Most of us do not wake up on Sunday morning after a busy night enjoying Beijing’s nightlife and want zhou (they call it gruel for a reason) spiked with fermented dofu and pickled vegetables. Sometimes, the best way to start off your Saturday or Sunday, even if it might ruin you for the reset of the day, is with an orgy of over-consumption. Beijing’s high end hotels offer a number of options for those who would rather start the day with bubbly and caviar instead of jian bing and soy milk.

Ranging in price from about 200-450 RMB, none of these buffets are cheap – that amount of money could get you jian bings for most of the year. For many of us, these Sunday morning splurges are going to be special affairs, and you’re going to want to get your money’s worth, even if it means clearing your calendar for the rest of the day.

Here are some tips for making the most of the buffet without lining your pockets with plastic bags (though you can do that too). Eat a light snack the morning of to get the metabolism working. Leave the tight clothing at home. Arrive early enough that there is still plenty of good stuff. Once you’re there, proper reconnaissance is key – don’t start loading up that plate until you’ve scouted out all the options. Start with small tastes to figure out what you like best. Warm up with lighter options so you don’t immediately overload your digestion. Go crazy on the rare and more costly items: you might bust out the occasional omelet at home but you’re probably not boiling lobster before you head off to work. Pace yourself, this is an endurance event. Don’t get too ambitious with your afternoon plans – this is not the time to go hiking around Summer Palace.

Café d’Or, TANGLA HotelView In Map
The cheapest of the hotel brunch bunch, Café d’Or’s buffet is divided into two sections. Salads and seafood will appeal to those looking to keep things a little light, as will their selection of Japanese dishes. Once you’ve warmed up on those, head over to buffet number two which features Chinese and Western faves, including Beijing duck and stations for grilling up various meats just as you like. If you’ve still got room after all that, there are several interesting ice cream flavors and loads of toppings.

Add: TANGLA Hotel, 19 Fuxingmenwai Da Jie, Xi Chang’an Jie, Beijing
地址: 北京复兴门大街19号
Tel: 010 5857 6688 ext. 6617
When: 11:30-14:30 Sun
Price: 238/268/299 RMB

Kranzlers, Kempinksi HotelView In Map
Kranzlers popular brunch also has the usual seafood and salads for both Eastern and Western palates, but the meat is where they really excel. Roast beef and suckling pig are favorites. Don’t pig out too much, there’s a free flow of Paulaner Brahaus beers and the desserts, delicious bakery from neighboring Kempi Deli, are worth saving room for. If it’s too early for beer, sip your champers and enjoy the live jazz.

Add: Kempinski Hotel, 50 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 凯宾斯基饭店 北京市朝阳区亮马桥路50号
Tel: 010 6465 3388 ext. 4222
When: 11:30-15:00 every Sunday
Price: 338 RMB with free flowing sparkling wine, wine and beer; 288 RMB without; 15% service charge

Noble Court, Grand HyattView In Map
Noble is notable for its Cantonese brunches. You’ll find bubbly goes quite well with superbly prepared southern specialties. It’s not all dim sum, there are plenty of other options, particularly when it comes to seafood, which is flown in fresh daily.

Add: Grand Hyatt, 1 Dongchang’an Jie, Beijing
地址: 北京东城区东长安街1号
Tel: 010 8518 1234 ext. 6024
When: 11:30-2:00 Sat-Sun
Price: 248 RMB + 15% Service Charge 

Senses, The Westin BeijingView In Map
This is one whopper of a buffet. From sushi to steak, caviar to cakes, Peking duck to pancakes, there’s more than something for everyone here. Fresh baked goods, flavoured vodkas, and far more than we’ve got space for here. Space in your stomach will also be an issue – employing proper strategy is crucial to getting the most out of the Senses experience. There’s live music, magic and balloon shows, and an almost absurd amount of excellent food. If you’re determined to get the most brunch bang for your buck, Senses is the place to make it happen.

Add: The Westin Beijing Financial Street, 9B Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
地址: 威斯汀大酒店 北京市西城区金融街乙9号
Tel: 010 6606 8866
When: 11:30-15:00 every Sunday
Price: 368 RMB with free flowing Piper Heisdeck champagne; 298 RMB without; 15% service charge

Cafe 99, The Regent HotelView In Map
Cafe 99 excels at quality and presentation. Individual servings prevail over large troughs of food. Oysters and lobster are conspicuously absent from the buffet line but they make up for it with foie gras, excellent seafood salads and fresh sushi. The smaller selection of dishes and the emphasis on meat makes it difficult for vegetarians, but meat eaters will get more than their fill of caviar, dim sum and even fresh cooked kebabs.

Add: The Regent Hotel, 2/F, 99 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址: 丽晶酒店 北京市东城区金宝街99号
Tel: 010 8522 1888 ext.3823
When: 11:30-15:00 Sun
Price: 188 RMB; 15% service charge

PENTA, Hilton BeijingView In Map
The Wangfujing Hilton’s Fizztastic Champagne brunch is a Beijing favourite. A selection of good free flowing wines and champagne coupled with a cornucopia of culinary treats make this a reliable choice for a brunch blowout. Many dishes are made to order and the baked goods are fresh out of the oven. There’s a kids area with its own buffet for the young ones and live jazz (and did we mention champagne?) for the adults.

Add: Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, 8 Wangfujing East Street, Dongcheng, Beijing
地址: 北京东城区王府井东街8号
Tel: 010 5812 8888 ext. 8411
When: 11:30-15:00 Sun
Price: 258RMB with soft drinks; 288RMB with soft drinks and grape wine; 368 RMB with champagne ; 15% service charge

Monsoon, InterContinental Beijing Financial StreetView In Map
Of all the spreads on this list, Monsoon’s probably covers the most culinary territory, skipping from sushi to burritos, back to dim sum and then over to curry, ribs, and fresh pasta dishes. The one constant is the quality. Try not to overdo it on the lamb and lobster, the dessert area is epic and the temptation to pile hand-made chocolates onto Häagen-Dazs, cover it with cookies and cake pieces, and then douse it all in the chocolate fountain is hard to resist. Lubricate the experience with a selection of free flowing champagne.

Add: Intercontinental Hotel, 11 Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
地址: 金融街洲际酒店 北京市西城区金融街11号
Tel: 010 6606 8866
When: 11:30-15:00 Sun
Price: 298 RMB + 15% service charge

The Garden Court, St. Regis HotelView In Map
In contrast to Monsoon’s more carnival-like atmosphere, The Garden Court is a far more serious affair. Oysters and lobster complement caviar – served properly with sour cream and blinis. The East is represented with Peking duck and succulent curries. Classic breakfasts of both the American and British varieties come from the West. It’s a sort of United Nations of nosh. The selection may be smaller than other hotel brunches, but food, and of the experience, is fabulous.

Add: St Regis Hotel, 21 Jianguomenwai Da Jie, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 国际俱乐部饭店 北京市朝阳区建国门外大街21号
Tel: 010 6460 6688 ext 2340
When: 11:30-15:00 Sun
Price: 398 RMB with free flow of Mumm champagne

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