Where can I find the best coffee or cafe in Taipei? Somewhere I can sit down and enjoy the quiet and a nice cup of Joe? Everywhere is crowded and Starbucks are always packed with people…
Mr. Brown’s Coffee Shop in Taipei Main Station underground mall Sunday morning before noon is my favorite. I’ve tried the 18 hr Coffee and Tea house ($$$) across the street from the Eslite Book store at Anhe and DunHua S. Rd. All the other places are always packed and noisy.
There’s a couple in Yong He near the Yong-An Market MRT station that’s not too bad. Joan Miro’s coffee shop across the Jung He No. 4 park and Sacher’s Coffee House are pretty decent (can be hit or miss). There are like more than half a dozen coffee shops in this area though and I haven’t tried them all yet.
Starbucks in denial. See some other thread somewhere, too, and how Starbucks allegedly ups its caffeine intake.
Yes, I heard of it…I wonder why they would do that here in taiwan. I heard nothing happened in US when I was there a few years ago. No wonder the business of Starbucks have been always good…keep people going back to their cafes…:-p
anyone of the little shops where they vacuum-brew your cup fresh!
Helens Coffee up on Wu Zhr Shan of a Saturday morning… best view and easily the best coffee.
isn’t Helen’s coffee everywhere? at the tourist spots?
If you live in Dongqu how about www.kaldi-coffee.com.tw.
Hmm…not sure if the website works, here you go:
Wuxing jie 220 xiang, 19 hao, 1F
Yes, but I didnt say Helens coffee. I said Helens coffee on WuZhr Shan on a Saturday morning.
It is my duty to mention:
Nook Cafe Theatre
No. 12, Section 3, Chengde Road,
Datong District, Taibei 103
(Over the bridge from Minquan W. Rd. MRT on the Danshui Line)
Open: 11 am to 11 pm (9.30 pm on Sat and Sun)
Been to Nook Cafe Theatre? Like it? Hate it? Click here to vote!
There is a nice place on Yongkang Street, one block away from [url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/alleycats-food-service/7837/1 It is in a basement. The ground floor shop sells mango ice, next to which there are steps going down. As well as coffee and teas, the basement place sells second-hand books and CDs. They can also order you various iced things from the ground floor.
Some of those mentioned might be good enough cafes, but actual good coffee? I must have been to about 50 cafes in Taipei, but I’ve only ever found one that had really good coffee. And that went shite after it changed ownership a year or so ago (Paradiso, Wenzhou Jie btw).
Brian
I’ve always liked Lavazza. There’s a good one on the southwest corner of Zhongxiao/Dunhua, on the second floor. They do good desserts as well.
there is loads of good coffee in taipei…
as for lavazza - i agree - but it is pretty pricey
I suspect we have differing standards, or tastes at least, when it comes to coffee then. There’s plenty of reasonable, passable coffee, but no really good stuff. If you disagree please name some places. I’ll try this Lavazza.
Brian
you might try the coffee shops on the street in hsimending where tower records used to be, Brian. freshly roasted beans, freshly brewed, plenty of local color.
I suspect we have differing standards, or tastes at least, when it comes to coffee then. There’s plenty of reasonable, passable coffee, but no really good stuff. If you disagree please name some places. I’ll try this Lavazza.
Brian[/quote]
Perhaps you are a ‘superior’ taster as you so humbly pride yourself but I am considered quite the coffee nazi by those who know me. (I am a traine dbarista) I currently live in Australia and am blessed with cheap great coffee on a daily basis. And YES there is good coffee to be had in Taiwan. Lavazza is good, Helens is good, Hao Yang is good (if not a little hit and miss)… I dont have the time to list them all for you, you’ve been in Taiwan long enough. I found all mine by exploring, referral etc. A lot of foreigners also wear their little facist coffee snob hats quite proudly and refuse to try mobile vans (the little split screen Kombi company do a good coffee).
If you arent happy with the coffee then buy your own machine, I did… was a wonderful investment.
… I havent been back to Taiwan for nearly 2 years mind you, I am sure things have changed.
The machine or the beans? For a long time, I tried a lot of places and the coffee I tried here was uniformly awful and barely drinkable. Then someone explained to me that Taiwanese folks don’t drink coffee like we do in the States (which is like bottled water). I’ve had to adjust my coffee drinking taste and mixture and now find that I can actually get good drinkable coffee. But I have to work pretty hard for it and be selective.
Teas on the other hand are just a joy to drink here.
Hey AWOL, you’ve got me wrong if you think I’m a ‘coffee nazi’. I didn’t mean to imply that. I just like a good latte (and a purist wouldn’t dilute their coffee with milk, would they?) and I’ve only ever found one place in Taipei with good lattes, and now it’s gone.
Thanks for the names, but locations would obviously be a better help. There may be a cafe in Taipei with great coffee, but there must be 1000 or so cafes (maybe several thousand?) and there’s no way I’m going to be able to try them all.
As for buying your own beans and a good machine, well for me ‘coffee’ is about going out an dchatting with friends. I’m not an addict. I don’t even drink coffee every day, and even when I did, back in NZ, it was always out in cafes, with friends.
You’re lucky to be in Oz. When I was there I found it easy to find excellent coffee. My hometown of Wellington is the same. Living in London 6 years ago, on the other hand, was not so good.
Brian
Erm, sure coffee purists can enjoy milk/cream with their coffee :serenade:
As an example of the varied ways of drinking coffee, you go to NYC and order “regular coffee”, you’ll get coffee, milk and sugar. It’s the “NYC Standard” beverage.
Personally, cafe au lait is the preferred method of drinking coffee. But I’ve had to adjust for Taiwan’s milk taste, stronger than what I’m used to. 
Boy did you hit the nail on the head 