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A little preparation. A much better adventure.Independent travel advice · Made for China
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A taste of Beijing

Quanjude (Qianmen, the original house)

全聚德（前门店）

Founded in 1864, Quanjude invented the hung-oven (gualu) style of Peking duck and its roasting method is listed as national intangible cultural heritage. The Qianmen branch is the original address and the most historically loaded place in the city to eat duck. It is also, honestly, the one locals skip: the dining rooms run on tour-group turnover, service is widely described as indifferent, prices sit at the top of the market, and the listed parent company has spent years losing money as Beijing's food scene moved on. Come for the history and the carving ceremony, not because it is the best duck in town.

¥250–400 per person≈ US$37Dongcheng, 30 Qianmen Street; Qianmen station (Line 2) sits at the north end of the street
Plan your meal Open map

Why come here

A place worth making time for

No Michelin star. Famous as the oldest Peking duck house in Beijing (1864) and the origin of the hung-oven roasting technique, now recognised as intangible cultural heritage; widely criticised by locals as touristy and overpriced.

The house favourites

What to order

Point at the Chinese. Staff will understand it even where the menu has no English at all.

  • Hung-oven roast duck (挂炉烤鸭)
  • Duck bone soup (鸭架汤)
  • Mustard duck webs (芥末鸭掌)
  • Shredded duck with bean sprouts (火燎鸭心)

What it actually tastes like

The house style is noticeably fattier than modern duck houses, and the leftover carcass comes back as a milky, slightly gamey bone soup that some visitors find strong. Cold duck-offal starters are standard.

Allergens in this kitchen

gluten/wheatsoysesame

This is the kitchen, not one dish. Woks, fryers, blanching water and utensils are shared in almost every Chinese restaurant, so for a serious allergy treat the whole premises as the unit rather than ordering around it.