Date night! Hot Beijing restaurants on our radar in November

Between shuttling the children to and from playdates and classes and exploring family attractions, it's easy for parents to let quality time spent as a couple slip through the net. Next time you're due for a night out, try one of these date-friendly spots. Scroll on for a selection of the most exciting Beijing restaurant openings and revamps on our radar this month.

Equis

At 3,600 square metres, or just shy of an acre, Beijing’s latest social lounge-cum-celebrity receptacle Equis doesn’t want for room – nor rooms, for that matter. 

In keeping with the extravagance that defines all of Four Seasons Beijing’s hospitality outlets, the acre is split into five heady realms; the Lounge, the Cellar, the Library, the Courtyard and the Imperial Room – each its own study in opulence. Don't miss the Chengdu gin and tonic, a woozy tipple that hits the spot with, as one might imagine, some Sichuan peppercorn action.

Sheng Yong Xing

The Peking duck game in Beijing is, justifiably, dominated by a few old favourites. We’re hardly left wanting for places to eat the most traditional of Beijing meals, yet the arrival of Sheng Yong Xing, an elegant double-storey restaurant in Dongzhimen, is a welcome addition to the scene.

There’s plenty to be pleased about here over the course of a leisurely dinner, but let’s start with the most important part: the duck. Sheng Yong Xing offers a normal kaoya for 238RMB, or a house special for an extravagant 378RMB. Gluttony is a sin, but the indulgence of the house special here is worth your while if you’re looking for something special. 

Bora Bora

It's not often that we find ourselves chasing cocktails outside of the Fourth Ring Road, but there come the times when we hear the tiki bells ringing, and, like a hoary bat to the midnight moth, go we must.

The main event at Bora Bora is the rum. The hurricane (70RMB) is served in a playful beaker shaped like the head of a tiki god and is a crowd-pleasing confection of fresh fruits and ‘Ruby syrup’, while the zombie (80RMB) is refreshing, sweet and bitter, all at the same time.

Migas Mercado

A handful of players dominate most European dining options, and for Spanish food one undoubtedly thinks of Migas. This Sanlitun favourite has been keeping us busy from dawn to dusk for years now, with its restaurant and rooftop bar. The new CBD edition takes its fiesta even further.

The new Migas is, like everything these days, in China World Mall, offering the requisite awesome views of the surrounding urban vista. It is also something of a vista in itself, being totally freakin’ huge – there’s a sprawling terrace bar, and the restaurant itself seems to go on for miles of dimly lit, sensuous Spanish ambience.

Il Ristorante

First things first, the new Bulgari hotel, which sits handsomely on the bank of the Liangmahe, is sick. It’s slick, shiny and smooth; the inky black lobby flows into the restaurant’s dark brown leather seats, marble tables and gold furnishings, which spill out onto a gorgeous riverside garden. The whole place is abuzz with heels clicking and cards swiping. It’s sickeningly luxe, or just sickening, or just sick, depending on your price point.

Il Ristorante’s service and setting are quite frankly second-to-none (unfortunately we’d be reluctant to pay even a lot less for the food). With an atmosphere this glam, though, maybe that’s not the point.

For venue details on the restaurants and bars listed, tap '阅读原文' at the bottom of this page.

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