When you first enter Universal CityWalk you are immediately drawn to the iconic Universal Studios globe spinning in the center of the plaza, but as you pose for a pic you might notice a looming chocolate factory to your left. Trust me when I tell you the inside of that building is just as Insta-worthy and way tastier.

I was at Universal CityWalk with Beijing’s reigning Foodie Queen, Ana Lourenco, in search of fun and unusual snacks, and our first stop was The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Whenever I’m at Universal I’m impressed by the consistent attention to detail and the unique experiences to be had in each building. Toothsome is no different. The second you walk inside you are transported to a steampunk chocolate fantasy.

Greeted by Professor Dr. Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and her robot sidekick Jacques, we were ushered into an incredible glass and steel atrium overlooking a lovely open patio perfect for kids to play in. Upstairs is an undeniably cool bar leading to an outdoor patio with a view of the Hollywood Hotel and a breeze of a lake.  It’s an ideal spot for a summer brunch.

Our group got a selection of drinks both of the alcoholic and child-friendly variety, and just the selection of unique beverages would make this a place worth stopping at for a rest. The Toothsome signature Chocolate Coke (RMB 32) was surprisingly refreshing, and the Chocolate Stout (RMB 68) got good reviews from the beer-lovers at our table.  We passed around several cocktails and mocktails from the extensive drink list (RMB 88-108) including the Something for Nothing, Panoplies Fancy, and Breath of Fresh Air, all of which were lovely and made me happy I had a few hours to sit, sip, and enjoy.

As we looked over the menu I was a little uneasy about some of the menu items. I have a major sweet tooth, but a lot of the savory items had a cocoa twist and I was worried it would be too much. Surprisingly, it works! I’m not going to lie, we ate a lot between us.

There are definitely some not-to-be-missed items. The Crispy Chocolate Chicken Wings (RMB 88) were by far my favorite thing on the menu, and I would happily have made a whole meal out of them. We shared all of the flatbreads, and I was a fan of the BBQ Chicken and the Wild Mushroom (RMB 98 each). I tried bites of several of the sandwiches and burgers, and surprisingly my favorite was the Cranberry Herb Vegetable Press (RMB 108). The Gong Bao Shrimp (RMB 138) had a nice kick without being too spicy.

But then it was time to get serious. We opened the dessert menu. Our table shared a light and fluffy Nutella Crepe and a Strawberry Waffle (RMB 78 each) and then decided the milkshakes were calling our names! Everyone got a different one so we could try them all (RMB 88-98 each) I opted for the Coffee milkshake, which was my favorite, but the Peanut Butter Cup milkshake, which is their seasonal specialty, won rave reviews, and a few die-hard sugar fanatics thought the Confetti Cake was the best possible way to celebrate your birthday.

Which got me thinking, “This is a pretty great place for a casual birthday dinner!” There is a kids menu and the shakes can be made in a mini kid-friendly size. There is plenty of outdoor space for the little ones to run around in, and the costumed characters and ongoing fun of CityWalk will keep kids engaged as parents enjoy good food and drinks in a novel environment!

Finally, long past the point of full, we walked out through the candy shop. I was incredibly tempted by the rows of chocolates for sale, but one more bite would have sent me into a diabetic coma, so we headed back out to the street to try and get a few steps in.

Wandering around outside I realized how many great restaurants and amusements are available without even entering the park. A place called Cutie Cones offers ice cream cones within ice cream cones – it’s very meta. Neon Street Hawkers is an indoor food court filled with different types of southeast Asian street food and stalls along the thoroughfare sell everything from classic caramel popcorn to corn juice (I’m still not sure what that is) and seasonal treats like Singaporean pineapple tarts that I have on good authority are the best in Beijing. And that’s before we get to all the other sit-down restaurants offering interesting experiences, like The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar’s fusion of burgers and sushi – “Burgushi!”

You don’t need to buy a ticket to the park to experience any of these fantastic attractions, and a 30 to 40 minute Didi ride makes it feel like a little vacation from Beijing without risking your health kit status. So next time you are considering a lazy afternoon brunch, consider changing up your usual routine and checking out Universal CityWalk.

