Author: Matt Ford

We don’t do too badly for craft beer in Nanjing. I’m not saying there couldn’t be improvements of course, but there is plenty out there if you know where to look. There is a decent annual summer beer festival, and this year’s (9–11 July) was my first visit. It is held at Wangjing Square on Shitoucheng Lu in Gulou District.

Some 50 breweries from mainland China and Hong Kong featured. A typical brewery stall offered four or five draft beers (properly chilled, mercifully) alongside cans, bottles and branded merchandise. At ¥200 to drink all day at no additional cost, there was no good reason not to get stuck into a good range of brews. Although a few stalls offered half-glasses, most did not. Hence the ludicrous sight of people (myself included) getting their glasses, having a few mouthfuls before pouring the rest away in order to try the next one.

I’ll be honest and say the quality of the beer was variable. Nothing was really bad but, equally, I only found a couple that I would be happy to drink frequently and in quantity. The growth of craft beer in China has been rapid and is exciting to see, but it will likely take many more years for the average beer you stumble across to be a great one.

Despite the variable weather, there was a decent attendance on Saturday afternoon, and I am sure it got much busier in the evening. It was a pleasure to be able to speak with the brewers, and particularly useful to find out where their tap bars are. Readers will likely know that English language searches on typical maps and search engines can fail to pick up bars and restaurants. I found out about bars in cities that I thought I knew well in terms of the craft beer outlets.

Incidentally, for those who know their Beijing bars, after rumours about the closure of Great Leap (Sanlitun branch), I got confirmation it is once again fully open and also selling their excellent burgers.

But what of Nanjing? You don’t need to go to the beer festival to drink decent brews in our city. There are many craft beer bars out there, and sometimes when I walk around the city streets, I stumble across one that I did not even know existed. These bars vary from small takeaway beer outlets that sell inexpensive (and sometimes rather crude) brews to bars with excellent beers from high quality breweries, both foreign and domestic. Some are essentially restaurants, whilst others serve either just simple snacks or no food at all.

Therefore, I thought I would this month a few details of some of my favourite craft beer bars to celebrate the annual beer festival. They are located fairly centrally. I focus here on the outlets that are not food-led. These are mostly too small (or interest is too niche) to merit a full review. The names I use should give you the location on Apple Maps, so I just give the name of the road or street they are on. I have not given the precise opening hours, because they seem variable. Most only open from 18:00 or later. In each group, the bars are not more than more than 10 minutes’ walk from one another and a metro station, so you can cover them on foot as a mini crawl using public transport, if you feel so inclined.

Nanjing University (SE of Yunnanlu Metro)

Craft Beer (Nanxiucun) Three or four beers on draft. Plenty of cans and bottles.

Guniang Beer (Taoguxincun) No draft beer, but worth a visit due to its fine range of cans and bottles.

Luoke Mr. Craft (Hankou Lu) It seems a flagship branch for this takeaway beer vendor. I found the staff and customers particularly welcoming and helpful. They do their own brews on tap, and there is plenty of seating.

Guns n’ Hops (Shanghai Lu) This one is not on Apple Maps, but it is down the same little alley as Meiqian Pub, which is. It is almost opposite Skyways Bakery. There are a few taps of domestic craft and some interesting cans and bottles. It opens earlier in the afternoon than many.

East of Zhujianglu Metro 

Jihe Brewing (Weixiang Alley) An excellent place, busy with local beer afficionados. Many domestic and international beers on tap. Occasional beer festivals and “tap takeovers”. Quite a few staff and customers speak English.

Guoweiyi (Guyilang Lu) A typical example of a takeaway bar selling inexpensive beer. The beer is not the finest, but if you’re in the area anyway, it is open all day and they have a couple of seats where you can watch passers by through the glass shopfront. Certainly a good option if you want to drink on a budget. 

HopstarXspace (just off Guyilang Lu) This is different, and really rather good. It is in an “artsy place” and I can’t quite work out what it is! On 2F there is a coffee place and the bar. The bar section only opens in the evening. They have around 10 interesting craft beers on tap and it is a pleasant and unusual environment in which to drink.

