Since no one has mentioned it yet…
There is a cool Bar called I BAR. It’s in Taoyuan. It’s on Chenr street right by Carrefour. Its on the same side of the street. There is no sign yet, but look closely and you will see small flags (different countries)hanging there.
The drinks are NT100 (Heineken, a mixed drinks is what I had)
The place is part foreign owned (Duane) and the vibe is comfy.
As the lack of comment on this thread may suggest, I bar has shut the doors … not really ever a lot of people inside, outside the first three weeks. So … rodeo’s and … AND … there must be somewhere else (and don’t say chung li) 
Taoyuan is a dump. Nothing to do. Yes that bar did shut down and it wasn’t cool at all. Why do all the bars around here have to have live music? I’m tired of Bon Jovi.
Chunlg Li is at least 14 times better than Taoyuan for things to do. Looking forward to seeing Milk next weekend!
Let’s open a nice bar in Taoyuan.Can’t be that difficult and it’s better than teaching.
Give me a shout when you are opening the place. We’ll be there!
If there’s no party spots in Taoyuan I suppose LinKou is out of the question…? Know of any places in Taipei County - Hsinchuang, WuKu, Tai Shan, Sanchung, etc??? I suppose it’s worth the extra travel time to Taipei City…
HAHAHAHHAHA
Worked there for over a year. There aren’t even decent places to eat much less drink.
So Zhongli is still the place to go…
Not too many good bars there, but I have found a pretty decent late night watering hole… The owner, Elaine, is very friendly, and it’s a small cosy place with a pretty great music selection.
The name is Joker Bar, and it’s right behind Zhongli Sogo - the one near venice cinemas. The address is 278-8 Xinsheng Rd.
Even better, their mid-automn festival barbecue was for free - as long as you bought beer there. (No the beverage price was not jacked up - actually they had some special offers on the beer).
They plan the next barbecue to take place mid november, and will charge NT$100 for all you can eat barbecue.
Will post a time for the barbie, when I know it.
now if you can just find a way to transport me back to taoyuan after the bbq and a skinfull … beam me home.
does anyone still go to good morning vietnam? we used to celebrate canada days there years back - all standing on chairs decked in red and white … everyone saying we were three days too early for the fourth :s the barlady was great, though.
last time through there were so many bars open as we cruised thru the streets, it was strange to behold. most foreigners used to go to gmv, river, or momodogs (back in the days of mosquito and his 4000 cds). seems like there’s lotsa choices now.
[quote=“xtrain_01”]now if you can just find a way to transport me back to Taoyuan after the bbq and a skinfull … beam me home.
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The bar stays open to 8 AM, the trains should run by then…
Also, river is still very popular here, but it can be a bit iffy at times, the olny time I have been about to get into a fight was there… with another foreigner at that…
Lately, we have been raising the roof at a place called City Music in Nankan. It’s cheaper than 95 and the staff there are really nice. They also have drink specials, at times we can get beers at 100 each.
I hear that a lot of Gloria people hang out at Rodeos in Taoyuan, never been myself. The Rodeos here in Nankan really bites, live Taiwanese Bon Jovi all night long…
Directions, please…
I sat with a date in an empty 95 last friday… Great fun…
rodeos in taoyuan? big line of german bums up and down the bar, with the odd mobster thrown in - but dugald does have his niche … his old place was full of teachers, but no one could seem to find a chair without a german butt in it in the new one, so many stopped. dunno about the newer teachers though. since getting married, life has gotten strangely quiet. didn’t even know there was another one in nankan.
but this weekend is good for a piss-up, with the holidays and all. where is this nankan joint? one of the newer ones near the EVA buildings? thanks in advance.
In Zhongli the River still seems the best spot for me…
Decent music, pool table, and the occasional art show on the second floor. Staff are friendly and don’t mind me drinking water after a few stiff rum and cokes. Kim, who runs the place, will often pull out a bottle of Tequila and run about the place giving away free shots.
The action there tends to run really late, and Saturday nights will be more crowded at 3am then 12am.
One thing I really like about River is that the Gangster element seems strangely absent…
Great stories from River… Once when Dave (owner) got drunk, he interrupted a pool game by collapsing over the table…
Also… the only time i ahve been close to a bar fight in Taiwan was there… And I did nothing. Not really a staff problem, more like the bar is packed with angry young Canadian men not having anywhere else to go.
I find the place a bit sad in a way… Like ti sometimes, but well… prefer hangouts, where the mood is less violent (at times).
Will be camping this weekend at Tungshiao. So let’s postpone the City Music party.
Yes, it is just down the street towards Tai Mall from Evergreen. But it’s not a party unless we are there!
I won’t comment on the River… (brrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh)
What side of the street is it at? Across from 95 or?
Mods, can we have this thread renamed?
The pub mentioned in the title no longer exists, and for those of us living in Taoyuan, it would be nice to have some options for evening entertainment without having to make the long journey to Taipei.
Maybe something like “Taoyuan County pubs”?
kim from river has been a good friend for some 5-6 years. while admitting it is no “bar heaven” (where is that?) just wondering what kinds of things irk you about her place. maybe i can pass some suggestions on to her, next trip thru town. she does care about her customers and friends, and would probably be interested to know.
all said, haven’t been there but once or twice in the last year - no time/desire to booze until dawn on a regular basis before sunday soccer.
My favorite bar in Chungli was (and is) Soundgarden. The place is owned by a really nice guy by the name of Mark who has the best alternative/indie and classic rock music selection I’ve ever seen in Taiwan. In the old days (mid-90’s), Soundgarden was located on the main road from Chungli to Taoyuan and was popular among the Chungli teacher crowd. It has since moved to a small side street off of the main road to Taoyuan. I was there a couple of times last year when I was visiting friends in Chungli, but, unfortunately, cannot remember the street address. Maybe one of the Chungli oldtimers knows where it is and can help out. I haven’t lived in Chungli since '96 and the place has changed a lot since then so I can’t give any directions. If you want a night of listening to some new and old music and other stuff you’ve never heard of, I suggest asking around town to find the place. I think Mark has done some dj work at The River in the past so they may be able to help locate his bar.