Outdoor eating in Changchun is currently experiencing an explosion in popularity. As people try to make the most of these all too short summers, the priority in dining now is whether it allows for outdoor eating or not.

Most outdoor restaurants are low-end prices, bbq, spicey noodles in a hastily constructed bbq (presumably for hasty removal if the Chengguang appear). Location tends also to be low-end, by the side of a busy road, or in the middle of car parks.

So it was nice to walk past the ‘Celebrity Changchun Hotel’ and find they have transformed their car park into an alfresco experience. Offering some of the best views of Nanhu Lake, it was a very relaxed, cool and thouroughly pleasant dining experience.

¥98 buys you all you can eat and drink. The quality doesn’t compare with the Shangrila, and the lack of bread and butter was disappointing, but the staff are friendly, and the meat selection was delicious, and none of us got food poisoning from the seafood.

As the sun went down, the city lights went on, and Changchun started to look almost attractive. This was the cue for the flying insects to invade our dinner, but by then we were all jolly and satisfied and just removed the white tablecloth.

The bbq looks like it opens at 6pm. Its best to eat early, to get a good table and beat the flying insects.

Formerly known as the “Overseas Changchun Hotel”, the Celebrity Hotel is next to the Southern tip of Nanhu Lake on Hudong Street (Next to the Dafo Temple).