The busy Yongkang Street is a one-stop destination for all travellers visiting Taipei. You can easily spend half or day—or even more—exploring the bustling street and its adjoining alleyways. Oh and don’t worry if you are travelling in a group with differing palates; Yongkang Street’s vast variety of dining options will definitely cater to the group’s varying preferences.

There are seriously ample options to choose from – think roadside vendors, Melbourne-inspired speciality coffee cafes, dim sum restaurants, French patisseries and more. From the original Din Tai Fung to CNN-recommended dessert store Smoothie House, here is our Guide To Taipei’s Yongkang Street and the cafes, restaurants & shops to visit.

BISCUIT & RABBIT CAFE

Biscuit & Rabbit Cafe is a cutesy independent Taiwanese 2-in-1 concept that hails from Kaohsiung. You can look forward to freshly baked cookies and a collection of handmade accessories.

No. 63, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 23584670
Tue to Sat: 10am – 7pm

BOÎTE DE BIJOU

Patisserie Boîte de Bijou serves delectable classic French desserts such as Citron Tarts, Madeleines and Mont Blanc. But you too can expect Asian-inspired sweet treats i.e. Yuzu Mousse.

No. 10, Lane 209, Section 2, Anhe Rd
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2739 6777
Daily: 10am – 8pm

BU ER TANG

Bu Er Tang serves every tea thinkable in its store. Totally clueless on this subject? Simply approach the staff and they will recommend you flavours based on your preference—and you can even taste them for free!

No. 10-5, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2395 9616
Daily: 11am – 9.30pm

CAFE XIAOMIJO

Cafe Xiaomijo is an artistic cafe tucked away in the same alleyway as For Good Cafe. The cosy and homely interiors make it a good pitstop for you to recharge with some cafe nosh and a cuppa.

No 5 Lane 41 Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +866 2 2395 7617
Closed on Mondays
Tue to Fri: 1pm – 10pm
Sat and Sun: 12pm – 10pm

DIN TAI FUNG

Singaporeans are no stranger to Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung. After all, we have many outlets in our sunny island itself. However, if you want to trace back to Din Tai Fung’s humble beginnings, then you will have to drop by their flagship store located along Xinyi Road, right at the start of Yongkang Street.

No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +866 2 2321 8928
Mon to Fri: 10am – 9pm
Sat and Sun: 9am – 9pm

DUKE RABBIT CAFE

Duke Rabbit Cafe showcases a splendid selection of freshly baked homemade pastries and they are all affordably priced between the range of NT$75 to NT$130. How about some tiramisu and French strawberry tarts for you?

No. 6, Lane 37, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2396 8110
Daily: 11am – 10pm

EATING TIME

Every hour is eating time at Eating Time. The stylish restaurant’s comprehensive menu features a list of wholesome mains such as burgers (NT$230 – NT$280), grilled steaks and ribs (NT$800 – NT$1,000).

No. 18 Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2351 3663
Daily: 8am – 11pm

ECOLE CAFE

Escape the suffocating crowds of Yongkang Street and venture into Qingtian Street, where you will chance upon Ecole Cafe. The quiet cafe is aptly named after the French word for ‘school’—due to its proximity to Shida University.

No. 6, Lane 1, Qingtian Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2322 2725
Sun to Thu: 9am – 9pm
Fri and Sat: 9am – 10pm

ELEPHANT MACHINE COFFEE

Opened in April 2016, Elephant Machine Coffee is a new kid on the block. The cafe takes pride in serving coffee but has a rule whereby every dine-in patron has to purchase at least one beverage. From matcha shots, cold brew coffee to siphon coffee, this is ideal for coffee lovers.

No. 5, Lane 37, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2397 1680
Closed on Tuesdays
Mon, Tue to Sun: 9.30am – 6.30pm

FOR GOOD CAFE

For Good Cafe is always packed with customers. Their savoury food menu is unfortunately limited, therefore we suggest you grab a bite somewhere else first before heading here for their coffee, craft beers and desserts.

No. 12, Lane 41, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 3393 8659
Closed on Tuesdays
Mon, Tue to Sun: 12pm – 10pm

HAO GONG DAO

Hao Gong Dao has been around for decades and we love how a lot of stuff is going on at the shopfront i.e. stacks of bamboo steam baskets are piled atop each other, chefs are kneading dough at the open-kitchen and freshly cooked dim sums are displayed at the counter.

