Last updated Jan 2020.
I’m not a serious foodie by any means, but I’m asked for recommendations often enough that I’m comfortable self-identifying as somewhat of an amateur foodie. Here are the places I think are reliably delicious and have recommended to out-of-towners visiting Taipei. They’re all Chinese food places, by the way. When you’re done with this list you can reward yourself with a pizza.
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Du Xiao Yue / 度小月擔仔麵
It’s a nice surprise when you go back to a tourist hotspot and you’re reminded how good the food is and why that place is so popular in the first place. It’s been at least a year or two since I ate at Du Xiao Yue in Yongkang Street. This was a quick dinner just before they closed at 9:30pm. The rice noodles, oyster omelette, oyster soup with ginger, fried tofu with bonito flakes were all great. Like comfort food. MRT: Dongmen (Map)
Halal Chinese Beef Noodle / 清真中國牛肉麵館
Sometimes you need a break from the whole Yongkang Beef Noodle circus, and Halal Chinese Beef Noodle has a similar rustic, just-eat-and-get-out atmosphere. MRT: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Map)
More beef noodle soup spots here: Where to Eat Beef Noodle Soup in Taipei
Kao Chi / 高記上海料理
When the line at Din Tai Fung on Yongkang Street is too insane, go to Kao Chi around the corner. Get their signature wok-fried pork buns, the radish pastries and the tofu skin with vegetables. Also I heard a rumor if there’s a line and your surname is Kao (or Gao) you’ll get priority seating. Don’t quote me on that though. MRT: Dongmen (Map)
上海邵師傅湯包
Another option for soup dumplings is this hole-in-the-wall place not far from Tonghua Night Market. They’re Instagram famous for the potsticker-style xiao long bao and also steamed dumplings. MRT: Liuzhangli (Map)
Takumi Dumplings / 巧之味手工水餃
If a dumpling place is packed at 2:30pm on Monday afternoon odds are it’s probably delicious. The green dumplings above are made with algae in the dumpling skin and scallops inside. The hot and sour soup is also super popular. MRT: Zhongxiao Xinsheng (Map)
Hakka Cuisine Kitchen / 廚房客家美食
Lots of local families dine here because it’s just a can’t-go-wrong place. They serve homestyle cooking in a clean, modern dining room behind the Mandarin Oriental hotel. I wanna say everything is good, so I’ll just go ahead and say it: everything is good. MRT: Nanjing Fuxing (Map)
Shang Palace / 香宮
An upscale dim sum meal in a hotel restaurant is definitely something that’s going to go down well. That is, unless you’re coming from Hong Kong or China. Shang Palace is inside the Shangri-la Hotel on the 6th floor with views going down Dunhua South Road. Their roast duck is very good too. MRT: Liuzhangli (Map)
Acheng Goose / 阿城鵝肉
Goose is a thing in Taiwan. You get some goose, some noodles, some veggies and it’s a great meal. I wrote about Acheng back in December 2015 so I’ve been a fan for a long time. There are a lot of goose places in town but Acheng is especially nice because you can sit back and relax with bottles of 18 Days beer and the side dishes are legit. I love the garlic infused pork sausages and the goose blood. Try both the smoked and unsmoked goose. MRT: Songjiang Nanjing (Map)
Pickled Cabbage White Meat Hotpot / 圍爐酸菜白肉火鍋
If you grew up in Taipei, you’ll know this style of hotpot. This place doesn’t have an English name, but it’s good I promise. It’s a family-style place behind the Dunhua S. Road Eslite bookstore that uses imposing copper funnel pots in the middle of the table that bubble away with pork, pickled cabbage, small clams and oysters. You’ll sweat, but it’s a good sweat. Though having said that, I don’t recommend going in summer. MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua (Map)
G Woo / 雞窩餐廳
The mother-of-all chicken soups is at G Woo. (The “G” is Mandarin for chicken.) You’ll need to make a reservation, order the chicken soup and round up a friend or two because that soup is crazy collagen-y and you’ll want to talk about it. Another option for this style of chicken soup is at 驥園川菜餐廳 on Dunhua South Road. MRT: Xinyi Anhe (Map)
Baxian Grill / 八仙炭烤
Live in Taipei long enough and you’ll come to know the words 熱炒 or “rechao” very well. The rooftop setup at Baxian is amazing on clear, cool nights and it’s perfect for rowdy groups working hard on emptying bottles of 18 Days beer. Things I love to eat here: fried clams, stinky tofu (here it’s steamed not deep fried), eggplant, pork liver, fried rice, deep fried burdock root, green beans, loofah, steamed fish and boiled fresh shrimp. MRT: Dongmen/Daan Park Station (Map)
Tonghua Night Market
Tonghua Night Market (also known as Linjiang Night Market) is in my neighborhood and I’m typically there a couple of times a week. A handful of spots have Michelin Bib Gourmands, which is why you might see ridiculous crowds around some stalls. For the record though, they all had pretty steady popularity before Michelin made a fuss. Go for the stinky tofu, fried taro balls, fried chicken and pork sausages. MRT: Xinyi Anhe (Map)
More info here: What to Eat at Tonghua Night Market
Soypresso / 二吉軒豆漿
I’m all for the classic Taiwanese desserts but sometimes I just want something that looks and tastes like ice cream. I used to be a big fan of the oolong tea soft serve by 8% Ice, but I haven’t seen the oolong option in a while. Lately I’ve been excited about the soy soft serve at Soypresso. They also have a black sesame flavor as well as soft tofu soup desserts or dou hua served hot if you have time to sit down and eat. There are two locations in the Yongkang area (Map) and one near Sun Yat-sen Memorial. (Map)
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Plus the obvious must-eats…
- Addiction Aquatic Development for sushi, sashimi and hotpot
- Din Tai Fung (I recommend this location in Fuxing Sogo if you’re a multi-generational group)
- Fu Hang Dou Jiang for Taiwanese-style breakfast with youtiao and soy milk
- Yong Kang Street for some mango shaved ice. Either King Mango or Smoothie House, wherever the line is shorter
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Here are some more Taipei food guides: