Cours et Pavillons: French Fancy

Fine dining – that of white table cloths, stuffy waiters, and hushed dining rooms – has taken a hit in Beijing in recent years, making way for more approachable casual dining concepts. But hidden away in Weijia Hutong is a slice of time-honored French gentility, in the form of boutique hotel and restaurant Cours et Pavillons. Set in a lovingly restored courtyard, furnished with genuine Ming Dynasty antiques (some worth millions of RMB), the restaurant is currently only open by prior reservation.
Diners can choose from six to 10-course set menus (from RMB 1,000) that are then tailored to their individual requirements.

Although the menu changes often, the experience itself is consistent. No matter how many courses you choose, you will be bombarded with a slew of amusebouches, palate cleansers, and pre-desserts. Those that see similarities with TRB would not be unjustified; Chef Zak el Hamdou headed up the kitchen there in 2012. His dishes combine classic technique and ingredients with modern presentation – a sprinkling of petals here, a cube of gelée there. A signature dish of roasted pigeon with saltbaked
beetroot, confit leg, and matsutake mushrooms reveals the reticent chef’s hidden culinary passion; he has been working directly with the pigeon supplier for more than five years to make sure that the birds reach his exacting standards. His efforts have clearly paid off; the pigeon breast is ample and pink, the juices mingling with the matching-hued beetroot.

This is, without a doubt, occasion dining. Yet with a food and atmosphere this good, somehow it isn’t difficult to find an excuse to slip on our finery and step out for a slice of French fancy.

Photos courtesy of Cours et Pavillons