We’re going to start out by saying, for the record, that you’re not going to like this. That is, unless you are of a certain disposition.
The first signs were excellent; a wander past during a recent Saturday lunchtime showed the place to be packed, and an excellent location by Xuanwu Lake in the recently completed “Jinling Style” dining/retail/recreation plaza adjacent to to Sun Palace (just 190 metres from exit 4 of Gangzicun Metro Station).
With its wooden theme throughout, it’s worth a visit in itself.
Then there was the immediately-obvious and thoughtful service, although this correspondent would have preferred to be addressed directly instead of his dining companion receiving, “Would the gentleman prefer cold water?”. Yet, it’s plenty marks for trying.
A central sunken dining area is the highlight of Newarc. No, it’s the outdoor patio. No, it’s the speed with which your order arrives (perhaps not on one of those Saturday lunchtimes).
Newarc is also in great company; a Lavazza coffee shop (it’s quite cheap too) visible from our seats, and a couple of shops down, Patagonia, with their first store in China (Nanjing sure is an outdoory kind of place).
Touting itself as something of a brunch specialist, Newarc’s menu certainly helps it come across as such. Drinks are plentiful and very competitively priced. There a also plenty of distractions such as fruit salad, a fruit-salad cocktail(?), inviting-looking desserts and the complimentary potato crisps with ketchup served literally seconds after the aforementioned warm water.
BUT, their pizza (beef; ¥58) turns out to be “Japanese”, in so far as it comes topped with that most stinky of seaweed; the North African poached eggs (¥58), although runny but delicious, is let down by the other additions to an otherwise very pleasant sauce; while a beef salad (¥60) that manages to qualify as competent falls far short from rocking our world.
So, while there are without doubt those who “like it like that”, for The Nanjinger at least, this is a place to sit, snack, drink and people/place watch. And get ever-more hungry.
But full disclosure; it is this publication’s policy not to recommend a place in these pages if it is simply no good (we wouldn’t waste neither the paper nor our readers’ cash and time). Newarc has undoubtedly much to recommend it; just be wary of the menu.
Newarc is located in Building 1 of Jinling Style, Longpan Lu, Xuanwu 玄武区龙蟠路金陵STYLE1楼. Tel 17384458978
