Short answer: try salted duck (¥30–40 a portion), start a morning with duck blood vermicelli soup (¥15–30), and snack on beef potstickers and soup dumplings in Laomendong.
Signature Dishes
Salted duck (盐水鸭)
- What: Cold poached duck in a light brine — Nanjing’s signature, best in autumn
- Price: About ¥30–40 a portion
Duck blood vermicelli soup (鸭血粉丝汤)
- What: Clear duck broth with glass noodles, duck blood, liver and tofu puffs
- Price: About ¥15–30
Soup dumplings (鸡汁汤包)
- What: Thin-skinned buns full of hot chicken broth — bite, then sip
- Price: About ¥20–32 a basket
Street Food & Snacks
| Dish | What it is | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Beef potstickers (牛肉锅贴) | Crispy-bottomed dumplings with juicy beef filling, from halal shops | About ¥15–28 |
| Tofu-skin noodles (皮肚面) | Noodles with fried pork-skin “pidu”, sausage and greens — a breakfast favourite | About ¥15–20 |
| Nanjing roast duck (南京烤鸭) | Roast duck served in its own sweet-sour juices | About ¥28–40 |
| Plum blossom cake (梅花糕) | Flower-shaped batter cake filled with red bean | About ¥10 |
| Red bean rice balls (赤豆元宵) | Tiny rice balls in sweet red-bean soup with osmanthus | About ¥10–15 |
| Stinky tofu (臭豆腐) | Deep-fried fermented tofu with chilli sauce | About ¥10–15 |
| Meiling porridge (美龄粥) | Rice and yam porridge with soy milk | About ¥15–30 |
Where to Eat on a Budget
- Laomendong (Metro 3 Wudingmen) — potstickers, tangbao and stinky tofu; busy in the evening.
- Confucius Temple and Gongyuan Street (Metro 3 Fuzimiao) — classic snack halls; touristy but atmospheric.
- Shiziqiao and Hunan Road (Gulou) — pedestrian food street near the lake and campuses.
- 1912 Block (Metro 2/3 Daxinggong) — bars and restaurants in Republic-era buildings.
- Campus canteens — full meals for about ¥10–20.
If You Only Try Three Things
- Duck blood vermicelli soup for breakfast.
- Salted duck with friends.
- Beef potstickers and soup dumplings in Laomendong.
Prices are estimates for September 2026 and vary a lot between neighbourhoods and restaurants.
New to China?
Set up payments, mobile data and essential apps before exploring Nanjing — each topic has one national guide, so this page stays focused on the city itself.
Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay · Get a SIM, eSIM and internet access · Install the essential apps · Book high-speed trains · Visa & documents · Your first 48 hours
More Nanjing Guides
Last updated: September 2026. Prices, opening hours and rules in China change often — treat costs as estimates and confirm anything important with the official source before you go.
Photos: AddisWang / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Yumeto / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
