15 editor picks across China.
15 brunch worth the trip across China, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All China guides.
Terrakota in a glasshouse extension on Yanping Road in Shanghai serves a Mediterranean weekend brunch set every Saturday and Sunday at noon.
OrderThe Fish Sausage with Truffle Potato Foam or the Octopus Meloso Rice for sharing.
TipLast order for brunch is 2:30pm; the free-flow package runs two hours and is worth it with a group.
Regent Beijing's Butterfly Brunch runs at weekends in the lobby garden, with live piano, dishes made to order and free-flow champagne or sparkling wine.
OrderIberico ham sliced from the charcuterie cart, then the dessert cart of cheesecake, brownies and panna cotta.
TipChoose the Bubble or Champagne Brunch when you book (¥388 and ¥888 at Easter 2026); the Easter sittings ran 11:30 to 16:00, so confirm the end time.
Cuivre on Huaihai Middle Road in Shanghai, run by chef Michael Wendling since 2011, serves a weekend brunch of classic hearty French cooking.
OrderThe goat cheese salad with house bacon, or the eggs Benedict with porchetta from the brunch list.
TipThe terrace suits a casual al fresco brunch and is dog-friendly.
Cafe Zarah on Gulou East Street in Beijing has a courtyard and runs themed Sunday brunches from 10:00 to 14:00, plus an all-day brunch menu on other days.
OrderA table in the glass-roofed courtyard, with the all-day brunch menu or the pasta.
TipIts events page lists themed Sunday brunches from 10:00 to 14:00; in spring and autumn the courtyard seats are the ones to take.
Bella Vita Bistro inside a historic Hengshan Fang villa in Shanghai pours a free flow weekend brunch set of pasta, eggs and Italian dessert.
OrderThe tagliatelle al ragu from the pasta course of the fixed brunch set.
TipAsk for the 24-seat rooftop terrace when you book; the villa also has dining rooms on two floors below it.
Egg on Xiangyang North Road in Shanghai has served all day breakfast and weekend brunch to a loyal crowd since long before brunch got trendy.
OrderA weekend donut, released fresh every Saturday alongside the regular breakfast menu.
TipWeekend mornings mean a wait for a table; each Saturday the kitchen releases two new donut flavours.
N'Joy, the all-day buffet restaurant at NUO Hotel Beijing on Jiangtai Road, serves a Sunday brunch buffet from 11:00 to 15:00 in Chaoyang District, Beijing.
OrderThe Sunday buffet; the Easter 2026 edition added a snapper carving show, fresh oysters and Alaskan crab leg.
TipThe hotel lists brunch on Sundays only; for Easter 2026 it also ran a Saturday seafood brunch, so confirm the day when you book.
FEAST, the all-day restaurant at EAST Beijing on Jiuxianqiao Road, serves a Saturday and Sunday semi-buffet brunch from 11:30 to 15:00 in Chaoyang, Beijing.
OrderThe semi-buffet: a main from the menu plus seafood, cold cuts, cheese, curry and pastries from the buffet.
TipThe brunch pairs a menu main with a buffet; the restaurant is on the hotel's second floor, and the Easter 2026 edition priced a child's place at ¥199.
Head in the Clouds on Zhenning Road in Shanghai serves brunch every single day, its eggs Benedict ranked a local favourite since it opened in 2019.
OrderThe eggs Benedict, top ranked on Dianping since the restaurant opened in 2019.
TipWeekdays are the calmer option; book ahead for the terrace on weekends when it gets busy.
Bagel Bügel is a hand-made bagel shop in a courtyard near Xizhong Jie Primary School in Dongzhimen, Beijing, with an open kitchen and a shakshuka brunch dish.
OrderA smoked salmon bagel such as the Bügel Life, or the shakshuka brunch dish paired with a bagel.
TipIt sits 66 metres northeast of Xizhong Jie Primary School and shuts at 19:00, so go for a late-morning bagel; the open kitchen shows them coming out fresh.
Panorama, in a Sanlitun courtyard in Beijing, serves crepes, croquettes and salads in a European-cafe style room with two-person booths, from 10:00 daily.
OrderThe Tatin Crepe, with apples flambeed in rum at the table, and the ham bechamel croquettes.
TipAsk for a two-person booth, private enough for a book-and-brunch morning; dishes run from ¥48 to ¥95 and doors open at 10:00.
YICAFE at the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai runs a weekend lunch buffet over more than ten live cooking stations, from Chinese and Japanese to Indian food.
OrderThe seafood on ice station with fresh sashimi and whole lobster.
TipSkip breakfast beforehand; the seafood on ice and sashimi sections alone are worth the extra appetite.
Cantina Agave on the Fumin Road strip in Shanghai has long been the go-to for a boisterous weekend brunch, built around four hours of free-flow margaritas.
OrderThe Eggs Benedict with jalapeño hollandaise or the chorizo and scrambled eggs.
TipThe patio spills onto Fumin Road and gets loud fast; go early if you want a quieter brunch.
Signature's, the all-day restaurant at Beijing's Kempinski Hotel Yansha Center, serves a buffet brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 15:00.
OrderThe weekend buffet brunch; at Easter 2026 it added seafood, a carving station and free-flow wine and beer.
TipThe Easter 2026 brunch ran from noon to 15:00 at ¥498 per adult; ask the hotel what the current weekend price is before you book.
Highline near Xintiandi in Shanghai still draws a weekend crowd to its rooftop terrace for Benedicts, chicken and waffles, plus a free flow deal.
OrderThe Crab & Shrimp Cake Benedict or the Chicken & Waffles.
TipAsk for a terrace table when you book; the view is the reason regulars keep coming back here.
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