Eating your way through Taiwan

Restaurant serving traditional breakfasts of soy milk & doughnuts amid easygoing surroundings.

Bustling museum featuring one of the largest collections of Chinese art & artifacts in the world.

Popular, mixed-gender complex of 1,000 sq. m. of hot & cold outdoor hot-spring pools.

This neighbourhood dive bar is tucked away, but once you find your way through the door it's all about the good times. From its walls plastered in Polaroids and regular DJ slots to its penchant for blue drinks and commitment to shots, this is not a place that takes itself seriously. Drinks come with the odd kitschy flourish and the occasional obscenity-laced name, or you can always go for a boilermaker at the end of a long, hard day.

Acclaimed gastropub showcasing high-concept fare & craft cocktails in fashionable surrounds.

Aki Wang is at the forefront of Taipei’s flourishing cocktail scene and renowned for the liqueurs that he creates using hand-picked native teas. Located in a refined residential area in central Taipei – look for the herb garden outside as a marker – Indulge Experimental Bistro is a World’s 50 Best Bars regular and a mainstay in the top five of Asia’s 50 Best, to boot. Signature pours mixed behind the opulent, purple-lit bar include the ‘Ruby Black’, comprised of black tea liqueur, 12-year-old single malt whisky and raspberry, rose and citrus reduction. The modern European food menu showcases Taiwanese ingredients in balanced, artfully spiced dishes. Service is impeccable.

Perched up high on the 20th floor of the Marriott, Inge’s Bar combines Americana-style barbecue with a five-star ambience. The impressive views draws a glamorous crowd, especially for sunset when the open terrace becomes the number-one choice for locals and tourists alike to watch the end of the day fall over the skyline with a cocktail in hand. Drinks are mostly American classics, in keeping with the food, but are well-executed and balanced while service is friendly and efficient.

Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2018

Not only were the inspectors of the MICHELIN Guide enamoured by the quaint Southern Chinese atmosphere of the restaurant, the Zhejiang cuisine there also captured their hearts. Its steamed dumplings with minced vegetables combine Shanghai baby bok choy with spiced dried tofu, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoot and king trumpet mushroom to achieve a variety of textures in one bite. Other regional specialities like snow cabbage and bai ye tofu, technique-demanding deep-fried salt and pepper bamboo shoot, as well as verdant tofu and vegetable soup can be made with onion and garlic taken out to fit the needs of the diners. Don’t forget to order a plate of steamed rice cake with red bean when you are reserving a table.

There’s no shortage of cafes in the alleys around Dongmen. It seems like every other shop is a coffee shop full of character, a wide range of styles and even wider range of menu items. Most of them are forgettable and many have questionable aesthetics. Elephant Machine does it right. They strip it down to the basics. Just really good coffee and a couple really good desserts. No weird set meals and fancy concoctions. Even their hours are minimal (they are only open 4 days a week, and only for 6 hours a day).

The storefront itself is easy to miss, a sleek gate opening to a little courtyard entrance. Inside, dark wood floors and plain white walls ensure your focus is on coffee. Or at least, the “cold brew coffee” neon sign. And that attitude translates to the care they put into the coffees, which are served with a little card explaining the flavor notes and origins of each roast. Also, the staff is actually lovely.

Anyways, they have great lighting from the windows, and they plate their dessert on slate squares, so what more can you ask for?

Sophisticated Cantonese dishes & tasting menus offered in an acclaimed, luxe restaurant.

Le Palais serves the finest Cantonese dim sum alongside Chinese banquet cuisines in a series of areas, including an opulent main room and six luxurious VIP suites with French-meets-Oriental decor. Choose from an extensive à la carte of dim sum and delicacies such as abalone and edible bird’s nests or go for one of several set menus. The most expensive tasting boasts braised fish maw, abalone with goose foot and bird’s nest soup, but there’s a cheaper option with chicken soup and roast suckling pig. Some menus require advanced booking and the dress code is strictly formal.

19th-century thoroughfare with traditional shops & a bustling market during Lunar New Year.

This mountain features a 1.5-km-long trail to the summit with viewing platforms for photographers.

At 40 m. wide, this well-known cascade waterfall in scenic surrounds is the broadest in Taiwan.

Laid-back bar & grill offering small plates & simple Japanese dishes in an intimate environment.

Authentic Taiwanese cocktails

Tea and coffee shop

This massive complex is home to several eateries, dishing up everything from hot pot and barbecued skewers to melt-in-the-mouth sashimi, huge crabs and more. 

There’s also an incredible deli where you can buy all kinds of imported goods, tasty snacks, fresh seafood and Kobe beef. 

AAD gets quite lively at night, so don’t come too late. If the restaurants are packed, grab a few snacks at the deli instead. There are many seating areas scattered around the market where you can sit back and enjoy your food. Also, don’t miss the sangria! It’s the best you’ll find in the city! 

This dark and small Japanese-style bar, hidden in an old office building, epitomises reserved and calm service. Black walls and no background music ensure the drinks own the spotlight, serenaded only by the sound of ice crashing in the shaker and the mechanical hum from the freezer. In true Japanese style, drinks are created for guests depending on their tastes and mood, drawing inspiration from the classical canon of cocktails. This tiny speakeasy is perfect for solo drinkers or those who come to worship at the altar of Japanese bartending.

This well-known temple originally built in the 1700s honors both Buddhist & Taoist deities.

Huge destination for books with a range in the English language & designated reading areas.

This is the perfect place for bookworms and insomniacs, where you can stay and read for as long as you want without having to purchase anything.

One star, MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2018

The vegetarian dishes and dim sum at Ya Ge are often considered a great hidden menu for those in the know, with the line-up modified every three months to keep it fresh and seasonal. In the latest menu, there are afternoon dim sum options such as steamed matsutake mushroom and wild fungus dumpling, steamed rice roll with assorted vegetables and fungi, as well as pan-fried porcini buns. The eclectic a la carte dishes range from cordyceps flowers, tofu sheets, tribute vegetable; steamed eggplant with pickled blassica pith; as well as tofu and wild mushroom casserole with black truffle sauce. Also available is a seven-course vegetarian menu.

Urban hotel offering contemporary rooms & suites, plus free breakfast, a cocktail bar & a gym.

Refined rooms & suites in an elegant hotel with a gym, a pool & 4 restaurants, plus free Wi-Fi.

Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2018

Serenity is Taiwan’s only vegetarian Sichuan restaurant. It ticks onion and garlic off its list of ingredients. The owner has been following a vegan diet after converting to Buddhism, but his preference for strong flavours inspired him to cook vegetarian dishes as if they contained meat, and that became the direction of his venture since Serenity opened 12 years ago. Basil “pork uterus”, the restaurant’s signature dish, actually employs king trumpet mushroom as a substitute. A rarely seen and skill-driven creation, it has the fungus velveted in water before shredded and rolled by hand to resemble its meat counterpart. The mushroom is then marinated in master stock, deep-fried and stir-fried upon order. The vegetarian Gong Bao chicken hardly looks or tastes any different than the original. The classic napa cabbage salad with tofu receives a luxurious update with black truffle.

Upscale eatery offering classic vegetarian dishes & dim sum in a refined dining room.

Traditional night market with a large array of vendors selling street food, clothes & jewelry.

References to this seaside village date back to 1430 when it was a center for gold mining.

Trendy rooms & suites in a modern property with 2 restaurants, 2 bars & an outdoor pool.