Taipei Cafes

@AllisterChang

[taipeicafes]

Cafe l’Etoile

Hello world! I’m back in Taipei and will be sharing some of my favorite new spots in the city.

Taipei’s café scene continues to mushroom. I say mushrooming, not just because there seems to be a new one every day, but also because they sometimes pop-up -- something beautiful -- in the most unexpected places. 

Among the sundry -- some bland, some colorful -- I’ll continue keeping a list of my favorites on this Google Maps page. 

Here’s a new favorite to start:

Café l’Étoile has the cutest little front deck patio! Trees shoot up through the wood-floor panels, creating natural asymmetries. There are only 4 seats on the patio, so it feels private. Perched just a few inches above the street, it also feels safe, though unimposing.

Conveniently located right next to the ZhongXiao Fuxing Metro Station, Café l’Étoile offers an escape from shopping at Sogo, or if you want a quick break from the hustle and bustle between stops. 

An iced café Americano is $100NTD. 

Address: 106, Taipei City, Da’an District, Alley 13, Lane 248, Section 3, Zhongxiao E Rd, 12號 Hours: 10AM - 7PM most days; Closed Sundays

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cafeletoile/

[taipeicafes]

Thanks!

Thanks for following me as I’ve explored cafés in Taipei this past year!  It’s been fun!  

Please continue following my travels & writings on Instagram @AllisterTravels. 

I’m proud to say that this blog has been cited in Fodor’s, BBC, and Passport Magazine, as well as an earlier mentioned appearance on Radio Taiwan International.

I’m back in Maryland now, so won’t be adding new posts until I come back (hopefully sooner rather than later).  In the meantime, I hope the Google Map I’ve made will continue to be a good reference!

For the next few months, I’ll be hanging around DC before I move back up to Boston for graduate school.

Allister

[taipeicafes]

Eudora 

I promised I wouldn't post about Eudora until the friend who introduced me to Eudora left Taipei.  She said she didn't want any new customers stealing her regular corner seat at the window.  She looked so comfortable there with her laptop and a cushion behind her back.

Danshui, at the northmost end of the red line, has the feeling of a small town, with a great view of both oceans and mountains.  Eudora embodies this coziness, with rows of pansies blossoming outside the windows, and simple wooden furniture.  The owner also very clearly takes precious care in making his coffee, so only ask about his philosophy on brewing if you have plenty of time to spare.

Address: No. 6, Lane 37, Gōngmíng St, Danshui District Tel: [phone]

[taipeicafes]

Le Park Café / 公園咖啡館

A classic style café of wood, marble, books, & trinkets...

& if I do say so myself, an attractive crowd of artists.

Address: No. 146號, Liáoníng Street, Zhongshan District Tel: [phone] Closest MRT: Nanjing East Road Station Price: ~ NTD $120 / drink Hours: 13:00 - 23:00 from Sunday to Thursday; 13:00 - Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays

[taipeicafes]

Noise Kitchen

Photos don't do this café justice.  Attached to the Taipei Digital Arts Center, Noise Café is a musical playground.  The tables are xylophones and the drawers are accordions.  Along the walls, different sizes and shapes of bottles, glasses, and bowls are connected to a small keyboard.  Each bottle corresponds to a note on the keyboard!  (The Taiwan Beer Bottle plays a D sharp).  

At the counter where you order and pay, they've set up a game called "Tea Time."  "Tea" is a pun for 踢, which means "kick" in Mandarin.  Kick a block of wood on the floor to turn the clock back a few minutes, and extend your afternoon tea break.

I won't spoil the fun of exploring the other musical games hidden throughout the café.  Just know that there's even a noisy way to interact with the pet fish.

If you can't visit in person, click here to control some of the percussions in the café from the web.  If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Address: No. 180, Fúhuá Rd, Shilin District Tel: [phone] Website: http://noisekitchen.tw Price: ~$120/drink

[taipeicafes]

Wistaria Tea House

Arguably the tea house in Taipei.  The 1920s Japanese style building was not only the Governor-General of Taiwan's residence during Japanese rule, but also featured in An Lee's film Eat Drink Man Woman.  

There are tables with chairs at the front, and tatami mats with pillows in the back.  The menu is stocked with specialty Taiwanese teas that the owner personally selects, with pricing starting at NTD$220 a pot.  The servers will give you a brief demonstration of how to brew tea.

Private rooms can be reserved for prices starting at NTD$2000, with tea and snacks included.  The Flower Hall seats up to 45 people for a 3-hour rent fee of NTD$7500.  

Teas vary by fermentation, terroir, and age, including a Pu'er tea from 1950.  Water comes from the Wu Lai Mountain Spring, near Taipei.  

Address: No. 1, Lane 16, Section 3, Xīnshēng South Road, Daan District Tel: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.wistariateahouse.com

[taipeicafes]

Pillow Caf’e

During my visit, the employees gossiped over the counter while arranging flower vases. The café dog “Shia Pa” (Taiwanese for “trendy”) decided to take a nap between my feet.  As I pet her and sipped on chamomile tea (NTD$160 per pot), I found myself falling even more in love with this city.

Address: No. 133, Ruì’ān St, Daan District Tel: [phone]

*LGBTQ friendly*

[taipeicafes]

Topo Café

Why do humans find water so calming?  So many of us want to live by a river, a lake, or the ocean.

At Topo Café, you find yourself literally surrounded by water.  Fish swim through cracks in the floor, while light bulbs filled with water dangle above like rain drops frozen in time.  Smooth jazz plays in the background.

