13 Must-Eat Restaurants & Night Markets in Taipei, Taiwan

Anyone who’s been to Taipei can tell you what a food-obsessed city this is. There’s so much good food to be had here that eating your way through a night market is every bit a must-do as climbing to the top of Taipei 101. Food is very much a part of the Taipei experience so we’ve come up with this list of 13 must-eat restaurants & night markets that you should visit on your trip to Taiwan. Listed here are restaurants & night markets in Taipei known for serving some of the best examples of Taiwanese favorites like lu rou fan, beef noodle soup, and traditional Taiwanese breakfast, just to name a few.

 

1. Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodles

Address: No. 8-1, Emei Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

Operating Hours: 9AM-11PM, daily

What to Order: Braised intestine mee sua

Expect to Pay: NTD 70 (large), NTD 40 (small)

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Ximen Station (Blue/Green Line, Exit 6). Head north on Hanzhong Street then veer right on Lane 6, Emei Street. Turn left onto Emei Street and the shop will be on your left.

As you can see from this picture, Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodles is popular. It’s one of the most popular food stalls in Ximending, perhaps in all of Taipei. But don’t let the line deter you. It moves quickly, especially since they have just one thing on their menu – Taiwanese-style vermicelli or mee sua with braised pork intestine. It’s featured on virtually every “what to eat” list in Taipei, and with good reason. It’s delicious.

Have a look at Ay-Chung’s beautiful bowl of mee sua. If you’ve never had mee sua before, it’s a type of thin wheat-flour noodle similar to vermicelli. Ay-Chung makes their bowl with the most tender bits of braised pork intestine. They’re so soft I could have sworn I was eating baby squid! The mee sua is silky smooth and the gravy had this wonderful smokey flavor which I read comes from bonito flakes in the soup base.

Ay-Chung’s mee sua is plenty flavorful as it is, but you’re welcome to add as much chili oil, garlic, and black vinegar as you wish. I literally could not stop eating this. Don’t miss it.

 

2. Tao-Yuan Street Beef Noodle Shop

Address: No.15 Taoyuan Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan

Operating Hours: 10AM-9PM, daily

What to Order: Beef noodle soup

Expect to Pay: NTD 220 per bowl

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Ximen Station (Blue/Green Line, Exit 3). Head east on Baoqing Road then make a left on Taoyuan Street. The restaurant will be on your left.

Beef noodle soup, for many travelers, is the most beloved comfort dish in Taiwanese cuisine. In fact, it’s often regarded as the country’s national dish. So popular is this dish that a festival and competition is held every year to find the best bowl of beef noodles in Taiwan. Only a handful of restaurants can lay claim to the title of “Best Beef Noodle Soup” in Taipei, and Tao-Yuan Street Beef Noodle Shop is one of them.

At Tao-Yuan Street Beef Noodle Shop, you can have your beef noodle soup with clear (below) or braised (above) broth. The beef is fall-apart tender and the noodles nice and springy. Like Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodles, this place is popular so be prepared for a queue.

3. Yongfu Ice Cream

Address: No. 68, Section 2, Guiyang St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

Operating Hours: 10AM-10PM, daily

What to Order: Ice cream

Expect to Pay: Around NTD 40 for two scoops

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Ximen Station (Blue/Green Line, Exit 1). Head south on Hanzhong Street then make a right on Section 2, Changsha Street. Walk straight then make a left on Kunming Street. The ice cream shop will be on the corner of Kunming and Guiyang Streets.

Many guides describe it as being one of the most popular ice cream shops in the city. Simple without any frills, they’ve been serving hand churned ice cream made with distinctly Taiwanese ingredients like taro, longan, peanut, and red bean for over 70 years. If you’ve never had Taiwanese ice cream before, then the first thing you’ll notice is that it isn’t as creamy as American or Japanese ice cream. It’s made with less dairy and more fruit so it’s light and a little tart, almost like a sorbet.

 

4. Jin Feng Lu Rou Fan

Address: No. 10-1, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist, Taipei 100, Taiwan

Operating Hours: 8AM-1AM, daily

What to Order: Lu rou fan (braised pork rice)

Expect to Pay: NTD 30 (small) / NTD 40 (medium) / NTD 50 (large)

How to Get There: Take the MRT to CKS Memorial Hall Station (Red/Green Line, Exit 2). Head south and the restaurant will be on your right.

Lu rou fan or braised pork rice is one of the most beloved comfort dishes in Taiwan, taking a backseat only to beef noodle soup. It consists of minced pork belly that’s been stir-fried and slow cooked in soy sauce until tender, then served over a bowl of steamed rice, usually with a hard-boiled egg on the side.

