Nanjing's large student and teaching
population (foreign and Chinese) manage to create a pretty good
nightlife for themselves, especially in a city of this size.
There are numerous "western
style" bars dotted about the city but the best ones are around
the Universities near Shanghai Lu. The small lane
opposite Nandar (Nanjing University) Halls of
residence is always a good place to kick the evening off in. Jack's
is a popular meeting place and although its pretty small, they do a
great sweet and sour chicken and the beer is refreshingly cold. The
staff here are extra friendly too, always willing to tell (or show)
you where the latest hot spots are in town! The music however leaves a
lot to be desired.
Down the road from here is where the
city's best music talent can be found in, Blowing in the Wind.
The groovy owner of this bizarrely decorated bar has nightly jamming
sessions in this spacious and comfortable place and at weekends, guest
bands are invited on stage to perform.
Slightly further away from the
Universities are three popular late night spots. The first is known as
Scarlet Bar, situated on Zhongshan Bei Lu. This place
is where the city's foreign population tend to end up at the end of
the night. This bar/ club is always bursting with people of all ages
and the music is generally good- reggae style with a bit of everything
else thrown in for good measure. Another popular place is Tequilla
Bar on Shengzhou Lu. This club play slightly dodgy music but
it's a good venue and fun to watch the city's gangsters and their
"lady friends" at play! The other good bar/club in Nanjing
is the Island Bar (a.k.a.Island Bob's). The music in
here is pretty good and fairly up to date (thanks to Island Bob!) and
it's growing in popularity as Nanjingers become more discerning in
their taste!
There are also a few nice hotel bars
offering a more relaxed and upmarket style of entertainment. The
Sheraton Hotel has a nice Irish bar, serving up good pints of
Guinness and The
Jinling Hotel has something similar. Both these places are ideal
for those looking for a pleasant drink in a peaceful but friendly
atmosphere.
Nightlife aside, other entertainment
tends to focus around the Fuzi Miao area. There are
numerous arcades, bowling alleys, pool halls and cinemas around here
and its a lively area especially when the street market
kicks off in the evenings.
Addresses: Jack's
is opposite
Nanjing xiyuan at 164 Shanghai Lu. Jack also has another place, Jack's
Two opposite the Nanshida gate on Ninghai Lu. Blowing
in the Wind (aka The Answer Bar) is also on this road, at 13
Jinyin Jie. Scarlet Bar is near Gulou, turn right off
Zhongshan Bei Lu at 29 Chenzhen Dong Xiang. Tequila's
is at Shengzhou Lu and The Island Bar is on the road
which links Hunan Lu and Yunan Bei Lu.
