I'm willing to use the term "high end" to describe South Beauty, especially the Oriental Plaza location. While it's not y10,000 pp hot pot (I met a manager of one of these places during my last trip), one can definitely blow a substantial amount of money at South Beauty.

I'll keep thinking about restaurants for you, Phipps, but you should read the beijinger's listings in the mean time. Their reviewers are remarkably good. What types of food do you like/dislike?

Try hot pot, you get all the ingredients in the raw and can check if there's any seafood involved.

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijin...g/hotpot/?o=-b

I just made a longish post in the following thread (post #26), which might have been better suited for this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...pend-bj-2.html

Any recommendations for a western buffet in Bejing? Something upscale?

Bubbalicious Sunday Brunch at the Westin Beijing Chaoyang is a pretty decadent affair and is always voted the top brunch buffet in Beijing.

Thanks a lot!

I've done the Westin brunch a few times, and haven't been that impressed, but it's certainly not bad.

I'm planning on trying the 4 Seasons or Conrad the next time I find myself in Beijing on a Sunday morning.

http://www.timeoutbeijing.com/featur...-brunches.html

Cheers!

I too find the Westin brunch disappointing, and it's just ridiculously busy. Having said that, we haven't been in 2 years. I don't understand how it gets voted top every year. Our favourite used to be the Fairmont, but they don't do brunch anymore.

In terms of total decadence, Cru at the JW Marriott was up there: but the price is astronomical. We've been once when they had a buy one get one free offer. Not been to the Conrad brunch yet. The Four Seasons was good, but the one time we went, no steak on offer.

Travelzoo often has special offers, especially on their Chinese language version...google translate does a decent enough job that one can book with confidence.

In general, and especially since we don't drink, it's hard to 'extract value' from the big hotel brunches. They are now typically US$80-90pp, for which one can have an outstanding meal elsewhere. Once or twice a year now, we'll go to one on with a special offer, and each time, I feel even then it was marginal value.

Though not buffets, the brunches at some of the high end restaurants can offer better value imo.

tb

Unless you have Monday off and are going with the sole intention of necking as much champagne as possible with some friends, then I really don't find The Westin brunch particularly great. There's actually too much of it and none of the food is particularly outstanding.

We are huge fans of FEAST and their semi-buffet which runs lunch and brunch times. There is an a la carte main course supported by a starter and desert buffet and it works brilliantly. Unlike most places they just focus on doing a few things well, rather than a lot of mediocre offerings. Champagne is 241 at weekends too if you fancy a drink. 'Trendy' more than upscale however.

Cafe Noir at The Traders is also a dark horse and very underrated. Really don't visit as often as we should.

Not a buffet but the Capital M brunch is excellent value and a fantastic location for a Sunday morning.


Great thread to be resurrected when I'm trying to lose weight :D