Beijing's signature dish is Peking duck — lacquered roast duck carved at the table and eaten in thin pancakes with hoisin sauce, scallions, and cucumber. The classic restaurants are Quanjude (the old imperial kitchen, founded 1864) and Bianyifang (even older, 1416), but smaller specialists like Siji Minfu often do a better bird for less money. Beyond duck, Beijing cooking leans heavily on wheat — noodles, dumplings, baozi, and jianbing (a breakfast crêpe you will find on every street corner).
As China's capital, the city also pulls in cuisine from every province: Sichuan hotpot, Shanghai dumplings, Yunnan mushrooms, Xinjiang lamb kebabs, Guangdong dim sum. The hutong neighbourhoods around Gulou and Nanluoguxiang are the most interesting area to wander and eat. For something quicker, food courts in the big malls and Donghuamen's night market cover the range from cheap street food to regional specialties.