Best Burgers in Nanjing: Where to Look

The best burgers in Nanjing are easiest to find around Xinjiekou, the commercial heart of the city with its malls and department stores, and in the nearby 1912 block, a set of restored Republican-era buildings turned into bars and restaurants near the Presidential Palace. For student prices, head to Xianlin, the university town in the east, or to the streets around Nanjing University’s Gulou campus.

Nanjing has been China’s capital several times, most recently under the Republic of China, and its centre still shows it in plane-tree avenues and early 20th-century architecture. The local table is famous for duck. Nanjing salted duck, poached and served cold, and duck blood and vermicelli soup are the city’s signature dishes, sold everywhere from market stalls to restaurants. In the evening, crowds gather along the Qinhuai River around the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao), where traditional snack stalls dominate the lanes.

Burgers in Nanjing: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Xinjiekou, the 1912 block, Fuzimiao on the Qinhuai River, and Xianlin university town.
• Student areas: Xianlin and the Gulou campus of Nanjing University.
• Local specialty: salted duck and duck blood and vermicelli soup.
• Currency: renminbi yuan (CNY), usually paid by scanning a QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay.
• Getting around: the Nanjing Metro; Lines 1 and 2 cross at Xinjiekou.

Every guide we publish on Nanjing is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For other cities, browse our burger restaurant guides by city.