Beijing's most famous international fine-dining experience, TRB (Temple Restaurant Beijing) serves modern European dishes with a French twist – house-smoked salmon, lobster salad, Wagyu beef – but the real delight is the setting: the exquisite, 250-year-old Zhizhu Si (智珠寺; Zhīzhù Sì; Temple of Wisdom), a long-forgotten temple buried deep in the hutong. Service is pampering and the wine list is encyclopedic.
The temple grounds, illuminated at night and strewn with contemporary-art pieces, make for a delightful post-meal stroll. Art exhibitions and recitals are often staged within the temple's former prayer halls.
