Top 10 Recommended Nanjing Restaurants

Nanjing's food centers on Huaiyang cuisine, mixing rich Jinling tastes and graceful Republican-era dishes. Here, you get two types of eats: creative meals from Michelin-starred spots and warm feelings from old eateries that've lasted 100 years. A key rule is using in-season ingredients. Chefs' knife work and seasonings also show Jiangnan's food culture. There's more too—halal food, street snacks, etc. So whether it's a fancy dinner or casual meal, you can find what you like. Each bite gives you good taste and a feel for local culture, both together.

Jiangnanzao · Yunfu, Nanjing Shangri-La Hotel

Master Hou Xinqing, called the "Huaiyang Knife Expert", runs this restaurant. It's the only one in Jiangsu with both Michelin Star and Black Pearl Two-Diamond certifications, and it focuses on "New Huaiyang Cuisine"—a style that mixes different ideas. It takes the best of Huaiyang cuisine and adds elements from other food styles. Ingredients change with each season, and its special dishes have both old traditions and new surprises. The space looks nice with good design, and the service is careful, so the dining experience is great. It got into the 2025 Asia's 100 High-end Restaurants, and its 4.9 rating shows it's popular.

Average Cost per Person: 1,175 yuan

Address: No. 329 Zhongyang Road, Gulou District, inside Nanjing Shangri-La Hotel

How to Get There: 4km from the city center; take Metro Line 3 to Jiming Temple Station and walk for 15 minutes

Meiyuan, Nanjing Jinling Hotel

Located in Nanjing's first five-star hotel, it has won the title of "China's Best Restaurant" from Food & Wine and been selected into the 2025 China's 100 High-end Restaurants. As a benchmark for Jinling cuisine, it preserves the most authentic Huaiyang cooking techniques. Its Lion's Head meatballs melt in the mouth, and Wensi Tofu is as thin as hair—every dish shows excellent control of knife skills and heat. The restaurant has an elegant and solemn atmosphere, with both historical heritage and high-end texture, making it the first choice for business banquets and intangible cultural heritage food experiences.

Average Cost per Person: 395 yuan

Address: 2nd Floor, Jinling Hotel, No. 2 Hanzhong Road, Gulou District, Nanjing

How to Get There: 135m from the city center; directly accessible via Exit 8 of Xinjiekou Station (Metro Line 1 & 2)

Dongyinlu Chinese Restaurant, Yihe Mansion

Part of the Relais & Châteaux boutique hotel group, it sits in the Republican-era mansion area on Yihe Road. Most buildings here are old celebrities' houses that have been fixed up, giving real Republican-era style. The restaurant's main food is Republican-era dishes. It brings back how Nanjing's upper class ate back then. Its dishes have the light, nice taste of Huaiyang food, and also use Western cooking ways. The place is quiet—old wooden furniture goes well with the courtyard view. Dining here feels like going back to the Republican era. It has an 80-point score and is still very popular.

Average Cost per Person: 338 yuan

Address: Inside Yihe Mansion, No. 3 Jiangsu Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

How to Get There: Take Metro Line 4 to Yunnan Road Station, then walk for 10 minutes to reach.

Republican Red Mansion (Deji Plaza Branch)

It's a food landmark for Nanjing's Republican-era culture and is always recommended when talking about Republican-style restaurants. The restaurant designs dishes around Republican-era history. Signature dishes like "Young Marshal Braised Pork" and "Meiling Porridge" all have stories behind them, with a rich and mild taste. Its decoration copies the style of Republican-era mansions—rosewood tables, chairs and old photo walls fully show retro charm. Here, you can not only taste classic Republican-era dishes in one stop but also immerse yourself in the historical atmosphere. With affordable average consumption, it's loved by both local diners and tourists.

Average Cost per Person: 239 yuan

Address: 8th Floor, Phase 2 of Deji Plaza, No. 18 Zhongshan Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

How to Get There: Walk 3 minutes from Exit 6 of Xinjiekou Station (Metro Line 1 & 2)

Qingzhen Lvliuju Restaurant (Taiping South Road Branch), Gunan Du

Founded in 1912 by the Qinhuai River, this century-old restaurant is on Nanjing's "must-visit food list" and is famous for halal food and vegetarian dishes. Its vegetarian dishes follow the principles of "fresh, tender, hot, crispy and fragrant," inheriting vegetarian cooking skills from temples and imperial courts. The duck dishes in its halal menu are neither too fat nor too lean, with firm meat. The restaurant has an elegant space with green walls and verandas, and willow details match its name. It only costs 46 yuan per person on average, so it's a great value and a must-try of old Nanjing's halal food.