Luosaita Taproom (Hanjia Alley) On a par with Jihe. There are a dozen ever-changing beers, domestic and foreign, from high quality breweries. It used to open all day, but sadly it now opens around 18:30 or later.

Pile Imported Beer Shop (Hongwu Bei Lu) A good range of cans and bottles. It is mainly a shop, but there is a small room at the back where you can drink your purchases from a glass.

Tap Planet (Xihe Commercial Plaza, a.k.a. Chic Hills) This was once a bar that had the most craft taps in China, I am told. Then they moved around the corner to a smaller venue, offering 10 craft beers (domestic) alongside burgers. Last time I went it was boarded up, but it may be a renovation rather than a closure, so it is worth checking if you are near. The Apple Map location is for the old bar. The newer one is/was on the exterior side of the far NE corner of Xihe Commercial Plaza (just along from Bottle Bar, which is a fine whisky bar, also worth a visit).

South of Xinjiekou Metro

2467 Bar (Yujia Alley) A tiny bar with about 4 seats inside, but little box seats directly outside, so ideal for a dry and balmy evening. It attracts a young crowd but has a pleasant feel to it. They have a few domestic beers on tap and some spirits.

Der Rote Baron (Fengfu Lu) Also popular with the young crowd but has far more seating inside. Some spill out onto the pavement at busy times. There are around a dozen domestic beers at very reasonable prices. It opens earlier than many (16:30).

Xiang Station Bajingniang Beer (Youfu West Jie) The best takeaway beer bar I have found in Nanjing, and a good example of one I discovered purely by chance, after a visit to the nearby Black Vine (which was rather disappointing). There is plenty of seating and a wide range of domestic beer. It is mostly very good stuff. It seems to open for most of the day. Beer menu in English.

A little further from the centre…

The following do not have other good beer bars that I know of near them, but they are worth a mention. Indeed, the first two are probably the best craft beer bars in the city. The third could also be excellent, but it is the one bar on this list in which I have never felt particularly welcome.

Malt and Hop (Houzai Alley) An excellent range of domestic and international craft beers. It is worth noting that immediately to its left is a large domestic craft beer bar. The beer there is not as good in my opinion, but it is well worth calling in anyway. The domestic beer bar does not feature on Apple Maps.

Tap House Beer Bar (Huikang Lu) Similar to Malt and Hop, but be warned, it is possibly the most expensive beer bar in Nanjing. Some of the prices are eye-watering, and for quite small glasses.

Shanqiu Jingniang Taproom (Suojie Jie) Relatively new bar boasting 16 taps of domestic and international craft beer and a fair range of cans and bottles. It is a good size and feels light and modern. The digital beer menu is only in Chinese.

Nail Bar (The Village, next to One Mall, Jiangdong Zhong Lu) This is predominantly a bottle bar, but they have a few taps as well. It is not on Apple Maps and is not immediately obvious, but is near Starbucks. The range of cans and bottles is very impressive, and it is a comfortable (if rather garishly lit) place to try a few brews. I like the large collection of chilled glasses that you can choose from.

[EDITORS NOTE: Since this article was first published, Robin Bar has closed its doors. The owner is presently searching new premises.]

Robin Bar is the place to go if you fancy some really well-made cocktails in an environment akin to a small private club. Watching Robin prepare a cocktail is excellent therapy for a frustrated sufferer of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). No matter what random, disorganised chaos your day or week at work might have brought you, watching Robin mix drinks behind his impeccable bar will start your healing process before you have even taken a sip.

Robin explained that making cocktails is a hobby for him. He has another job during the day, but making cocktails is what he likes doing, and it shows. He does not like his bar to get too busy. He says his preference is for up to 5 or 6 people so that he can give each creation the attention it deserves. He has some ingenious cocktails, but this is also a place for perfectly made classics. Where better than to have an Old Fashioned, a Sazerac, a Negroni, a Manhattan or a Martini?