28-1, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2341 6980
Closed on Wednesdays
Thu to Tue: 9am – 9pm

KAO CHI

Shanghainese restaurant Kao Chi makes a great alternative to Din Tai Fung and you should try their xiao long baos and other Chinese delicacies. Thanks to media publicity, Kao Chi is now frequented by throngs of tourists—but take a closer look and you will notice that it remains a favourite amongst Taiwanese natives.

No. 5 Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2341 9984
Daily: 10am – 10pm

LA DOUCEUR PATISSERIE

Macaron lovers will have to make a special trip to La Douceur Patisserie, because this is where you can find Taipei’s best macarons. Macarons aside, you can also try their other decadent creations such as Matcha Cake, Cherry Mousse and 72% Dark Chocolate Tart.

No. 223, Jinhua Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 116
Tel: +886 2 3322 2833
Sun to Thu: 1pm – 9pm
Fri and Sat: 1pm – 10pm

L’AIR CAFE NEO BISTRO

Are you a fan of French cuisine or know someone that is? Then you certainly have to check out L’Air Cafe Neo Bistro. We suggest you go for their set lunch (NT$2,200) as it allows you to savour the restaurant’s signature dishes at a very reasonable price.

No. 5, Lane 164, Jinhua Sreet
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 3343 3937
Closed on Wednesdays
Thu to Tue: 11.30am – 10pm

LU SANG

On the hunt for authentic Taiwanese dishes? Then look no further. Lu Sang’s affordable and well-curated menu boasts delicacies originating from Yilan (a region located along the east coast of Taiwan) and is arguably one of the best local restaurants at Yongkang Street.

No. 12-5, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2351 3323
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm

OMA URSEL’S GERMAN BAKERY

Oma Ursel’s German Bakery’s facade resembles a European cottage. Set food inside and you will realise you are not too far from it. The bakery is lined with shelves of freshly baked bread and pastries, but you too can opt for dine-in and indulge in German classics such as Bratwurst Sausages.

No. 8, Lane 10, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2392 2447
Daily: 11.30am – 10.30pm

PETIT POT

Experience a little slice of Paris at Yongkang Street’s Petit Pot. Sink your teeth into zesty Lemon Tarts (NT$50), Hokkaido Strawberry Shortcake (NT$150) and whatnot. Everything here is so beautiful – good luck resisting all these temptations!

No. 8, Lane 12, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 27013901
Daily: 11.30am – 8.30pm

ROSE HOUSE

The Victoria-themed restaurant Rose House can be easily spotted afar with its dark-blue curtains and window frames. Catch up with your girlfriends over a Little Prince Afternoon Tea Set (NT$399) which comprises cheesecake, bacon burger, creme brûlée, rose lychee jelly, rose macaron, roll cake, scone, quiche and petite sandwiches.

No. 1, Lane 3, Li Shui Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2394 8202
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri and Sat: 11am – 11pm

SLACK SEASON

Slack Season—otherwise known as Tu Hsiao Yueh—actually originates from Tainan. You can now savour the famous dan dan noodles without having to travel down south. Why not?

No. 9-1, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 3393 1325
Daily: 11.30am – 11pm

SMOOTHIE HOUSE

One of Taiwan’s most popular and bestselling shaved ice stores, Smoothie House is renowned for their mango snowflake ice.

No. 15, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2341 8555
Daily: 10am – 11pm

SUN MERRY

Sun Merry is located directly beside Dong Men MRT Station so it is almost impossible to miss it. The local bakery sells an assortment of breads, cakes and other pastries. You can also purchase boxes of Feng Li Shu home as souvenirs.

No. 186, Section 2, Xinyi Road
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2392 0224
Daily: 7.30am – 10pm

THE GREEN STEPS

Surprise, surprise! The Green Steps is a tranquil cafe – situated away from the main streets of Yongkang – characterised by its surrounding lush greenery. Coffee served at this underrated cafe is however slightly expensive and you can expect to pay NT$180 for a cappuccino.

