If you have kids under 5, Tea Room Tots is a great way to keep them entertained while you relax and enjoy a coffee with other parents. While we’re on the subject of coffee, this week’s INN Shunyi Coffee Morning will be held at Jamaica Blue (Yosemite) instead of its usual location at Roundabout. Struggling to find Easter decorations or a gift that’s a little bit different? Look no further than handmade kimono bunnies or origami eggs. Also for Easter, what better way to celebrate the holiday than with a family brunch or lunch this weekend?

INN Shunyi Coffee Morning
Join the International Newcomers’ Network’s Shunyi Coffee Morning this Thursday, April 17 at Jamaica Blue’s Yosemite branch (across from ISB). Held from 10am-noon every third Thursday of the month, this provides a great opportunity to meet other locals in Shunyi. For more information, visit www.innbeijing.org or call 1371 8053 814.

Tea Room Tots
Every Friday from 10.30am to noon, join mums and bubs at The English Tearoom for play, songs, tea, and lunch. The restaurant offers a generous 15 percent discount on food as well as providing fruit for the kids’ morning tea. Song time and the snack break take place around 11.15am to accommodate families that need to be home for lunchtime naps. The next Tea Room Tots will be this Friday, April 18. If you haven’t been to The English Tearoom yet, see our review from last May.

Salo Salo Comes to Harrow
On Friday, April 25 at 6.30pm, Harrow is hosting a Salo Salo fundraising event for typhoon relief in the Philippines. There will be food, live performances, raffle prizes, and a DJ. The evening will be held in the school theater and is open to people outside the Harrow community. Tickets cost RMB 150. To reserve yours, contact Isabelle Henderson at ihenderson@harrowbeijing.cn.

Kimono Easter Bunnies
Easter Sunday is just around the corner, falling this year on April 20. Looking for something different to add to your Easter decorations? Check out Tomoko’s very cute kimono bunnies and eggs, lovingly handcrafted using beautiful paper from Japan. The kimono bunnies (boy and girl) are RMB 30 each and the origami eggs cost RMB 15 each. To purchase, contact Tomoko at happiesttomoko@hotmail.com.

Easter Weekend Brunches and Lunches
There are several dining options for Easter this weekend. Here are the ones happening in Shunyi.

Hilton Beijing Capital Airport is hosting an Easter Sunday Brunch on April 20 from 11.30am-3pm. There will be dishes from all over the world, with a wide range of wines and champagne at 360° restaurant. Children can have fun in the kids’ playground and take part in Easter activities, including egg painting and an egg hunt. The Easter Bunny will also be hopping in for the day. RMB 368 (add RMB 60 for free-flow wine, beer, champagne), RMB 184 (ages 6-12), free for kids 5 and under.

There’s a new spring menu at Green-T-House-Living – perfect for an Easter treat. Dishes include wild red rice soup, jasmine-dusted pork ribs, Beijing duck, sea bass, and delectable ice creams to finish. Watch this space for an upcoming review of their new menu. For reservations, call 136 0113 7132 or 6434 2519.

The Sunday brunch at The Orchard is always a delight, with plenty of creative international dishes. The peaceful setting among orchards and gardens makes for a lovely day out. Most of the organic vegetables used in their dishes are from their own garden. For reservations, call 6433 6270.

Loft Eatalicious is a new Italian restaurant at Pinnacle Plaza (recently reviewed here). It will have a special Easter Sunday all-day menu for RMB 198 per person. Starters include octopus or veal, followed by a choice of risotto or gnocchi; for the main you can choose between roast lamb and salmon. Their desserts cost extra, but are well worth it. To book a table, call 8046 1565 or email shunyi@eatalicious.com.

Photo courtesy of Tomoko