CHAOYANG EAST DISTRICT. Regarded as the best Beijing Duck restaurant in town, this is good, wholesome, local cuisine at its finest. You can even order a whole roast duck accompanied by a variety of condiments, including plum sauce and other fruit chutneys. A picture menu will help you decide your choice. Unlike most places in the city, it also has a non-smoking dining room.

One of you wants Chinese and one wants Western fare? Then try Casablanca, a cosmopolitan restaurant that offers Chinese and Asian stir-fries, curries and rice dishes, and at the same time serves up very tasty Arabic dishes, Greek salads, Italian pasta and Middle Eastern kebabs. Something for everyone! Also has Italian ice cream, espresso coffee and some European wines.

DONGCHENG DISTRICT. This Sichuan restaurant flies in its own ingredients from the west of China and is deservedly popular with Sichuanese living in the capital, especially party officials, it seems. Sichuan favorites, such as "mapo doufu" (spicy tofu with chopped meat) are authentic. Highly recommended are the spicy "shui zhu yu" (tender fish on a bed of crisp bean sprouts), and "guoba roupian" (sweet pork with rice crust). Always busy.

DONGCHENG DISTRICT. This nameless restaurant goes only by an address and is the other half of the "No Name Bar." Soft lighting and gentle waterfalls create a more soothing atmosphere than the usual noisy Beijing restaurant, and the food is excellent. The chef's signature dish is "seshao niurou," a juicy, foil-wrapped beef marinated in mountain herbs. Also try "nongjia shao jian ji" (spicy, sauteed chicken fillet) or the grilled lemongrass fish ("daizu xiangmao cao kao yu").

Beautifully located on the banks of Beihai Lake just northwest of the Forbidden City, this courtyard restaurant serves up imperial dishes once favoured by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. The restaurant was established in 1925 by three royal chefs, and the traditional ambiance is maintained right down to waitresses in period costume. This is a banquet-style meal, and it's always popular. Reserve in advance and arrive early.