Ma Xiang Xing

Ma Xiang Xing has been feeding Nanjing since 1845, making it the city's oldest continuously operating restaurant. The kitchen is halal, the specialties are the classics of the Qinhuai river district - salted duck, boiled river shrimp, and the famous stuffed duck gizzard - and the dining room still bustles like the 19th century.

It is heritage cooking without museum dust: the salted duck is the benchmark Nanjing argues about, and the seasonal menus follow the river's calendar. The staff are warm with visitors and the prices are remarkably fair for a restaurant with this history.