No. 27, Lane 243, Jinhua Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2392 3719
Daily: 11am – 11pm

TIAN JING CONG ZHUA BING

We spotted the crowd surrounding roadside vendor Tian Jing Cong Zhua Bing from far away. From what we know, the street hawkers have been busy flipping scallion pancakes for many years – yep, they have been around before Yongkang Street got gentrified by third-wave cafes.

No.1, Alley 6, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2322 2765

YONGKANG BEEF NOODLES

Yongkang Beef Noodles is an institution in Taipei – and you can find endless write-ups about in many printed and online travel guides. There is a wide selection of noodles and soup to choose from, but of course you have to try their famous beef noodles (NT$180)!

No. 17, Lane 31, Section 2, Jinshan S Road
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2351 1051
Daily: 11am – 3.30pm, 4.30pm – 9pm

YI PIN

Yi Pin is a speciality bubba tea store and we fell head over heels for their fragrant concoctions. Stick to milk tea beverages such as Roast Oolong Milk Tea (NT$55) or try their special drinks such as Guava Oolong Tea (NT$65) and Lemon Winter Melon with Bail Seed (NT$55).

No. 150, Jinhua Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2358 3825
Daily: 11am – 10pm

ZANG TIAN KA FEI DOU

There are no English signboard or whatsoever here and it turns out that Zang Tian Ka Fei Dou sells coffee beans. Budding and experienced baristas who would love to make their own coffees should definitely pay a visit.

No. 91, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2392 7770
Daily: 2pm – 9pm

ZENIQUE

Spoil yourselves silly with Zenique’s unique tea-based desserts such as Jardin des Fraises, Kyoto Matcha, Rose Versailles and Tarte Aux Fraises. Prices range from NT$160 to NT$180 per slice. Zenique also sells nine different flavours of macarons (NT$60 each).

No. 8, Lane 4, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2395 1558
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri and Sat: 11am – 10.30pm

ZQG TEA & ICE

You might easily walk past ZQG Tea & Ice without noticing it. The near all-white interiors are brightened up by colourful tins of tea. Walk further in and be greeted by a gelato counter that contains freshly churned tea-based ice cream. Give their UJI Matcha and Oolong Tea ice cream a shot!

No. 30, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2356 9090
Closed on Mondays
Tue to Thu: 1pm – 9pm
Sat: 12pm – 9pm
Sun: 12pm – 8pm

8% ICE CREAM SHOP

As its name suggests, 8% Ice Cream Shop sells smooth gelato, creamy soft serve and icy popsicles; hence a must-visit especially during summertime. Attention-grabbing flavours include pumpkin sesame and pink grapefruit earl grey.

No. 6, Lane 13, Yongkang Street
Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Tel: +886 2 2395 6583
Daily: 12pm – 10pm

Read: 25 Reasons To Love Taipei

Choose Me Cafe & Meals—located just a stone’s throw away from Zhongshan Junior High School MRT Station—is an independent speciality dessert cafe in Taipei.

The local cafe’s existence remains largely unknown amongst the expat and foreigner community, but Taiwanese girls are known to flock here just to take selfies with the cartoon-themed cakes.

The cakes here are baked in-house daily and no artificial ingredients are used to create these gourmet masterpieces. While Choose Me Cafe & Meals’ menu features several savoury dishes, it is the desserts that we came for.

We fell head over heels for their irresistibly cute Totoro Sesame Cheesecake (NT$160) and their zesty Lemon Tart (NT$120). Highly recommended!

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The Totoro Sesame Cheesecake (NT$160) looked so adorable we almost couldn’t bear to eat it. The sesame cheesecake is baked freshly with Australian cream cheese; white chocolate is used for the chinchilla’s eyes and a thin layer of whipped cream is used for Totoro’s white belly.

There are also Disney-themed cheesecakes available such as Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc and Chip the chipmunk; the former is a matcha red bean cheesecake whereas the latter is a peanut cheesecake.

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We love how Choose Me Cafe & Meals has successfully incorporated Asian ingredients into its cheesecakes. Fortunately, these sweet treats taste as good they look!

Instagram-worthy cheesecakes aside, the cafe is also known for their signature Lemon Tart (NT$120). Each citrus tart is topped with torched fluffy meringue and filled with smooth lemon curd. Its sweet crumbly pâte sucrée does a great job in offsetting the strong burst of tartness. We certainly wouldn’t mind another portion, please.

