Where to Brunch It Up Over the Golden Week Holiday

advertisement

With Golden Week fast approaching, and -- let’s face it -- some of us being stuck in Beijing, there are a full seven days ahead to indulge in some brunching fun. It’s no secret that a good ol’ weekend brunch is one of my favorite things to do and I will definitely be making use of this time off by treating myself to a brunch or two. Here are a few spots in the capital where you can get your brunch fix too. 

Zarah

To celebrate the October Holiday, Zarah is putting on a special “Golden Week Holiday Brunch” on Oct 2. Along with their usual brunch staples like cold cuts, cheeses and pastries, they’re also bringing some Lao Beijing specialities to the table. They will be serving up zhajiangmian noodles, sautéed shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, shaobing breakfast buns, sweet cooked hawthorns and, of course, their famous DIY-breakfast jianbing. 

Price: RMB 228 all-you-can-eat, RMB 358 all-you-can-eat plus three hours of free flow 
Time: Sunday Oct 2, 10am-2pm

Zarah

46 Gulou Dongdajie,Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街42号

FEAST

During the holiday, FEAST at the EAST Hotel will be running a Festival Buffet that will be available every day of the holiday from 11:30am to 3pm. The brunch includes one meal from their al a carte menu plus all you can eat from their buffet, which includes fresh seafood, grilled meats, cheese and more -- and free flow drinks to top it all off!

Price: RMB 328 
Time: Oct 1-9, 11.30am-3pm

FEAST

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

Beersmith

Beersmith’s updated brunch menu has some great options and is ideal for the holiday as it runs on both weekends and weekdays. The star of the show has to be the Beersmith Pub Breakfast (RMB 98), which comes with your choice of eggs, Cumberland sausage, bacon, black pudding, rocket salad, grilled tomato and baked beans. Other options include Huevos Rancheros (RMB 68), California Flat Bread with Avocado (RMB 58) or Baked Ham and Cheese Croissant (RMB 48). If you’re going on the weekend you can also top the whole thing off with four hours of free flow for RMB 158. 

Time: Weekends 9am-2pm; Weekdays 9am-noon

Beersmith

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

Bee Brunch

InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun is currently running a flash sale for the October Holiday and included is their famous three course Bee Brunch with free flow, which has been reduced to RMB 388 -- it’s usually RMB 698, so that’s one hell of a saving! With an extensive menu that includes everything from an English breakfast to butter chicken, waffles or even fish and chips, there is plenty to choose from. You’ve got to act fast though, as the sale is only available until midnight tonight (Sep 29).

Price: RMB 388 (flash sale scan QR code below to buy) RMB 698 (normal) three course Bee Brunch and free flow, RMB 360 four course Bee Brunch 
Time: Saturday and Sunday, 11.30am-3pm

Tapas Lounge/CHAR Bar & Grill

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

Jing-A (CBD branch)

At their CBD branch, Jing-A has a special weekend brunch menu that is bound to get your mouth watering. For those looking for brunch with all the trimmings there is the CBD Full American Breakfast (RMB 120) which has pork sausage, house-made bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes, "smashed" potatoes, toast, pancakes and your choice of eggs. They also have brunch classics like Eggs Benedict (RMB 85) or lighter options like their Green Shakshuka (RMB 90) or Avocado on Toast (RMB 80).

Time: Saturday and Sunday, 12pm-2pm

Jing-A CBD

Beijing Kerry Center, North Tower 1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳区光华路1号

advertisement

George’s Restaurant

For a more decadent experience, George's Restaurant at Hotel Éclat offers a generous five-course weekend brunch. To start things off there is a choice of salad, followed by soup, an egg selection, the main course and to finish, of course, dessert.  The four main dishes to choose from are the Slow-Cooked Iceland Sole Fillet, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Roasted Rougie Duck Confit, and “Beyond Burger” -- all exclusive to the brunch menu.

Price: RMB 388 or RMB 288 if bought through their WeChat (scan QR code below)
Time: Saturday and Sunday, noon-2pm

George’s Restaurant

9 Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东大桥路9号

The Rug

With a daily all-day brunch menu on offer, The Rug is the perfect brunch choice for a weekday outing during Golden Week. My personal favorite brunch dish is their Special Veggie Shakshuka (RMB 108), which sees two eggs poached in a tomato sauce with eggplant, zucchini, squash, and other fresh veggies. Other great choices are the super fluffy Hot-Cake Boba n’ Cream (RMB 88) or the Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken Waffle Brunch (RMB 98).

Time: Everyday 10am-10pm

The Rug (Chaoyang Park)

Bldg 4, Lishui Jiayuan, Chaoyang Gongyuan Nanlu (opposite South Gate of Chaoyang Park), Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园南路丽水嘉园4号楼(朝阳公园南门对面)

The Rug (Sanlitun)

Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体北路4号机电研究院内

Toast at the Orchid

Last, but by no means least, on our list is popular brunch spot Toast at the Orchid Hotel. Their Mediterranean themed brunch menu has classics like Shakshuka (RMB 78) and Turkish Cilbir (RMB 78) along with more unusual offerings like the Full Chinglish (RMB 98). My usual go-to dish is the Mixed Mezze Supreme (RMB 168), which serves two people and has a little bit of everything.

Time: Everyday 10am-2.30pm (closed on Tuesdays)

Toast at the Orchid

65 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区宝钞胡同65号

READ MORE

Images: Katie Coy, courtesy of the venues, Unsplash Alessandro Alimonti

advertisement

Top Stories This Week

Beijingers Are Buzzing About