Google “best lu rou fan in Taipei” and Jin Feng will dominate the search results. Like nearly every other restaurant on this list, it’s clear how popular this place is from the long line of people waiting outside. But again, don’t worry. People eat fast so the line moves fairly quickly.

The braised pork belly was delicious but the star here is clearly the lu rou fan. It’s ultra-tender, fatty, and served with a thick savory-sweet sauce that’s wonderful to eat with the rice.

5. Shao Shao Ke

Address: No. 27, Section 1, Hangzhou South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

Operating Hours: 11:30AM-2:30PM / 5:30-9:30PM, Tue-Sun (closed Mon)

What to Order: Lamb, knife-cut noodles, bun noodle soup, deep-fried soy cheese pastries

What We Spent: NTD 704 for two with drinks

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Shandao Temple Station (Blue Line, Exit 3). Walk east on Zhongxiao East Road Section 1 then make a right on Hangzhou North Road. Walk straight and the restaurant will on your left.

Shanxi cuisine is the cooking style of Shanxi Province in China. Noodles figure prominently in the cuisine, as does lamb. They’re also known for using a unique type of vinegar in their food. Called Shanxi mature vinegar, it’s a prized vinegar produced exclusively in the area.

Pictured below are deep-fried lamb skewers with cumin, one of many lamb dishes they have on their menu. This dish was fantastic and unlike any lamb dish we’ve had in the past. It was tender with a light crisp coating and a flavorful punch of cumin. If you have a fondness for lamb, then you should try this.

These deep-fried soy cheese puff pastries are a must-try as well. In fact, they’re so popular that you’re advised to put in an advanced reservation for them! They’re made with soy tofu cheese that’s deep-fried in a triangular puff pastry and dusted with powdered sugar. The cheese has a texture similar to mozzarella so it comes away in gooey strings each time you take a bite. It’s absolutely delicious!

Shanxi cuisine is interesting and apparently not something you see too often outside of the region, so we strongly suggest you enjoy a meal here.

 

6. Fuhang Soy Milk (Fuhang Dou Jiang)

Address: 100, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Section 1, Zhongxiao East Road, 108號

Operating Hours: 5:30 AM-12:30 PM, Tue-Sun (Closed Mon)

What to Order: Soybean milk, dough sticks, egg crepes, roasted pancakes

Expect to Pay: Less than NTD 100 per person

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Shandao Temple Station (Blue Line, Exit 5). You’ll see the line to the restaurant as soon as you exit the station.

Have you noticed the recurring theme in this post yet? Nearly every place listed here has a long queue of people waiting outside. Fuhang Soy Milk is no different. In fact, it was by far the most popular place in Taipei! Known as one the best places in the city to have a traditional Taiwanese breakfast, the line here literally goes down a flight of stairs, out the building’s door, and around the block…twice! This place is crazy popular.

You may have to wait at least half an hour, even after getting there early at around 6:30 AM. And then you will get through the door and into the large cafeteria area. Fuhang Soy Milk is known for serving many different types of Taiwanese breakfast items like soybean milk with dough sticks, egg crepes, and roasted pancakes. The food here is good and cheap, and on top of that, it has the distinction of being a Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee.

 

7. Fei Qian Wu

Address: No. 13, Lane 121, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei 104, Taiwan

Operating Hours: 11 AM–2:30 PM / 5–9 PM, Tue-Sun (Closed Mon)

What to Order: Unagi over rice

Expect to Pay: NTD 480 (large) / NTD 250 (small)

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Zhongshan Station (Red/Green Line, Exit 2). Walk east on Nanjing West Road. Make a right on Tianjin Street. Walk straight then make a left into Lane 121. The restaurant will be on your left.

Fei Qian Wu is a restaurant known for serving some of the best unagi bento boxes in Taipei. This places often see long queues. If you’ve never had unagi before, it’s freshwater eel that’s broiled and slowly grilled over coals while being basted with a kabayaki sauce (sweet soy sauce). It’s smokey, savory, and a little sweet with the most wonderfully soft and lightly charred texture.

Taiwan was under Japanese rule for 50 years so there are plenty of Japanese restaurants throughout the country. The Taiwanese know Japanese food so if you like unagi, then you may want to enjoy a meal here.

 

8. Addiction Aquatic Development

Address: No. 18, Alley 2, Lane 410, Minzu East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 104

Operating Hours: 6AM-12MN, daily

What to Order: Seafood

Expect to Pay: Around NTD 750 per person with drinks

How to Get There: Take the MRT to XingTian Temple Station, Exit 3. Though not far, it’s a bit of a walk so it’s best that you take a taxi or Uber from there. The fare will run you around NTD 70.