The bar itself is a magnificent sight, with sparklingly clean bottles beautifully arranged and illuminated. There is a tremendous range of high quality ingredients. Nothing is out of place. The bar top is spotless. As you order each cocktail (from an iPad), the ingredient bottles are carefully laid out in front of you. 

Your choice of seating should be the lovely, soft and stylish chairs that line the bar. However, there are also some very comfortable leather Chesterfields that feel every bit the gentlemen’s club. It is a theme carried over from the external window display, which is a take on a bespoke tailor’s display.

If cigars are your thing, you are in luck. If you’re not a fan of smoke, you would do well to avoid the later part of Friday and Saturday evenings.

Usually you will be given a free shot or two as you sup your way through the evening. However, in my opinion that does not work well here. The cocktails are so good that a quick shot of bourbon (or whatever) can be a rather unwelcome distraction. Inevitably the giveaway spirits are not going to be the finest from the collection. If you’re eating at Le Gavroche, Michel Roux Jr. does not slip you a free McDonald’s cheeseburger to have alongside the lobster mousse. However, perhaps I should desist from inspecting too closely the mouths of gift-horses.

Robin bar does not serve food or beer. However, if fine cocktails alone are not enough to attract you, then perhaps a curry next door might? The authentic Jianate Indian Restaurant is owned by Bilal (an Afghan), together with Praveen, the ever-present and affable Indian waiter. 

It is unusual not to see members of Nanjing’s Indian community eating there, which is surely a good sign. It’s a great place to watch international cricket (Praveen is an obsessive fan). They don’t serve alcohol, but you are welcome take your own; the My Town bar a few minutes’ walk away (Hubei Lu, just before the junction with Hunan Lu) has a large selection of chilled craft beer that you can take away. 

Robin Bar and the Indian restaurant may have little in common other than location, but they combine to make a great night out if you fancy the Four Cs. 

English is not spoken at Robin Bar, but the coctkail menu is in English. English is spoken at Jianate Indian Restaurant.

Robin Bar / Jianate Indian Restaurant are located at 2 Zhonghua Minyao Alley, Shiziqiao Pedestrian Street. Tel: 19805147532 / 5223 5776 respectively.

When I came to Nanjing and settled in Pukou, I had little expectation of finding a quality bar nearby, and certainly not one with a good range of draft beer. Having visited the usual suspects in the city centre, I resigned myself to the fact I would be crossing the Yangtze every time I wanted a pint of something decent. This would mean crossing the Yangtze a lot.

So it came as a surprise and a relief to stumble across Unparalleled, a mere 15 minutes’ stroll from my apartment. I may not even have noticed it, had it not been for a number of empty kegs deposited around its outdoor seating area.

This is a local bar in both senses of the word. It is local to me, thank goodness, but it is also to some extent what the British would consider, “a local”. It is comfortable and attractive, but not pretentious or flashy. On some days, it is full soon after opening, and on other days it remains quiet. It attracts a predominantly young crowd, probably on account of its proximity to the Nanjing Tech Metro Station.

The bar staff get to know you and look after you. You feel welcome, but not unduly fussed over. You don’t mind that one day you may come in at 6 pm, to find yesterday’s glasses are still all over the bar. You certainly don’t much fancy walking to the malodorous public lavatory around the corner. 

However, none of these things matter much in a local; especially your local. These things are all forgiven with the same readiness you overlook a scuff on your most comfortable and trusty shoes. 

So why would the good citizens of the south side bother to come north (well, west really) to visit a Pukou “local?” The answer is beer, and good beer. Unparalleled boasts 12 taps of craft beer, some of which are changed regularly. Frank, the owner, has a brewery in the city (Unparalleled Brewing). As you might expect, a few of his are always on tap, and very good they are too. 

However, there are plenty of others besides. Typically, nine or ten are Chinese and two or three are foreign. Whilst many are high in alcohol content, which is sadly typical in China, there are usually several more suitable options for those wanting to indulge in a lengthy beer session without making the next day one full of regret.  Prices are reasonable compared with some of the more central bars. If you consume two pints (well, not quite pints) before 9 pm, you will be rewarded with a glass of Cold Eyes IPA, albeit a small one. 