Find it:
1 Universal City Walk
环球大道1号
Tel: 4008778899

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Images: Ana Lourenco, Julie Wolf

Universal CityWalk Beijing offers more than 10 dining choices, each targeted to different appetites and wallet sizes. But aside from taste and price, we ask the all-important question: Just how family-friendly are these restaurants? To find out, we took a stroll down CityWalk and explored all the options, ranking them in terms of kid-friendliness along the way.

But what exactly makes a restaurant kid-friendly? Well, when fellow editor Julie Wolf interviewed foodie emperor Preston Thomas, he said, “The first thing is the friendly and helpful staff. It’s so nice when you have a clean baby chair ready and waiting for you when you arrive. Or someone to offer an extra hand when you are taking off a coat or putting down a bag. The second thing would be an approachable menu. Kids can be picky eaters, so you need to make sure they have something for everyone.” We totally agree.

So we headed into the restaurants at CityWalk armed with three criteria:

1. Baby chairs
2. Kids’ menu options
3. Kid-friendly service and atmosphere

The results?

General remarks: Firstly, after some exploration, we discovered that all of the sit-down restaurants such as Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, and even Wubei Craft Food & Beer offer a changing table in their restrooms. Do note that these changing tables are only located in the women’s bathrooms, though there is a family restroom outside of the restaurants just behind the Universal Studios Store.

Secondly, all the restaurants within CityWalk have high chairs available, even the Neon Street Hawkers. The quality of high chairs do differ though, from wooden ones with an attached table available at the aforementioned sit-down restaurants to plastic ones at places like Neon Street Hawkers.

And with that out of the way, let’s get down to it! In this editor’s opinion, here are the top family-friendly restaurants at Universal CityWalk Beijing.

3) Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and/or Jumbo Seafood Restaurant 

These two restaurants are like the East and West versions of the same restaurant – basically offering seafood US-style (specifically Southern), and Asian-style (Southeast Asian/Chinese). Both are kid-friendly in that they offer a kids’ menu in a similar price range, provide coloring pages to keep little hands busy, and staff are very welcoming of little ones.

Bubba Gump has a more lively atmosphere and is located right behind the Universal Globe so it’s more likely that older kids may want to run outside and play. Jumbo Seafood is on the quieter side of CityWalk, closer to the subway entrance and housed in a two-story building. All of which is to say, the choice will likely come down to how you like your seafood!

2) Toothsome Chocolate Emporium 

Probably the most attractive-looking to kids, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is quite a sight to behold. The facade brings to mind Willy Wonka’s iconic chocolate factory, but don’t expect a chocolate waterfall within its walls. Instead, you’ll find plenty of seating across two floors, and also a candy store! The cherry on the top is their hourly show, which features two performers, dressed as a steampunk-era robot and an inventor, who walk around and interact with customers.

Pro Tip: While it may be tempting to try several flavors of their specialty milkshakes, it is highly unlikely that an individual can finish an entire one by themselves, much less a kid. The Toothsome kids’ menu is also rather lackluster, with next to no vegetables in sight, save for some lettuce on the mini burgers.

1) Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar 

First of all, as its name implies, this is sushi plus burgers. Their menu offering of a “burgushi” (a burger dressed up as a sushi roll) perfectly encapsulates this heavenly union, which I highly recommend you try at least once in your life. Secondly, the restaurant offers a great way to keep your kids occupied while you enjoy your meal – an interactive video game where kids create their own unique fish and watch their creations come to life on the many screens around the restaurant.

Between the mouthwatering food and the fun little game, the kids gave us no trouble for almost two hours. What’s more, according to them, the LEGO gummies in the kids’ meal puts Cowfish on the top of the list.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to stop by Cutie Cones afterward for an ice-cream-within-an-ice-cream cone. Yes, I mean it.

Check out the video below to see why Cowfish is my pick for the most family-friendly restaurant in Universal CityWalk Beijing!

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Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush