Revisiting Nuage: Lakeside Brunching, Saigon-Style

Open since 2002, this three-tiered lakeside eatery is a true Beijing stalwart, holding firm in the blaze of neon revelry that’s exploded around it. Inexplicably, few people seem aware of Nuage's wonderful rooftop – 250 square meters of wood-paneled real estate with views south (across Houhai to Jingshan Park’s hilltop pagoda) and north (taking in the Drum and Bell towers).

A new daily brunch menu (RMB 75), served from 11am-5pm, is an affordable excuse to come soak up the vistas. Choose from two set menus, each including a cool papaya salad and spring roll appetizer platter, four hot mains (including stewed pink tilapia fish and fiery hot lemongrass chicken), and finishing with delicious miniature bowls of seafood pho and a fruit platter.

Chef Aton is recently returned from his wedding in Vietnam – with a suitcase of red-hot chillis in tow, if our volcanic dishes were anything to go by. Fear not – for an extra RMB 50 you can douse the fire with a free flow of local beer. Or splash out RMB 100 for unlimited Chilean wine.

Standout dishes: Pho with seafood and pork, lemongrass clams with spicy broth
Also try: Muse, Patara, Va Va Voom

Nuage 庆云楼
Daily 11am-11pm. 22 Qianhai Dongyan, Xicheng District (6401 9581) www.nuage.com.cn
西城区前海东沿22号

Search for more Beijing restaurants by name, category and neighborhood or let the rest of Beijing know about your favorite place to grab a bite by adding a user review of any of the restaurants in our online directory. Every week we'll award the best review with vouchers to some of Beijing's best restaurants, see the newsletter sidebar for more details. Can't see your favorite restaurant in there? Submit a suggestion and we can add it to our database.