Sensibly, they do not try to do an extensive menu. The focus is on burgers. These are none too shabby and are, of course, accompanied by the ubiquitous polythene gloves, which I eschew immediately. The half dozen or so varieties available include American, Hawaiian, Sausage and Foie gras. A simple selection of sides includes fries, a sausage platter and fried pieces of chicken. The food is good value, and whilst it might be worth a trip out for a burger with a beer on the side, in my mind, it is more about a trip out for a good few beers with a burger on the side.

I have not tried the cocktails, but only because I enjoy the beer too much. Unfortunately (for some, at least), smoking is common in the bar, but at quieter times it is not such an issue. Usually at least one member of staff speaks English and menus are bilingual.

As sister pub of Hermit, this bar is well worth crossing to the north side, particularly if you like decent beer. For my money, it is better than Hermit, but then, it is my local. In fact, I think I’ll head over there right now. Which shoes to wear…? Yes, of course, the ones with the scuff. Cheers!

Unparalleled Kitchen & Bar is located at 1F, Bldg 2, Mingfa New Town Centre, 11 Pukou Avenue, Pukou. 

Root Inn is no ordinary bar. The award-winning décor is a pun on the name with a rather curious combination of themes; computer-inspired (as in the root directory) and plant-inspired (as in, well, plant roots). The dark interior is punctuated with stylish lighting, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies in which to make yourself comfortable. There is seating for around fifty customers.

This reviewer’s preference tends to be to sit at the bar, in part to admire the fine range of spirits, but predominantly to watch the meticulous preparation of cocktails. Whilst many come here to eat, for me, this bar is about the drinks. There are around 100 whiskies, which is impressive, but is at least matched by a few bars in the city. 

What is unique for Nanjing, I think, is a similar number of gins. There are numerous examples that I have not seen in any local bars, nor have I found them online in China. Bottles change with pleasing regularity. A good example is “Iron Balls”. This is made at a small distillery in Bangkok and is very difficult to obtain anywhere outside Thailand.

Whilst one could very happily spend an evening solely imbibing gins and tonic (Fever Tree, being an added bonus), it would be a mistake not to order a cocktail or two. This is where the bar comes into its own. Root is a cocktail laboratory, literally. Their rotary evaporator and centrifuge take me back to the organic chemistry teaching laboratories of my university days. 

They measure the alcoholic strength of cocktails using a refractometer, looking every bit the research chemist. The bar staff’s handbook is the excellent, “Liquid Intelligence”, by Dave Arnold, which is a bible for those who appreciate the art and science of the perfect cocktail.

Root’s signature cocktails include Cucumber Gin & Tonic, prepared with “molecular gastromony” and Cyber Pink, made from vodka, lychee liqueur, wine and rose syrup.

On quieter evenings, the staff have conjured up cocktails to order by taste. For example, a discussion of Belching Beaver Brewery’s Peanut Butter Milk Stout led to the rotary evaporator being called into action to produce a whisky-based cocktail with the flavours of peanut butter and chocolate, beautifully presented. 

Talking of Belching Beaver, this bar is not a place for beer. There may be one or two cans of craft beer, but this bar is for those who appreciate gin, whisky and cocktails. There is a decent range of wine on offer, but I have not strayed from the above.

Many choose to come here to eat, and an extensive menu includes rosemary Chinese-style spicy chicken, French-style baked snails, pulled pork sliders, French fries with truffle salt and a meat platter (fillet steak, lamb chops and basil sausages). However, when I am here, I find it hard to look beyond the excellent liquid offerings of the bar.

The friendly staff speak English (and menus are available in English). They love to discuss fine spirits and cocktails, and if you show the enthusiasm you should, some free tasters may well come your way. This fine establishment is hidden away on Floor B1 of One Mall, which is a most unlikely location. It takes a bit of finding on your first visit, but do persevere. 

Root Inn is located at B1, One Mall, 258 Jiangdong Lu, Jianye District. Tel: 15365160166. Open: 11:00–14:00/17:00–22:00