Choose Me Cafe & Meals
No. 423-1, Jinzhou Street
Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 104
Tel: +886 2 2503 3386
Daily: 9am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Zhongshan Junior High School

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves travelling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all-time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

Quiet afternoons are meant for scones and tea. It is such an elegant combination and we can do with a good set anytime.

You need not be English to love scones and tea; you only need to find Smith & Hsu, and all is well. How this Taiwanese brand captured our hearts and made us fall head over heels in love with them is simple. And they cast the same spell on whoever steps in too. You’d never want to leave, simply because Smith & Hsu is indeed the best place for scones and tea in Taipei.

Homely. Cosy. Peaceful.

These are but a few reasons why you have to stop by Smith & Hsu when in Taipei. The interior is every bit inviting, almost like a living room. It is nothing like a Victorian tea room – no long curtains, no plush seats, no roses.

Instead, it is a simple and well-lit space with low-hanging lamps, many shelves of books that are free for reading, and simple wooden tables with white chairs. Unpretentious and comfy; that’s just where we prefer to spend our afternoons at.

And of course, when at Smith & Hsu, thou shalt not leave without trying their signature scones. Buttery and warm and lightly glazed on the crust, the scones are served with clotted cream and a spread of your choice. Pick from their homemade jams and marmalades, honey and lemon curd; our favourites are the strawberry jam and lemon curd.

Eat your scones with the strawberry jam and you’d get a sweet delight, or you can always go for honey too. Eat your scones with the lemon curd if you are a fan of tangy flavours; the curd is always tart at the perfect degree such that it does not musk the fragrance of the buttery scones.

Picking your tea is always the most fun part of the Smith & Hsu experience. We always look forward to when the server brings us the whole tray of samples, and we would spend what seemed like a decade smelling every jar; deciding on just one tea is of course as tough as rocket science. But whatever you have a taste for – green or black teas, fruity or floral – the range of teas will have something to please you.

Smith & Hsu is definitely a place that we’d visit every time we are in Taipei, and if it is not your list yet, you don’t know what you are missing out on!

Smith & Hsu
No. 8, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road
Tel: +886 2 8786 2877
Sun to Thu: 11am – 9.30pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Taipei City Hall

No. 21, Section 1, Nanjing East Road
Tel: +886 2 2562 5565
Daily: 10am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Zhongshan

Yong Kang Street is a dining destination in Taipei. Whether its cheap and delicious Taiwanese snacks like ‘cong zhua bing’, shaved ice mountain or beef noodles; nice and chic cafes where you can get a cup of good coffee and desserts; or niche boutiques selling lifestyle products – there are plenty of options at Yong Kang Street. You can easily spend a day wandering in the alleys.

Here is our guide to Taipei’s Yong Kang Street, featuring the niche boutiques, trendy cafes and local eateries.

Tip: Getting to Yong Kang street is easier with the opening of Dongmen Station. To go there by train, take the blue line to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station and change to the yellow line to Dongmen Station. Otherwise, take a cab and tell the driver to go to Yong Kang Street, and drop at Din Tai Fung.

1. Boite de Bijou

A French patisserie that serves desserts like Mont Blanc, chocolate banana mousse, yuzu mousse, blueberry tart, citron tart (NT$120-150). Their financiers and madeleines (NT$450/box) come in nice packaging, and make excellent gifts for friends.

Boite de Bijou is listed in our guide to Taipei’s best desserts.

No 19-1 Lane 33 Lishui Street
Tel: 02 3322 2461
Daily: 10am – 9pm

2. Bunny Listens to the Music

Like the name suggests, this cutesy restaurant has a whimsical vibe to it, and it is the perfect place to go for a date. They are under the same management as Boite de Bijou – a patisserie around the corner – so you can expect to end your meal with good desserts.

No 15 Lane 6 Qingtian Street

3. Cafe Xiaomijo

With places like Cafe Xiaomijo in the area where you can grab a bite and have a cup of coffee, it is easy to understand why Yongkang Street is so popular. The artsy cafe is tucked in the same alley as For Good Cafe (formerly Flat White Cafe), and the dim-lighting makes it a cosy and homely space to take a break.

