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Blue Sky - Expat Bar and Grill

Blue Sky is a popular pub & grub joint with the male expat crowd. Simple music such as “Barenaked Ladies” is played while ESPN dominates the TV.
 
Beer starts at 15 yuan for a small bottle of Qingdao. They also have Carlsberg on tap. A...
Blue Sky is a popular pub & grub joint with the male expat crowd. Simple music such as “Barenaked Ladies” is played while ESPN dominates the TV.
 
Beer starts at 15 yuan for a small bottle of Qingdao. They also have Carlsberg on tap. A variety of basic Western food is served including steaks, eggs, sausages and hamburgers.
 
How to Get There
 
Blue Sky is within walking distance of Nanjing University and several hotels although most customers would just take a cab here. You shouldn’t be able to miss the 10 meter wide, flashing “Blue Sky” sign.  Nearby are other places that target the foreign crowd such as Slow-life Café, Skyways Bakery and Swede and Kraut.

Jinlingren - Seafood

The writing on the wall inside the restaurant sums up Jinglinren quite well: “Lots of Seafood, Cheap Seafood”.  Ordering is a breeze even for non-Chinese speakers as every last dish, including samples of prepared dishes and live seafood, are displayed along the wall.&...
The writing on the wall inside the restaurant sums up Jinglinren quite well: “Lots of Seafood, Cheap Seafood”.  Ordering is a breeze even for non-Chinese speakers as every last dish, including samples of prepared dishes and live seafood, are displayed along the wall.  Just check the price and point at what you want.
 
The cuisine is Jiangsu Province style seafood.  One of Jiangsu’s most renowned specialties is fish head with red peppers.  If you look at the food on display you cannot possibly miss it.  It is a large fish head sliced into two parts and set on top of a plate with peppery sauce.
 
A meal for 4 should cost around 100-150 yuan although you could certainly spend more if you buy the high ticket items such as crab.  Jinlingren also offers a free duck soup, provided you spend over 50 yuan and do not bring in your own alcohol.
 
How to Get There
 
Shanxi Lu joins the intersection of Zhongshan Bei Lu and Hunan Lu.  That is, from the western end of Hunan Road, walk roughly south-west straight down Shanxi Lu for a few minutes and Jinlingren will be on the left hand side of the road.  There is no subway station nearby.
 
Other Locations
 
No. 47 Pailou Xiang. At the south entrance of Wutaishan (牌楼巷47号. 在五台山体育馆南门)

No. 14 Daqiao Nan Lu. Across from Carrefour (大桥南路14号. 家乐福对面)
 
No. 271 Hongwu Lu (洪武路271号)

Hongxing Restaurant - Sichuan Cuisine

Hongxing, or the Red Apricot, is probably the biggest and busiest Sichuan restaurant in Nanjing.
 
The Sichuanese never shy away from using the best quality ingredients or from using enough spice.  In typical Sichuan fashion, the dishes are sufficient...
Hongxing, or the Red Apricot, is probably the biggest and busiest Sichuan restaurant in Nanjing.
 
The Sichuanese never shy away from using the best quality ingredients or from using enough spice.  In typical Sichuan fashion, the dishes are sufficiently “ma” and “la”, which roughly translates into “tingly" and “spicy".  First time customers should be sure to try at least one of the signature dishes such as the Hongxing Chicken (红杏鸡).  The menu does not have English translations, but that should not be a problem since it does contain pictures of every dish in the restaurant.
 
This is an ideal place to bring guests.  The atmosphere is bustling, roomy, and clean.  There are tables to sit 2-8 people and there are private and semi-private rooms that seat 6 or more people.  Reservations are not necessary for standard tables, but are recommended for the private rooms.
 
It should cost 120-150 yuan for a meal for 3 to 4 people, not including liquor or tea.  One downer for all the Qingdao Beer-loving foreigners is that Budweiser is the only beer served at Hongxing.
 
How to get there:  Red Apricot Restaurant is located on the corner of Fenghuang Dong Jie (凤凰东街)and Qingliang Men Dajie (清凉门大街).  The outside of the building has a huge sign with the Chinese name “红杏酒家”.  It is on the 4th floor.

Jinling Fast Food - Steamed Buns

Jinling Fast Food is one of the most well-known steamed bun (baozi) joints among Nanjing locals. 
 
The Jinling Big Meat Steamed Buns (Jinling Da Rou Bao, 金陵大肉包) are the most popular and cost 1.5 yuan each.
 
You can make a pur...
Jinling Fast Food is one of the most well-known steamed bun (baozi) joints among Nanjing locals. 
 
The Jinling Big Meat Steamed Buns (Jinling Da Rou Bao, 金陵大肉包) are the most popular and cost 1.5 yuan each.
 
You can make a purchase inside or outside.  During meal times a line forms outside as people wait to pick up their steamed buns at a price slightly lower than the price inside.  It is not uncommon to see customers scurry away with grocery bags full of steamed buns to bring back to their home or workplace.
 
How to Get There
 
Jinling Fast Food is across the street from Huaxin clothing market and almost kitty-corner to Golden Eagle Department Store.  To get there from the Xinjiekou Subway Station, walk west on Hanzhong Lu (汉中路) for a couple minutes and then take a right at Guanjia Qiao (管家桥). It will be on the right side of the road.
 
Other Locations
 
No. 48 Guangzhou Lu (广州路48号)
+86 (0)25 8330 8048
 
Shengzhou Lu (升州路355号)
+86 (0)25 8220 7338

Tacos - Mexican

Tacos is the only option for Mexican cuisine in Nanjing.  In fact, the restaurant focuses more on "Wolrd Cuisine" than it does on Mexican cuisine, which includes Chinese interpretations of many Western dishes.  Tacos, pizza, steak as well as Chinese food are all on the ...
Tacos is the only option for Mexican cuisine in Nanjing.  In fact, the restaurant focuses more on "Wolrd Cuisine" than it does on Mexican cuisine, which includes Chinese interpretations of many Western dishes.  Tacos, pizza, steak as well as Chinese food are all on the menu.
 
If you are desperately seeking authentic foreign food, go somewhere else.  If you are in need of a quick fix of Mexican food, try Tacos.
 
There is another Tacos location at:
 
228-3 Guangzhou Lu (广州路228-3)
+86 (0)25 8323 1981, 8323 1397

Champion Pizza

No surprises here at Champion Pizza. They serve pizza, steak, and other Western choices for decent prices and offer a quieter, less smoky  alternative to other Chinese restaurants. If anything, the English menu will provide entertainment. Champion Pizza is located on Wenhe North Road be...

No surprises here at Champion Pizza. They serve pizza, steak, and other Western choices for decent prices and offer a quieter, less smoky  alternative to other Chinese restaurants. If anything, the English menu will provide entertainment. Champion Pizza is located on Wenhe North Road between the two big pavilions.

Tofu Jelly

Tofu jelly also named Tofu flower and Old tofu, it is one nutritive food made from soy protein. Normally, there are two flavors of sweet and  salt. Sweet one is popular in South of China as Hongkong and Taiwan, salt in North of China. I prefer salt, what about you?...

Tofu jelly also named Tofu flower and Old tofu, it is one nutritive food made from soy protein. Normally, there are two flavors of sweet and  salt. Sweet one is popular in South of China as Hongkong and Taiwan, salt in North of China. I prefer salt, what about you?