Here is a compilation of places to eat in Taipei near tourist attractions that we tried during our visit in 2017. From street food to fine dining and everything in between, there are a lot of food options available to tourists visiting Taipei. We have written separate stories about some of these places in this list. There are also “minor” places which we will not be writing specific stories about. We have compiled this list of places to eat in Taipei for ease of reference for ourselves and our readers in the future.

Compilation of places to eat in Taipei 

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂

We start our list of places to eat in Taipei near tourist attractions with what is probably the most significant tourist attraction in Taipei. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was undergoing some renovations to the exterior when we were there but the inside was still accessible. We witnessed the changing of the guards.

National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳), and the National Theater (國家戲劇院).  The place looks totally different in the day and in the night. We suggest two visits to get totally different experiences (and photos).

Located inside the National Theater are a few restaurants, including a cafe and an Italian Restaurant.  We stopped by to have some dim sum snacks at the Theatre Tea House. It is a casual Chinese restaurant – with a warm traditional decor.  It is certainly a convenient place to eat when visiting the CKS Memorial Hall and associated buildings.

Theatre Tea House

Xinyi Shopping District

The Xinyi Shopping District is a pleasant area to experience the urban life of Taipei even if one is not really interested in shopping.  The 24 hour Eslite Bookshop is in this area. You can read a fuller description of the area here. There are hundreds of places to eat in this area, which is good but the number of options can get befuddling. Here are a few that we tried.

Din Tai Fung in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A4 for their famous xia long bao. You can read about our visit here.

Yen Restaurant – high end Chinese restaurant at the top of the W Hotel. You can read about our visit here.

Yong He Tou Jiang – a humble restaurant at the other end of the budget spectrum to try the traditional Taiwanese breakfast of soy milk and fried dough sticks. Read about our visit here.

Mitsui Cuisine M – Japanese restaurant with a glitzy ambience. Read about our visit here.

Taipei 101

The retail portion of Taipei 101 on the lower floors was like a tale of two malls. The lower levels host affordable shops and restaurants which were packed with visitors who, like us, feel that no trip to Taipei will be complete without being in Taipei 101. Above this busy area are the boutique areas for high end fashion. Here you can find peace and quiet. We did not feel comfortable in either places – too crowded or too posh. One option is to walk northwards to the other parts of Xinyi District (see above) where there are many places to eat. We did however end up eating at two places very close to Taipei 101

Cafe Trico is a lovely place to have a light meal after visiting Taipei 101.  It is located in the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8 building nearby.  It was one of the few Western meals we had in Taipei and provided a break from the usual dumplings and noodles.  The Picnic Box Set (NT$690) provided us with salad, sandwiches, desserts and cappuccino for two persons. No wonder it was packed.

Cafe Trico

110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Songgao Road, 12號

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Ichiran Ramen is said to be the best ramen in the world. The Taipei outlet operates 24 and there are queues during peak hours. It is a couple of blocks away from Taipei 101. Read about out visit here.

Songshan Cultural and Creative Park

Songshan Cultural and Creative Park 松山文創園區 is an interesting place. Old buildings have been converted into cultural uses. Just as interesting is the Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store 誠品生活松菸店 next door.  It is a bookstore and shopping mall that focuses on local products and crafts.  There are many restaurants in the building. We stopped by for a meal at  Kao Chi Restaurant 高記, a casual Chinese restaurant in the basement. Read about our visit here.

Kao Chi
#B2 Eslite Spectrum Songyan
No. 88 Yanchang Road, Xinyi District
Taipei
Taiwan 110
Tel: +886 2 6639 6589
Open daily from 11am to 10pm
Website

Raohe Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市)

There are many night markets in Taipei and many of them are tourist attractions. We decided to go to Raohe Night Market as it seemed to have good reviews.  Comprehensive but not too big. Within Raohe itself there is one particular stall Fu Zhou Shi Zu Hujiao Bing (福州世祖胡椒饼) that draws the crowds.   Read about our visit to Raohe Night Market and the famous black pepper bun stall here.

福州世祖胡椒饼 “Fuzhou Ancestor” Black Pepper Buns
Address: Raohe Street Night Market at 249 Raohe Street, Taipei

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