No 5 Lane 41 Yongkang Street
Tel: 02 2395 7617
Tue to Sun: 11am – 11pm

4. Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung’s Xinyi flagship store is also at Yong Kang Street. If you are in the mood for xiaolongbao, or if you are a big fan of the brand, you have to make a trip to their original outlet.

No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road
Tel: 02 2321 8928
Mon to Fri: 10am – 9pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 9pm

5. Duke Rabbit Cafe

Another cutesy spot in Yong Kang Street where you can go for afternoon tea is Duke Rabbit Cafe. They serve desserts such as tiramisu and French strawberry tart – prices range from NT$75 to NT$130.

No 6 Lane 37 Yongkang Street

6. Ecole

Also on Qingtian Street is Ecole, a quiet and chill-out cafe where you can escape from the crowd at Yong Kang Street. Named after the French word for “school”, the cafe is located near to Shida University, so it is not uncommon to see students studying in the cafe.

No 6 Lane 1 Qingtian Street
Tel: 02 2322 2725
Mon to Fri: 8am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 11pm

7. Eating Time

A stylish restaurant which has a big menu serving breakfast (NT$220-420), burgers (NT$230-280), grilled steaks and ribs (NT$800-1000). We loved the decor of the place and could have easily sat there for the whole day.

No 18 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2351 3663
Daily: 8am – 11pm

8. For Good Cafe

Taking over the premise of the now-defunct Flat White Cafe, For Good Cafe is perpetually full and it remains one of the most popular spots in Yong Kang Street. They have a rather limited food menu, so have your meal at other places before coming here for coffee and desserts.

No 12 Lane 41 Yongkang Street
Tel: 02 3393 8659
Daily (except Tue): 12pm – 10pm

9. Kao Chi

An alternative to Din Tai Fung is Kao Chi, which is equally famous for their steamed pork dumplings and Shanghainese dishes. This is a spot long ago flooded by tourists – because of media publicity – but still good enough to attract locals.

No 5 Yongkang Street
Tel: 02 2341 9984

10. La Douceur Patisserie

With more than a dozen desserts (NT$160-170) – such as Vanilla Mousse with chocolate cake and marshmellow, Mont Blanc, Matcha Cake, Cherry Mousse, 72% Dark Chocolate Tart – available on the menu, La Douceur will satisfy every sweet tooth. They also have, hands down, one of the best macarons (a box of 7 for NT$530, or 9 for NT$1520) in Taipei. Choose from flavours like strawberry, passionfruit, caramel mandarin, lavender and caramel.

La Douceur Patisserie is listed in our guide to Taipei’s best desserts.

No. 223 Jinhua Street
Tel: 02 3322 2833

11. L’Air Cafe Neo Bistro

The head chef of L’Air Cafe Neo Bistro has worked for famous establishments like L’Atelier Joel Robuchon and Justin’s Signatures, so naturally you can expect well-executed French fare. The set lunch (NT$2200) is excellent value, and it allows customers to sample some of the chef’s signature dishes. For something light, come here from 2pm to 5pm for their much-lauded crepes.

No 5 Lane 164 Jinhua Street
Tel: 02 3343 3937
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm, 5.30pm – 9pm

12. Les Bebes Cupcakery

One of the better cupcake bakeries in Taipei, Les Bebes Cupcakery serves simple and good-quality bakes. The cupcakes come in two sizes – regular and mini – and they are the perfect gifts to buy for friends, or treats for yourself.

No 149-4 Chaozhou Street
Tel: 02 2358 2226
Daily: 11am – 8pm

13. LV Sang

Visitors to Taipei who are looking for authentic Taiwanese food should go to LV Sang. The menu is dedicated to Yilan (a region located along the East coast of Taiwan) food, and you will definitely be happy with its variety of affordable and delicious dishes.

No 12-5 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2351 3323
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm

14. Morita Cafe

Besides dishing out pasta and brunch, Morita Cafe – a princessy and dreamy cafe – also offers afternoon tea (NT$880) in a beautiful 3 tier dessert stand. They recently opened a new bakery on the main Yong Kang street, opposite Eating Time Cafe.

