You know there is a sort of restaurant in every city. They often look small and unpretentious from the outside, despite their long-standing reputation in the community. They specialise in local favourites; nothing too fancy, but simply tasty and comforting. The prices are affordable, the vibe casual and friendly. Inside, surrounded by glasses clinking, people chatting and perhaps kids crying, you peek into the everyday life of locals and as the night goes on, eventually find yourself becoming part of them. It might get too loud sometimes, but having...

The night of 1912 is not quiet. The noisy bars, the colourful Ferris wheel, the flashing neon and fashionable people make for a splendid city scene. Yet Shi Wang Fu stands as still as the nearby lake’s waters, displaying an elegant Chinese air.  A clean and tidy marble facade sports an ivory palette of colour under a soft, white light. The golden carved door, the smiling waiters who receive you, the name of the restaurant in beautiful calligraphy, the red carpet that stretches deep into the interior; all display the...

Over the past year or two, some of the fanciest coffee shops, bars and bistros have mushroomed around the intersection of Wangfu Da Jie (王府大街) and Nantai Xiang (南台巷). The Sauce, Wine Thieves, Bitter Brew, Southern Trip, Staff Only, Cherry Bomb, Y&T… the list could go longer. If you have been following The Nanjinger, chances are that many of the names sound familiar to you. But have you ever walked around that area early in the morning, like 08:00?  “What for?”, You might wonder. The time is indeed too early...

Have you ever thought of visiting the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao; 夫子庙) area and sampling some local cuisine there? If so, you might have already been warned off by your Nanjing friends.  It is puzzling because the area indeed had a reputation for delicious food. These days, however, too many restaurants and shops in that area offer nothing but overpriced, poor-quality food, with the knowledge that most of their customers are tourists who will not come back anyway. One may even argue that the locals will not eat anything in the...