Average Cost per Person: 46 yuan

Address: No. 248 Taiping South Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing

How to Get There: 1.1km from the city center; walk 8 minutes from Exit 5 of Daxinggong Station (Metro Line 2)

Li Ji Halal Restaurant (Dadingxiang Branch)

It's on the 2025 Asia's 100 Featured Snacks list, and it's a top example of Nanjing's halal snacks. It's famous beef guotie (fried dumplings) have crispy skins—bite them, and juice comes out. The beef inside is full and tasty. Eat it with vinegar and chili oil, and it's really good. The restaurant runs like an old workshop, with a busy, homey feel. Every morning, there's a long line. Local Nanjing people often come on purpose to enjoy it. From 1,164 reviews, it has a high 4.6 score. And with only 28 yuan per person, you can eat as much as you want.

Average Cost per Person: 28 yuan

Address: No. 1 Dadingxiang, Qinhuai District, Nanjing

How to Get There: 1.5km from the city center; walk 12 minutes from Exit 3 of Zhangfuyuan Station (Metro Line 1)

Nanjing Grand Restaurant (Fuzi Temple Pingjiangfu Road Branch)

Selected into the 2025 China's 100 Local Style Restaurants, it's the top choice for out-of-town tourists to first experience Nanjing's flavors. The restaurant focuses on Jinling's home-style dishes and famous snacks. It has everything from Meiling Porridge and Sweet Osmanthus Taro Paste to Salted Duck, letting you taste all Nanjing's specialties in one stop. The environment recreates the street scene of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Staff wear traditional costumes and call out warmly to guests. It's close to the China Imperial Examination Museum, so you can visit it on the way after dining. Its popularity is proven by 1,732 reviews, with an average cost of only 74 yuan per person.

Average Cost per Person: 74 yuan

Address: No. 68 Pingjiangfu Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing

How to Get There: 2.5km from the city center; walk 5 minutes from Exit 5 of Fuzi Temple Station (Metro Line 3)

78Prime Sky, InterContinental Nanjing Zifeng Tower

It's on the 2025 Asia's 100 Scenic Experience Restaurants list and sits high up in Zifeng Tower—you can look down at Nanjing's city view while eating. This is a high-end Western restaurant, and it's good at making nice steaks and French food. The ingredients are fresh and good, and the way of cooking is careful. The restaurant is decorated in a modern, simple style, with big views outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. During the day, you can see Xuanwu Lake's shining water; at night, you can enjoy the city's neon lights. It gives you both good taste and nice views.

Average Cost per Person: 366 yuan

Address: 78th Floor, Zifeng Tower, No. 1 Zhongyang Road, Gulou District, Nanjing

How to Get There: 2.1km from the city center; walk 10 minutes from Exit 1 of Xuanwumen Station (Metro Line 1)

Xiao Chuniang Huaiyang Cuisine (Huanyu City Branch)

It's a famous local chain in Nanjing. Founded in 1997, it has won people's love with traditional Huaiyang cuisine ever since. The menu updates regularly. Dishes like Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish (crispy outside, tender inside) and Hot Shredded Tofu (fresh and tasty) all stay consistently good. The restaurant has a Jiangnan feel, with nice, neat plate presentations. It's great value—you can enjoy real Huaiyang flavors for under 100 yuan per person. It's very popular and a perfect choice for family meals.

Average Cost per Person: 99 yuan

Address: 4th Floor, Huanyu City, No. 1 Qingliangmen Street, Gulou District, Nanjing

How to Get There: Take Metro Line 2 to Jiqingmen Street Station, then walk 7 minutes from Exit 5

Maxiangxing Restaurant

It's Nanjing's oldest existing restaurant—a century-old halal establishment founded in 1845, sticking to traditional flavors for nearly 200 years. Its Salted Egg Yolk Shaomai (steamed dumplings) contain a whole salted egg yolk inside, with glutinous rice and meat filling blending into a soft, creamy texture. The Beef Soup Dumplings have paper-thin skins and rich, savory broth, which is a morning favorite of old Nanjing locals. The restaurant keeps the craftsmanship of old workshops, with a simple and warm atmosphere, allowing you to taste the most authentic halal home-style flavors of Nanjing.

Average Cost per Person: 60 yuan

Address: No. 32 Yunnan North Road, Gulou District, Nanjing

How to Get There: Walk 8 minutes from Exit 3 of Sanshan Street Station (Metro Line 1)

By Kristen Qin
Web Editor