NANJINGNOW

At points you may begin to ask yourself, “is there more to Nanjing nightlife than clubs? Any place that I can go which has a bar-like atmosphere, dark beer, and doesn’t have a seemingly endless line of dancing people crashing into me?” If this is one your mind, then it certainly may be time to check out Blue Marlin, a German owned bar in 1912. Blue Marlin stands out in many, many ways from almost every other bar in the area for a number of reasons. In terms of cuisine, beverages, ambience, and décor, this bar may be one of the closest things you get to a truly Western experience. However, this may not prove appealing to everyone.

There are some important things to keep in mind about Blue Marlin. First, this is not a club. If you want to go somewhere, listen to hip hop and find a cute girl to grind with until 3 in the morning, this is not the place for you. However, if you are looking for a place where you can sit down, enjoy foreign food and foreign beer, you might want check it out. In this area, Blue Marlin is especially European. The menu includes an assortment of German food, generally ranging from fifty to eighty RMB. It is important to remember that this is gourmet foreign food, so don’t go in expecting low prices. For a prime cut of Australian beef, expect to pay more than 100 RMB. In this review, I don’t want to discuss the food at length, but rather focus on the bar itself.

The alcohol selection of Blue Marlin is truly stellar. In the past, I have complained of the repetitiousness of the whiskey and iced tea mix so often served in Chinese bars, and this bar offers a nicely needed reprise from this. Blue Marlin is the most high profile, and possibly the only bar in Nanjing to serve Erdinger beer, truly one of Germany’s tastiest. A selection of both light and dark beer is offered. As with the food, don’t expect bargains. This is may not be the place to go if you want to get very drunk; you can expect a more relaxed night at this bar. A pint of beer can set you back around 50 RMB.

Since the food is gourmet and the beer is premium, Blue Marlin attracts a different assortment of clientele than the vast majority of other places in 1912. Visit on a weekday, and one can expect to see an assortment of generally older foreign businessmen, expats, and some tourists. Blue Marlin is generally not looked upon by anyone as a place where Nanjing’s student population hangs out, so don’t go there looking for crowds of young people. This bar’s vibe is definitely much more relaxed and mature.

However, this is not to say that Blue Marlin is completely without appeal to a younger sort of crowd. Saturday nights are salsa nights, and usually attract a large number of both Chinese and foreign people looking for an outlet for their dance skills. If you are below the age of thirty, then Saturday night is definitely the time to give Blue Marlin a visit.

An atmosphere of any bar is reflected in its presentation and decoration, but this can be a double edged sword in the case of Blue Marlin. Upon walking into the bar, two people may respond very differently. The first person might think to themselves, “Wow, this place is really chill.” After all, this is a lounge bar. There is no dance floor on the ground floor, there is no DJ, and there are not flashing lights, dancers, or strobe effects common to many other clubs.

Instead, there is a central bar area, some booths, and many, many tables and couches. On the ground floor, music is provided in the evenings by an expatriate Filipino band. The band does not play any sort of heavy rock or punk, but keeps the mood relaxed with a mix of various pop songs. There is an upstairs to this bar, where one can find a pool table, darts, and a moderately sized yet dance floor. Again, no strobe lights or smoke machines here. Therefore, the second person may say, “This place is boring as hell. Screw it, I’m going to Scarlet.”

Here’s the deal. There are some things you need to keep in mind about Blue Marlin before going there. Ask yourself: what kind of night do I want to have? Does tonight feel like a night when I want to relax, sip beer, play some pool, and maybe dance a little salsa? Or do I feel like the chaos and frenetic feeling of a club? If the first option sounds more appealing than the second, then you could do much worse than checking out Blue Marlin for an evening. Just bring enough money and do not go in expecting for a crazy night.

What’s Memorable: Easy; the fact that Blue Marlin is easily the most standout bar in 1912, mostly for the reason that it actually is a bar. That, and the delicious, delicious beer.

What’s Forgettable: Blue Marlin doesn’t have the feel of the clubs around it, so some may consider it bland.

The Last Thing You Need to Know: This bar has a lot of appeal, but it may not be the kind of appeal that you are interested in. If you want a quiet, more relaxed, but generally more expensive night out, give Blue Marlin a shot. If you want to go to a club, walk down the street to Little Scarlet, A8, SOHO, Mazzo, BB King, or any of the other places in 1912.