Family Outing: InspiRED brunch at Senses
An all-you-can-drink champagne brunch might not sound like the most appropriate place to take your little ones on a Sunday afternoon, but they’ll surely thank you for it. And that’s the best thing about InspiRED – the kids think it’s a treat especially for them, but you’ll have just as much fun. As they dash around dipping strawberries into chocolate fountains and mixing up teppanyaki ice cream, you’ll be busy pondering on whether to have tuna, beef or salmon tartar, and what to put inside your made-to-order sushi rolls. And when your kids have had their fill of spaghetti, pizza, nuggets and other favorites, they’ll happily head off to the supervised play area for arts and crafts, face painting, cartoons and Nintendo Wii action. There are even mini-sized “heavenly beds” for a nap when the jungle gym gets too much, leaving you free to sip champers and indulge in more of the international delicacies on offer. The buffet costs RMB 368 for adults including free-flowing champagne and cocktails, and RMB 148 for kids under 12, while kids under 6 dine for free. Tom O’Malley
Sunday 11.30am-2.30pm. 1/F, The Westin Beijing, 9B Jinrong Jie, Xicheng District. (6629 7810) 味,西城区金融大街乙9号北京金融街威斯汀大酒店1层
Date Night: Source
An evening stroll through the quiet, lamp-lit alleys to the south west of Nanluogu Xiang is the perfect starter to a romantic dinner at Source. Stepping into this antique hutong restaurant puts one in mind of the “Peking” of grainy black-and-white films. Flickering candles cast inviting shadows across the wood-beamed dining room, while the crooked branches of a beautiful old date tree beckon you outside to one of the intimate courtyard tables. Choosing from two prix fixe menus (RMB 188 and RMB 260) gives you more time to enjoy each other’s company, as dish after dish of Sichuan-inspired food is brought to your table by unobtrusive, English-speaking waitresses. The menu rotates every couple of weeks, but on a recent visit we enjoyed (amongst others) a dish of tender duck with beans and green peppers; slow-cooked beef in a deep-flavored tomato and beer-fused broth; and aromatic, melt-in-the-mouth rice dumplings. Seasoned aficionados of Chinese cuisine might prefer a little more culinary adventure at this price, but for most, the combination of sumptuous surroundings and hassle-free, foreigner-friendly fare makes an intimate evening at Source one to savor. Tom O’Malley
Daily 5-11pm. 14 Banchang Hutong (next to the Lüsongyuan Hotel), Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District (6400 3736). 东城区宽街南锣鼓巷板厂胡同14号
