Alameer sets itself apart from Beijing's cherished handful of homey Middle Eastern cafes by also being a bakery that specializes in Arabic sweets. You'd never guess it was a bakery, though, from the mosaic walls and metal garden furniture – intended, perhaps, to evoke more verdant surrounds than the dusty office buildings of Xinyuanli?

Incongruous moments are a dime a dozen in Beijing, but bringing our kids to this restaurant catering to Gongti clubbers proved unusually weird.

This unassuming restaurant is hidden behind a sliding wooden door. Winding past dimly lit hallways, you soon find yourself in a minute seating area with a low sushi counter. (If you prefer privacy, beautifully appointed tatami rooms are also available.)

There are no shortages of steakhouses in Beijing, but Flamme offers service and style for a relative bargain. The name suggests a grilled meat fiesta, but in actuality, it offers a range of dishes – even my vegetarian companion managed to leave happily stuffed.

This warm and gracious restaurant is named after its owner, a young Sichuanese woman whose goal is to share her favorite cuisines with you. Her menu features homestyle Sichuan dishes with unique Thai and Tibetan touches. (Yi has lived in Thailand and her mother runs a restaurant in Tibet.)

Austrian national Johannes Mayr is the Kempinski Hotel Beijing’s new Director of Food & Beverage. With over a decade of international F&B management experience under his belt and a lifetime affinity, Mr. Mayr will step in to oversee the daily operation of seven highly respected restaurants and bars within the hotel.

The popular Japanese restaurant Hatsune celebrated it’s ninth birthday Wednesday night with a big all-you-can-eat and drink party at their digs atop Sanlitun Village South. There was a steady flow of champagne and colorful cocktails, as well as plentiful plates of Hatsune’s signature sushi rolls and other goodies flying around the room. By 10pm, the restaurant was packed with people who came to help them celebrate, or just liked the idea of unlimited booze and sushi for RMB 150. Good times all around, even after the music got too loud to talk and the queues for personal plates of sushi snaked around the sushi bar.

You’re going out for sushi? That scene is old, man. Haven’t you heard? Ceviche is where it’s at. Like sushi, it’s protein-rich and low in carbs, but curing raw fish in citrus juices imparts a fruity zing, and the addition of chilli adds fire. As ever, SALT restaurateur Gaby Alves is doing her utmost to keep Beijingers à la mode with Terra, a new bar and restaurant specializing in Peruvian ceviche and tiraditos (its carpaccio-like cousin).

Living out under the Great Wall for the last four years, Randhir Singh may be one of the luckiest chefs in Beijing. Surrounded by the mountains and villages of Mutianyu, he has ready access to orchards and local produce. He’s inspired by local ingredients, and more importantly, is an inspiration for those interested in the slow food movement. Randhir has taken out some time to chat about slow food, and the Slow Food Saturday event taking place on September 4. (For more information, also see previous post)

Located on Chaoyang Park’s west side, Solana “Lifestyle Shopping Park” plays host to both Romana Ice Cream and a branch of the Cold Stone Creamery, two of Beijing’s best bets for cooling down during a hot summer shopping spree. Find yourself in the neighborhood with a meal-sized hunger? Solana has you covered with one of Beijing’s most diverse concentration of eateries. The park-side location allows for delightful al-fresco dining to boot.