This is one of the most interesting and jaw-dropping food establishments in Taipei. Addiction Aquatic Development is basically an upscale live seafood market, gourmet food supermarket, seafood bar, sushi bar, oyster bar, seafood barbecue restaurant, hot pot restaurant, and flower market all rolled into a stylish 1,983 square meter space. In short, it’s a seafood lover’s wet dream.

Pictured below are large tanks containing live seafood like king crabs, hairy crabs, diver scallops, and abalone.

Aside from its market and grocery portions, there are several mini-restaurants within the space. There’s a hot pot restaurant, a sushi bar, and an oyster bar, to name a few. Pictured below are the plump pieces of amaebi (spot shrimp) nigiri from the sushi bar.

This platter overflowing with king crab, sashimi, and different types of shellfish were a popular item from the seafood bar. If you’re a fan of seafood, then you cannot come to Taipei without visiting Addiction Aquatic Development.

 

9. RAW

Address: No. 301, Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 104

Operating Hours: 11:30 AM-2:30 PM, 6-10 PM, Wed-Sun

What to Order: Tasting Menu

Expect to Pay: NTD 1,850 / 2,680++ per person

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Jiannan Rd Station, Exit 3. Walk south on Jingye 3rd Road and make a left on Lequn 3rd Road. RAW will be a couple of blocks down on your left.

If you’re looking to have one truly special meal in Taipei, then RAW should be on your short list. Helmed by Chef André Chiang – a Taiwanese chef renowned for his 2-Michelin star (but recently closed) Restaurant André in Singapore – RAW has one Michelin star and is presently number 15 on this list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. They offer beautiful degustation experiences featuring the best of Taiwan’s local seasonal ingredients.

Here’s a shot of the restaurant with its stunning wooden sculptural bar. It’s one of the most beautiful restaurants we’ve been to – classy and modern without being pretentious.

RAW is the hottest restaurant in Taipei right now. Because of its popularity, it’s notoriously difficult to get reservations here, which you’ll need to secure online.

 

10. Din Tai Fung

Address: B1, No. 45, Shifu Rd., Taipei 101 Mall, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC

Operating Hours: Sun-Thurs, 11 AM-9:30 PM / Fri, Sat, Day before Holiday, 11 AM-10 PM

What to Order: Xiao long bao, dim sum

Expect to Pay: Around NTD 500 per person with drinks

How to Get There: By subway, get off at Taipei 101 World Trade Center MRT station. Look for exit 4. Soon as you exit, you’ll see Din Tai Fung on your right at the basement level of Taipei 101 Mall.

If you like xiao long bao, then Din Tai Fung needs no introduction. Din Tai Fung is a homegrown international chain of restaurants known for its dim sum, particularly its xiao long bao which many say is the very best in the world.

There are several branches in Taipei but we ate the Taipei 101 branch, located in the building’s basement. Like every other place on this list, expect a line if you eat here.

Xiao long bao is a type of baozi or Chinese steamed bun filled with pork and hot soup. Part of the reason that makes Din Tai Fung so good is their consistency. Made with the thinnest of wrappers, every xiao long bao that comes out of their kitchen has 18 pleats and weighs exactly 21 grams.

To keep from burning yourself, you’re advised to pierce the skin first and suck out the soup. Only then should you put the dumpling in your mouth lest you spew hot soup all over your significant other.

11. Orange Shabu Shabu House

Address: B/1, No. 135, Section 1, Da’an Road, Taipei, Taiwan ROC

Operating Hours: 11:30AM-11PM, daily

What to Order: Taiwanese hot pot

What We Spent: NTD 1,474 for two

How to Get There: Take the MRT to Zongxiao Fuxing Station (Blue/Brown Line, Exit 3). Walk south on Section 1, Fuxing South Road. Make a left into Lane 219, Section 1, Fuxing South Road. Walk straight then make a right onto Section 1, Da’an Road. The restaurant will be on your left side.

Hotpot or shabu shabu is a core Taiwanese dish. According to many locals, Orange Shabu Shabu House is the best hot pot restaurant in Taipei. You can absolutely tell the difference between other hot pots. From the quality of the soup base to the dipping sauce to the freshness of the ingredients, everything about Orange Shabu Shabu House was phenomenal.

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy these awesome restaurants & night markets in Taipei! Find out more Taipei traveling guides and tips here.