No 7-3 Lane 198 Xinyi Road Section 2
Tel: 02 2358 7665
Daily: 11am – 10pm

15. Rose House

Another place where you can have a peaceful afternoon is Rose House, a Victorian-themed teahouse, on Li Shui Lane. It has a Little Prince Afternoon Tea Set (NT$399) featuringcheese cake, rose lychee jelly, rose macaron, roll cake, scone, creme brulee, quiche, bacon burger and petite sandwich.

No 1 Lane 3 Li Shui Street
Tel: 02 2394 8202
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 11pm

16. Slack Season Noodles (Tu Hsiao Yueh)

Slack Season, or Tu Hsiao Yueh, originated from Tainan. Frankly, while the noodles are tasty, it is rather over-priced for the small portion. Still, this is a great chance to sample their famous dan dan noodles without travelling down south.

No 9-1 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 3393 1325
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm

17. Smoothie House

Smoothie House is a popular fruit covered snowflake shaved ice shop which has two outlets on Yong Kang Street. Besides their original shop at No 9, they have also taken over the premise of their former-competitor Ice Monster (popularly known as Yong Kang 15).

No 9 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2395 8770
Daily: 11am – 11pm

No 15 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2395 8770
Daily: 10.30am – 11pm

18. The Green Steps

On the quieter strip of Jinhua Street, this cafe is small but more than cosy. If you want to stay closer to the sounds of the birds chirping, take the outdoor seats and sip some chamomile while you feel the breeze caress your face. But hide away in the indoor with a mezzanine and enjoy the scent of fresh pastries filling the air.

No 27 Lane 243 Jinhua Street
Tel: 02 2392 3719

19. Yong Kang Beef Noodles

This is an institution in Taipei. You can practically find it in most of the travel guides to Taipei. It offers a huge selection of soup and noodle, but everyone comes here for their famous beef noodles (NT$180).

No 17 Lane 31 Section 2 Jinshan South Road
Tel: 02 2351 1051

20. Zenique

My new favourite dessert spot in Taipei, Zenique is a teahouse and patisserie which serves really good French desserts (NT$160-180/slice) like Kyoto Matcha, Rose Versailles and Tarte Aux Fraises with tea-infused flavours. They also have nine different macarons (NT$60). We absolutely love their rose macarons.

Zenique is listed in our guide to Taipei’s best desserts.

No 8 Lane 4 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2395 1558
Sun to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 10.30pm

21. 8% Ice Cream Shop

A cool ice cream parlour that not only serves good gelato – with flavours like matcha, pumpkin sesame, banana and walnut – but also has a very nice interior.

No 6 Lane 13 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2395 6583
Daily: 12pm – 10pm

For more recommendations, read our guide to Taipei’s best desserts

Regular readers will know that I am a big dessert lover. Whenever I travel to a city, I will make it my mission to track down the best dessert spots to satisfy my sweet tooth.

And it has been proven that I am not the only one. Desserts seem to be an Asian thing, and it is fast becoming a lifestyle to spend an afternoon at a dessert cafe, or to simply take-away some macarons and eat while you shop. Being a frequent visitor to Taipei, I have discovered that this city has many amazing French and Japanese patisseries and cake shops, and during my past few visits, I managed to check out quite a few highly raved dessert places. Here is a list of the best desserts in Taipei.

Boite de Bijou

Boite de Bijou is a lovely patisserie located at the end of Yong Kang Street, nearer to National Taiwan Normal University.

Cakes like Mont Blanc, Chocolate Banana Mousse, Yuzu Mousse, Blueberry Tart and Citron Tart are some of the options here. Their financiers and madeleines (NT$450/box) come in nice packaging, and make excellent gifts for friends and relatives.

No 19-1 Lane 33 Lishui Street
Tel: 02 3322 2461
Daily: 10am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Dongmen

Dazzling Cafe

Dazzling Cafe is one of the most popular cafes in Taipei, and it is where ladies go with their girlfriends for a girls’ night out. They are most well-known for its signature honey toast, and you can find a dozen of flavours such as Mont Blanc, Chocolate Fondue, Strawberry, and Banana Chocolate honey toasts.

