Spring is the season for Sunday brunch

Sunday brunch grows in popularity in the springtime, when the air turns balmy and more 5-star hotels upgrade their brunch service through al fresco dining. Diners also are treated to service with a more personal touch.

Many hotel gardens and terraces become extended brunch areas to let diners enjoy sunshine and nice views. Chefs set up barbecue stations serving grilled meat and fish, which often are served with chilled drinks.

Most of the Sunday brunches in Shanghai are served as buffets or with set menus while high-end hotels often use a mix of buffet and a la carte service.

Appetizers are served buffet style to ensure variety. Premium offerings such as caviar, fresh oysters, king crab and foie gras often are included, adding value to the spread.

Main courses can be served a la carte to increase quality. That way, chefs also can adjust flavors according to diners' personal preferences.

Desserts are also served buffet style in small portions to appeal to female customers, who often have a sweet teeth but a small appetite.

Free-flow Champagne is no longer such a big selling point. Some hotels like Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai spotlight craft beers to make the brunch more relaxed and homey. Almost all luxury hotels include Champagne in their brunch set, so the brand and grade of the Champagne become a measure of the value received. The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is the first in town to launch a Sunday brunch featuring free-flow vintage Champagne.

The Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai

Pink is the color of its Sunday Brunch, with pink chocolate fondue, pink macaroons and pink strawberry ice-cream. The brunch is held at the all-day restaurant Cachet, where 3-story floor-to-ceiling windows let in the light.

Art décor, chandeliers and live harp music create a classical ambience with a soft touch. An open kitchen in the centre of the restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Peter Nodler offers interaction between chefs and diners.

The brunch is a mix of unlimited open-kitchen offerings or a la carte items from the menu. The seafood area is the most impressive, with fresh oysters and king crab from Alaska. The roast and cutlet station provides roast Australian beef, suckling pig, lamb cutlets and paella.

Those fancying Chinese flavours can try the dim sum counter, highlighted by hand-pulled noodles served with homemade broth as well as dumplings.

The outside tables are recommended. Gourmet burgers, draft beer and cocktails complement the al fresco mood.

Date: Sundays, 11:30am-3pm

Venue: Cachet, 1/F, 99 Madang Rd

Price: 580 yuan+15% (with unlimited Bollinger Champagne); 240 yuan+15% for children aged 6-12; free for children aged 5 and under

Tel: 2330-2288

InterContinental Shanghai Expo

This brunch is recommended for its garden seats, suitable for spring, and offerings with authentic Indian flavors.

Chef Hareesh Singh is from India and specializes in making curry chicken and curry lamb. The handsome and agreeable chef is popular and known for walking around the restaurant to greet diners.

Brunch is served in buffet style with seven food counters including Chinese, Indian and three European cuisine cultures.

Oysters and the Indian counters are always the most popular. Their lobster sashimi in the cold food area deserves a try.

The outside garden includes a barbecue station with rotisserie meats. There's an outdoor kids garden with a small fairytale castle and painting.

Date: Sundays, 11am-3pm

Venue: Café 1188, 1/F, 1188 Xueye Rd, Pudong

Price: 498 yuan+15% (with Champagne); 428 yuan+15% (without Champagne)

Tel: 3858-1208