The Royal Restaurant

The Royal Restaurant proffers an imperial dinner for the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors in a beautiful two-floor villa on Shichahai Lake's west bank.

In private rooms featuring traditional Chinese furniture and antiques, a server clad in a Qing Dynasty minister's robe deciphers for diners the mysteries of ancient Chinese imperial cuisine, narrating the stories behind the dishes.

This winter, the restaurant offers a special hotpot and grilled dinner, based on written records of a grand feast to which Emperor Qianlong treated 1,000 officials in 1785. The imperial chefs used these two cooking methods to keep catering for such a large crowd simple and scrumptious.

Waitresses costumed as Qing Dynasty princesses serve organic fruits and vegetables, and beautifully presented cold meats as appetizers.

The main course for winter is a special hotpot with Buddha jumps over the wall soup as the base broth.

The soup is said to derive its nutritious qualities from a fusion of secret imperial recipes and herbs. Main ingredients include lobster, venison tendon, prawn and abalone, in addition to the humbler meats of beef and mutton.

Grilled offerings include beef steak and a remarkably tender pine pheasant. Vegetables and mushrooms are also available.

The cost ranges from 128 yuan to 888 yuan per person. The restaurant and club also provides tea ceremonies.

The eatery has a lovely balcony on the second floor overlooking a courtyard with bamboo groves. The courtyard offers a great place to party in good weather. The third floor comprises two platforms and a glass room with tea tables and air-conditioning. It is the perfect perch overlooking the Shichahai Lake from which to dine on a fine Chinese lunch and spend a lazy afternoon sipping tea.

10am-10pm. Reservation required. Near Xinjiekou Beidajie, 48 Xihai Nanyan, Xicheng district. 8328-4099.

Takatura Sushi Bar

You can tiptoe through the latticework dining rooms, cross the koi stream to reach the teppanyaki and sushi bars, or gawk at the traditional garb of the wait staff, but this Japanese restaurant is authentic only in its ambiance.

The assorted tempura platter (RMB 80) was pleasingly crispy and the rice in green tea soup with salmon and sour plums (RMB 30), despite being the simplest dish on the table, delivered homey warmth. Sadly, the deep-fried bean curd (RMB 30) lacked crunch and didn't absorb the flavor of its soup base. But the spicy tuna roll (RMB 100) was disappointing. Thinly sliced and overpriced, it failed to capture the sushi's textured balance of raw fish, rice and seaweed, and was drizzled with a sauce not unlike Tabasco.

Tack on a 15 percent service charge, and even the constantly refilled tea and complimentary fruit plate can't compensate for the loosely wrapped sushi.

Location: B110 Kunlun Hui, A2 Xinyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District

Tel: 010-65939435

Open: Daily 11am-2pm, 5-10pm.