Beijing

Grab a crab

Receive a complimentary hairy crab per person with buffet lunch and dinner orders at Rouge &Valley Caf, Crowne Plaza Beijing Zhongguancun. The crab is also available for a la carte at lunch and dinner. The lunch buffet costs 118 yuan per person, and the dinner buffet is 188 yuan per person, plus a 15-percent service charge.

010-5993-8888 ext 2331

Pasta pizzazz

Head chef Paolo Ascani at La Gondola cooks up his best-loved authentic pasta dishes at Trattoria La Gondola every Saturday at noon from Sept 18. The lunch begins with delicious salads, followed by his family pasta recipes and ends with a classic panna cotta. The three-course lunch costs just 125 yuan per person, with a 15-percent surcharge.

010-6465-3388 ext 4215

Ethnic eats

Caf 99 at The Regent Beijing offers theme buffets, featuring Asian, Bavarian and Mediterranean cuisines, as well as American BBQ, from Monday to Sunday. Take a culinary adventure every day of the week. 188 yuan per person, plus a 15-percent surcharge.

010-8522-1789

Succulent seafood

The Patio Restaurant at Holiday Inn Lido Beijing offers a buffet dinner with king prawns, fresh octopus and baby abalone. 6-10 pm, 238 yuan per person, with free flow of cola, sprite and juice. Price is subject to a 15-percent surcharge.

010-6437-6688

Shanghai

Lobster love

Jing'An Restaurant at The PuLi Hotel and Spa continues the July Rock Lobsters celebration in September. Whole baby rock lobsters are lightly poached and then grilled, and are accompanied by hand-cut chips, fresh lemon and a simple green salad. The light and quick lunch, which costs 320 yuan per person, excluding a 15-percent surcharge, is available from noon to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday in September only.

021-2216-6988

Crustacean sensation

The Central Hotel Shanghai offers fresh hairy crab. The master chef of the hotel will present a grand crab feast using the Crustacean from Yangcheng Lake. Tasty rice wine can be paired with the crab meal. The feast is also available at Wang Bao He Pudong in the Expo Garden.

021-5396-5000

Luxurious tastes

From live Boston lobster to foie gras and many other delicacies made to order, the lobster brunch in the Dining Room at Park Hyatt Shanghai offers all things luxurious. The contemporary dining room offers sweeping views of the cityscape along with the lavish breakfast and lunch extravaganzas. The Sunday lobster brunch is priced at 580 yuan per person. Free-flowing Perrier Jouet champagne is also available for an additional 300 yuan.

021-6888-1234 ext 4335

Spirited cocktails

The CO2 Cigar Bar at The Longemont Shanghai is the place for irresistible cocktails and more. The entire menu of creative cocktails, dashing spirits, soft drinks and juices are "buy two, get one free". The bar is open from 5 pm to midnight Sunday to Thursday and is open until 1 am on Friday and Saturday.

021-6115-9988 ext 8250

Chocoholics chow down

Sit back and soak up the relaxing mood of The Flow at Swissotel Grand Shanghai with your favorite cocktail drinks for the buy-one-get-one-free special. The cocktail happy hour lasts from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday to Friday. On weekends, indulge in an endless variety of Swiss chocolate treats with the buffet: chocolate fondue, scones, brownies, cappuccino mousse in chocolate cup and more. The chocolate buffet costs 68 yuan plus a 15-percent surcharge per person and is inclusive of one soft drink from 2:30 pm to 5 pm on weekends.

021-5355-9898 ext 6361