Beijing foodies may have despaired upon hearing about Brian McKenna@The Courtyard’s recent closure. But some very good news has come of that setback – while renowned chef Brian McKenna is leaving the Forbidden City adjacent restaurant, Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) proprietor Ignace Lecleir will step in with an entirely new concept for the beloved venue. 

Dubbed TRB Bites@The Courtyard, the new project will find Lecleir working to strike the elusive balance between low key and fine fare. A statement from TRB references the “bites” portion of the new project’s title, saying it encapsulates “the dining concept we aim to bring here: delicate dishes shared among friends, while luscious drinks are being sipped on. The ambiance is unmistakably casual but deceptively sophisticated. This is a deformalized fine dining experience that will be relaxed yet refined.”

Lecleir is still deciding on a specific launch date, although spokesperson Carine Chu tells the Beijinger that TRB Bites@The Courtyard will open sometime this fall. 

Hailing from Belgium, Lecleir arrived in Beijing eight years ago – after a stint at esteemed New York restaurant Daniel – to open the now defunct Maison Boulud. TRB, which he opened in November of 2011, proved to be his greatest success, nabbing nine awards at the Beijinger's 2015 Reader Restaurant Awards. The restaurant also attained international acclaim – The New York Times praised its juxtaposition of “old and nouveau Beijing in both ambiance and colours.”

The Courtyard has attained an even more sterling reputation in its 19-year run, thanks to its unparalleled view of the Forbidden City’s east gate, its hosting of beloved celebrities like Mick Jagger and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, above all, its unpretentious yet exquisite take on molecular gastronomy. According to an earlier statement, McKenna is leaving to focus on consulting work and his new gastropub, which is slated for an August opening. But Lecleir's takeover shouldn’t come as a total shock – after all, The Courtyard was first developed by Handel Lee, a Shanghai lawyer who went on to found the The Legation Quarter which, you guessed it, was home to Lecleir’s Maison Boulud (Lost Heaven and a few other high end outlets still occupy that space). 

Lecleir certainly seems to hold McKenna’s Courtyard legacy in high esteem. The statement announcing TRB Bites@The Courtyard says: “The task of creating a restaurant that will do justice to this legendary venue is not one taken lightly, but TRB has decided to join forces with The Courtyard Restaurant and create a dining establishment to represent and satisfy the increasingly discerning tastes of the Beijing market.”

A more casual twist on TRB’s esteemed fare will certainly be enough to whet our appetites. And as TRB Bites@The Courtyard opens after McKenna’s new gastropub, this fall promises to satisfy our fine dining cravings on a whole new level.

Photo courtesy of Temple Restaurant Beijing