If the weather app is actually accurate this time, we’re in for an amazing long weekend of warm, sunny weather that actually feels like spring has finally arrived.
For most people Saturday is a make-up work day, but for the lucky few (like the staff here at True Run Media whose HR policy doesn’t believe in messing with your week. We’re hiring by the way … ) the Qingming Festival is a long weekend that’s going to be filled with outdoor activities, park visits to check out the cherry blossoms, and, of course, brunches!
Here are our family-friendly brunch recommendations for this weekend.
Bee Brunch at Char Bar & Grill at InterContinental Hotel
Here’s a recommendation for those in the mood for a fancy brunch. InterContinental’s Bee Brunch provides your choice of three courses for RMB 268, or four courses for RMB 298 per person with the option of adding free-flow wine (red and white, bubbles, and cocktails for RMB 138 per person, or free-flow Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut for RMB 488 per person.
This holiday weekend the Bee Brunch will be available Apr 2-5, every day from 11.30am to 3pm.
InterContinental’s latest brunch menu includes quite a few drool-enticing items, like freshly made waffles topped with eggs, crispy bacon, and maple syrup. Or how about a stack of pancakes that’s topped with Nutella, Oreos, caramelized nuts, and honeycomb? My all-time favorite? Fresh burrata with cherry tomatoes and basil. For the must-have brunch egg dish, they’ve got soft-scramble eggs with black truffle on top. And this is all before you get to your main course and dessert.
High chairs and kids’ utensils are available upon request.
Find it:
3/F, InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun, 1 Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区南三里屯路1号北京三里屯通盈中心洲际酒店3楼
Tel: 18611029628
FEAST (Food by EAST)
Feast’s brunch is one of the favorite brunches of Beijing’s parents. Not only is the food delicious, they’ve also got an amazing play area for kids that’s filled with climbing equipment, swings, toys, a slide, and a ball pit at no additional charge. It’s almost like going to a kids’ café … but with better food for adults and free-flow drink options.
During the Qingming Festival weekend Feast will be running their brunch all weekend long as well as their Surf & Turf nights.
From 11.30am to 3pm the restaurant is home to their famous semi-buffet brunch for RMB 328 per person. Kids between 6 and 12 years old are admitted at half price, and kids under 6 are admitted for free. After brunch FEAST takes a few quick hours to clean up and reset for the Surf & Turf dinner that’s filled with fresh seafood, roasts, and a variety of international cuisine from 5.30pm to 9pm for the same prices.
High chairs and kids’ utensils are available. For those with babies, the cook-to-order station is able to help cook up some noodles and wontons for the little ones to munch on.
Find it:
2/F, EAST Beijing, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥路22号东隅北京酒店2层
Tel: 84149820
Beersmith
Ok, ok … taking kids to a place that literally has “beer” in the name might not sound like it’ll make for a family-friendly experience, but Beersmith, at Hotel Jen, is a pleasant surprise for any parent. Not only do they have great cocktails and a wide selection of craft beers for parents, but they’ve also got great food that caters to the whole family.
This Qingming holiday, they’re adding a kid-friendly theme to the whole restaurant as they announce their new brunch menu.
From Apr 3 to 5 their à la carte brunch will be available from 11am to 4pm every day. Beersmith will also be decorated like a circus tent, and the team has planned lots of fun activities for kids and grownups alike.
The dishes on their brunch menu start at just RMB 68 for the hot porridge with berries. Classic brunch favorites, like huevos rancheros, are just RMB 88, and the Beersmith Pub Breakfast is RMB 98. For those who love great food and a laid-back casual ambiance, Beersmith is sure to be fun for the whole gang.
Beersmith Pub Breakfast for RMB 98
As a special for this holiday weekend, Beersmith has a buy-1-get-1-free deal on their burgers and will be creating a four-hour free-flow beer and wine package for RMB 158 per person.
Find it:
1/F, Hotel Jen Beijing, No. 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号新国贸饭店1层
Tel: 6505 2277 ext 6610
Frasca at The Opposite House
Every Sunday from noon to 3pm, Frasca lays out their semi-buffet for RMB 398 per person. Kids 6-12 years old are RMB 150 per person, and kids 6 and under are free.
You can start the long weekend off with Frasca’s fisherman’s corner, which is filled with fresh lobsters and oysters on ice, before moving on to their selection of artisan cold cuts, cheeses, and all the Italian antipasti that you can eat. For the main course, choose from a selection of seven different dishes à la carte style, before finishing up with your choices of desserts from the buffet.
If you want to add a free-flow option, Frasca offers unlimited wines, bubbles, and selected cocktails for two hours for RMB 188 per person.
While The Opposite House isn’t the first place that comes to mind when it comes to kid-friendly places, rest assured that Frasca is both baby- and older kids-friendly. They’ve got a great outdoor garden that’s just secluded enough to let you enjoy the sun as well as a bit of peace and quiet away from the busy Sanlitun streets.
Kids’ utensils and high chairs are also available upon request.
Find it:
1/F, The Opposite House, 11 Sanlitun Nan Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯街道11号三里屯太古里北区瑜舍酒店
Tel: 64105210
Images: Courtesy of restaurants