Be careful though, because I've already seen two people step into the water.  Thankfully, they didn't kill any fish.

Teas, including Mate and "Chocolate Mint Truffle," come at NTD$160/pot.  I also recommend the roast beef sandwich with gruyere, lettuce, and lemon thyme honey mustard for NTD$220.  The coffee here isn't bad, but I don't expect it to win any awards.

Topo Café is located near Tianmu Square, which has been an encave for expats for decades.  This is where the Americans congregated, back when the American navy was stationed in Taipei.  To get here, take the MRT to Shipai Station, then take the 紅19 bus to Tianmu Square.

Address: No. 7, Lane 38, Section 7, Zhōngshān North Rd, Shilin District Tel: [phone] Hours: Weekdays from 8:00 to 18:00 & Weekends from 9:00 to 21:00; Closed Mondays

[taipeicafes]

Haaya's Coffee

Take your shoes off and sit at tables with sunken floors at this Japanese style café.  The slogan here is "Genuine Specialty," and they put their emphasis on quality coffee.  Our waitress recommended the sun dried Yirgacheffe Heirloom Organic (NTD$200/cup), saying it "tastes like sunshine."  They organize their 25+ selection of roasts by the categories "Medium - High Roast," "City Roast," and "Full City - French Roast."  For NTD$280, you can also pair your coffee with a slice of their homemade chiffon cake and three homemade chocolate truffles.  The decor is otherwise unremarkable.

There are two branches of Haaya's Coffee in Taipei:

Songshan Branch Address: No. 307, Dūnhuà North Road, Songshan District Closest MRT: Zhongshan Jr High School Station Tel: [phone] Hours: 9:00 - 21:00 Tianmu Branch Address: No. 66, Tiānmǔ North Road, Shilin District Closest MRT: Shipai Station Tel: [phone] Hours: 10:00 - 21:00

[taipeicafes]

Costumice

An idyllic café.  Order a glass of house red (NTD$200) and enjoy the breeze.  When the weather is nice, the big doors slide open and customers gravitate towards the outdoor patio.

According to my friend Andrew, their famous "Seoul Sandwich" (NTD$200) tastes like "Chex Mix."  Cheese and ham in French toast sprinkled with powdered sugar and almonds.  Not my personal favorite.

When the sun sets, soft lights turn on to add a veil of intimacy.  Fruit juices come in martini glasses to quench your thirst.

Address: No. 65, Lane 161, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Road, Daan District Closest MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua Tel: [phone]

[taipeicafes]

Peg Coffee

A must go for coffee enthusiasts and fans of 海贼王 / One Piece, the pirate manga.

They are so enthusiastic about coffee quality that they stock business cards of other cafés in Taipei with excellent brews.  The coffee menu is longer than the wine menu of a typical French restaurant, with prices starting at NTD$120 a cup.

Juxtaposed alongside this elegant focus on coffee is a quirky obsession with the pirate manga One Piece.  The café is packed full of action figures and posters.

Danny, their new baker, just came back from 2 years in Haiti doing international development work (yes, he speaks Creole), and bakes cakes that, like Peg's coffee, don't need to be (and shouldn't be!) masked behind spoonfuls of sugar.

Address: No. 309, Jiāxìng St, Xinyi District Closest MRT Stop: Liuzhangli E-mail: [email protected] Hours: 2:00PM - 8:00PM from Mondays through Saturdays; 2:00PM - 6:00PM on Sundays

[taipeicafes]

Cavaralli / 卡瓦利義式咖啡館

On the busy Yongkang Street near the first Din Tai Fung, Cavaralli has been a popular spot for business(wo)men and cool moms to meet up.  Open for 11 years now (since before the café boom in Taipei), Cavaralli is no longer as unique a spot as it once was, but continues to offer better coffee than most cafés in Taiwan.

There's a certain familiarity found here that makes me think of it as a glorified day-time diner.

Address: No. 5, Lane 2, Yǒngkāng St, Daan District Closest MRT Stop: Dongmen Tel: [phone]

[taipeicafes]

Somebody Café

A quaint and quirky café that overlooks the busy Ximen area.  The kind of place that puts flower petals in iced green tea (NTD$120).  It costs NTD$30 to charge your electronics.    

Address: 2nd Floor, No. 131, Xiníng South Road, Wanhua District Closest MRT Stop: Ximen Tel: [phone] Hours: 1:00PM to 10:00PM

[taipeicafes]

Orange看電車咖啡館

Worth going to for the roof patio, a peaceful open space hovering above  the Shilin Night Market, the busiest night market in the city.  Orange offers a relatively extensive menu of drinks and deserts (including mango lassis for NTD$150).  Though I would personally recommend eating at the nearby Shilin Night Market for less-expensive local foods, Orange also cooks up spaghetti, lasagna, fried chicken, and casseroles.

Address: No. 302, Wénlín Road, Shilin District Tel: [phone]

[taipeicafes]

QAFÉ Room

R&B starts to play when they open at 11AM.  Qafé Room is situated right at the heart of the financial district & is connected to the lobby of Home Hotel.  Outdoor seating is good for people watching.

Address:1F, No. 90, Songren Rd. Tel: [phone]

[taipeicafes]

多麼 Café Big windows & high ceilings. My friend Lillian describes this café as a "rustic Muji."  They are open until 1AM, so come for a latte and stay for a cocktail. Address: No. 16, Ln. 217, Sec. 2, Anhe Rd., Da'An District Tel: [phone]

[allisterchang]

An updated Google Map of all my recommended cafés in Taipei