No 11, Alley 7, Lane 205, Section 4, Zhongxiào East Road
Tel: 02 8773 9238
Nearest Station: Taipei City Hall

La Douceur Patisserie

There are many patisseries selling macarons, but in my opinion, the best macaron in Taipei award goes to La Douceur Patisserie. Not to worry if you are not a fan of macarons, because you still have every reason to pay them a visit – they also offer desserts like Matcha Cake, Cherry Mousse, 72% Dark Chocolate Tart.

No. 223, Jinhua Street
Tel: 02 3322 2833
Nearest Station: Dongmen

Mayu Bistro

It is easy to miss Mayu Bistro if you do not know Taipei well. Tucked in an alley beside the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Mayu Bistro is one of the top patisseries in Taipei which serves excellent French desserts. A must-stop when you are in the city.

47-2 Changan West Road
Tel: 02 2550 3636
Tue to Sun: 10am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Taipei Main Station

Melange Cafe

The Taiwanese are crazy about waffles, and you can easily find a dozen of cafes that serve waffles on their menu. But you must make a trip to Melange, a posh cafe where locals go to for desserts and tea. The long queues are a testament to their popularity. Besides their signature Waffles (NT$140-170), Melange Cafe also serves desserts (NT$120-150) like Matcha Tart, Banana Chocolate Mousse and Mont Blanc.

No 23 Lane 16 Section 2 ZhongShan North Road
Tel: 02 2567 3787
Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 9.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: ZhongShan

Piece of Cake

This highly popular cake shop is located near ZhongShan Station, and it offers Japanese cake rolls in several flavours such as chocolate, tiramisu, and plain cheese.

No 19 Alley 9 Lane 64 Nanjing West Road
Tel: 02 2559 7981
Daily: 10am – 6pm
Nearest Station: ZhongShan

Sadaharu Aoki

Besides Paris and Tokyo, Sadaharu Aoki can also be found in Taipei. It is known for its French desserts with Japanese flavours. I always go there to buy their macarons, especially the Japanese flavours such as sesame, matcha, yuzu and genmaicha. And their eclairs… Oh, the eclairs are awesome. To me, Sadaharu Aoki has the best eclairs I have ever had in my life.

Bellavita Basement 2
No. 28, Song Ren Road
Tel: 02 8729 2759
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Taipei City Hall

Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon

For a luxurious afternoon tea, Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon at Bellavita is the place to head to. The tea salon serves a variety of pastries, macarons and desserts. Go for their afternoon tea set (NT$1,200) which features sandwich, pastries, macarons and drinks for two.

Level 3 Bellavita
No. 28 Song Ren Road
Mon to Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Taipei City Hall

Smith & Hsu

Smith & Hsu has hands down, one of the best scones I have ever had. Whenever I am in Taipei, I always make sure to go there for afternoon tea. You can order a three-tiered dessert set (NT$1200 or S$50) to share among 2-4 people. Or just get the cream tea set (NT$260 or S$10) which comes with two home-made scones, clotted cream, English farm jam, and a cup of tea.

No.33 Zhong Xiao E. Road, Section 5
Tel: 02 2747 4857
Nearest Station: Taipei City Hall

Sweet Tea

Sweet Tea is a tea salon in Taipei 101 which features desserts by the pastry chef at its sister restaurant, STAY. Expect cakes, pastries, macarons and gelato of the highest quality.

No. 45 Shifu Rd, 4F
Taipei 101
Tel: 02 8101 8177
Nearest Station: Taipei City Hall

Wendel’s German Bakery Bistro

Wendel’s German Bakery Bistro is quite a household name in Taipei. Their original branch in Tienmu is slightly out of the way, so the second branch at GuangFu South Road is perfect as it is just walking distance from SYS Memorial Hall Station.

It serves European-style bread, pastries and cakes (NT$65-75) such as Cheesecake, Raspberry Cake and their signature Cakewich.

No. 28, Lane 260, GuangFu S. Rd.
Tel: 02 2711 8919
Nearest Station: SYS Memorial Hall

Zenique Patisserie

At Zenique, you will be spoilt with tea-based desserts (NT$160-180/slice) like Kyoto Matcha, Rose Versailles, Tarte Aux Fraises, and Jardin des Fraises. They also have nine different macarons (NT$60), with Rose being the most popular flavour.

No 8 Lane 4 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2395 1558
Sun to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Dongmen

For more recommendations, read our guide on where to eat in Taipei