When in Beijing, do as the Mandarins have expertly done for thousands of years: make your meals a point of pride and conduct all business, whether personal or professional, around the dinner table. To ensure our 8.8.08 Olympic guests sustain sated stomachs and bouche amusé, follow this guide to nine Chinese restaurants whose names are dropped almost as frequently as their table-tops are turned. Eight is great, but 1 + 8, or "yao" and "fa," also means "to want success." And during these Games, we're all hungry for these nine.

If hunger pangs are precluding clear thinking, or you're with a large group and don't care to hassle with ordering, Dali Courtyard is famed for flavorful, fresh Yunnan food served in a pre-set, multi-course menu. The comfortable, charming courtyard is hidden down a winding "hutong" (alleyway), but unswerving seekers are rewarded with dishes inspired by ingredients selected daily by the chef.

Not that you'll feel hungry after eating at any of these spots, but if particularly ravenous, Xu Xiang Zhai's all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet will satisfy the hearty carnivore and devoted Buddhist alike. Housed on historic Guozijian street around the corner from the Lama Temple, the endless variety extends into imitation meat, fresh sushi, individual hotpots and some of the tastiest veggie jiaozi (boiled dumplings) in town.

For an even broader variety of jiaozi, including meat-filled selections such as the standard "bai cai zhu rou," combining cabbage with pork, and "san xian" with shrimp, pork and mushroom, head to nearby Xian Lao Man. Whichever you choose, take a cue from the local crowd and opt for a vinegar-and-garlic, not soy, dipping sauce. North-eastern Chinese cold dish appetizers ("liang cai") whet the palette while waiting for the bespoke boiled bundles to arrive.

Dumplings never cease to please, and one of the most creative varieties is Whampoa Club's truffled edition. At the last "siheyuan" (courtyard) on Financial Street, Chef Jereme Leung's clever concoctions interweave time-tested Chinese treats with cutting-edge cosmopolitan techniques. Dali-esque installations on par with any art gallery's make a drink at the sophisticated cocktail bar a required itinerary item.

For something less delicate, the Sichuanese provincial office's famed canteen, nicknamed "Chuan Ban," renders repeat visitors for its fiery red chili dishes and rowdy ambiance. A wait beforehand, and a quick change of clothes after, will be necessary—all in the name of hot and oily satisfaction.

If there is any other reference here worthy of institutional status, Da Dong rivals Quanjude and Li Qun for Peking Duck partiality in the 'Jing. Supposedly, the founder, Mr. Dong, developed a special method resulting in less-fatty fowl that retain a juicy interior and crispy, smoky skin.

A respectable Peking Duck is also served at Xiao Wang Fu, a local chain respected for simple Beijing classics. "Gongbao jiding"—known in the West as Kungpao chicken—is a popular favorite, as are the "ziran jichi," part of the summertime chicken wing craze. A pictorial menu that doesn't require both arms to lift and outdoor seating at both locations make this a casual and reliable affair.

Din Tai Feng, Taiwanese chain once voted by the New York Times as a "world's best restaurant," unites several Chinese favorites now popular abroad, including "xiao long bao" (Shanghainese soup dumplings), cold sesame noodles, and bbq pork ribs. Formosa, formerly, is known for its sweet tooth, and desserts such as the mountains of ice topped with sweet red and green beans uphold that reputation.

For the master of bringing the best of the rest of the world to Beijing, there is no name on par with Handel Lee. The founder of the precociously famous Legation Quarter (housing, among others, Maison Boulud à Pékin), his class-act, The Courtyard, unites Chinese cuisine with cosmopolitanism. Seek out the elusive window-side seats for Forbidden City moat views.

With these lucky nine in hand, you'll eat almost as well as the Emperors once did.