Abstract A series of pyrido[2,3‐ d ]pyrimidine‐4,7‐diones 5a‐h were prepared from 6‐amino‐4‐pyrimidones 1 and benzylidene Meldrum's acid derivatives 2 by cyclization reactions in boiling nitrobenzene. The structure of 5, determined by nmr measurements, reveals a selective orientation of 1 and 2 in the addition step.