CourtYard $$$

95 Donghuamen Dajie
10/6526-8883

HOURS: Daily 6-10 p.m.

COST: Entrées more than ¥500

METRO: Tian’anmen East (Line 1)

CourtYard sets the standard for high-end European food in Beijing, and has been featured in The New York Times. Its windows look out onto the moat of the Forbidden City [1], while the interior decor is beautiful but understated.

Silver service, white drapes on the ceiling, and a downstairs lounge and gallery add up to a chic and luxurious atmosphere. The wine list features over 600 bottles and has won CourtYard the Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence every year since 2002. The restaurant looks just as attractive from the outside with its slate stairway and outer walls illuminated.

The owner Handel Lee, an American attorney, also developed Beijing’s Legation Quarter [2] and 3 on the Bund in Shanghai.