auspicious patterns on the roof and columns are pleasing to the eye. The high roofs make for a spacious ambiance. Some good dishes are chicken slices with ground pine nut, assorted seafood salad, roast lamb back and bean curd in chicken broth. Tel: 6286-8566

Best Portuguese

Vasco

Since opening, Vasco Macanese restaurant has consistently offered good quality foods. There are Portuguese dishes such as chickpea soup, Portuguese sausage, and duck leg confit with risotto. Tel: 5812-8888 ext 8411

Best vegetarian

Samadhi

This newly opened vegetarian restaurant is the first to abandon "imitation meat" dishes made with soy bean protein. More importantly, it has managed to design its dishes beautifully and makes offerings taste great. The dcor is peaceful and beautiful. Try the 168 yuan per person set meal and taste a great variety of different foods, or order a la carte. They also have good teas. Tel: 8453-1644

Best beer

DK 1308 Brauhaus brews one of the city's best traditional wheat beers, besides lager and dark rye beer. Matched with a meat and sausage platter, it's a hearty treat for beer and meat lovers. Tel: 6503-5555