Order the half set of the water banquet, unless there are six of you

The shuixi is a Tang-era procession of twenty-four courses, most of them soups, and a full set defeats two people comfortably. Restaurants in the old town serve half sets and single dishes; the famous house is Zhenbutong on the main street, and the neighbourhood places are cheaper and just as good.

Breakfast is the other local ritual: beef soup with flatbread torn into it, eaten early and standing. Add hulatang pepper soup if the morning is cold.