Bars/clubs
Luxy
5f, 201 zhongxiao e. road, section 4, near the zhongxiao dunhua mrt station (http://www.luxy-taipei.com). one of the most well-known clubs in taipei. luxy has two levels: the lower level has a side room playing house/techno and a main room playing hip-hop; the upper level is a lounge with a small dance floor over-looking the main room. cover charge goes up after 11pm. get there early to avoid a line.
Ziga Zaga
No.2, song shou road grand hyatt taipei (http://taipei.grand.hyatt.com/). this club specializes in cocktails and italian cuisine - both the service and food are excellent. it's popular with locals and expats. ladies night is on wednesday nights.
The Wall Live House
B1, 200 roosevelt road, sec 4, 2930-0162 (http://www.the-wall.com.tw/). mostly taiwanese bands playing everything from rock to reggae.
Carnegies
100 anhe road, sec 2. tel:+886 2 2325-4433. with an outdoor patio, it's perfect for those who prefer a quieter and less smoky atmosphere. the scene is geared toward the 30+ expats and locals.
Standing Room
508 changchun road,taipei. it is the standing style bar and restaurant with a traditional japanese hors d'oeubres, with world wide classic beverages. its perfect location to have the quick dinner and drink for a busy business person. open mon-sat, "happy hour" everyday open-8:30pm.
Indian Beerhouse
196 bade road, sec. 2. tel:+886 2 2741-0550. its a beer house with a dinosaur skeleton themed decor. customers can enjoy the greasy night-market style snacks with kegs of beer. all you can eat and drink for around nt$580. update: bar has closed down since 2010.
My Place Bar & Restaurant
No.3-1 lane 32 shuang cheng st, 022591-4269. still going strong after 25 years. serves great food, has two bars, pool table, and shows live sports on multiple screens. there is outside seating for smokers. one of the premier bars in taipei for watching the upcoming world cup. happy hour selected beers $100, specail draught beer $100 all night.
Cafes
Salt Peanuts
23, lane 60, taishun street, near shida is highly recommended for its laid back atmosphere and great selection of retro-rock.
Cafe Moda Taipei
For people who prefer the new concept of a boutique cafe, the specialty of this place by far are the 100% Organic Guatemalan quality coffee beverages they offer in a cozy ambient mixed with art fashion and great music. A small but fancy terrace is perfect for enjoying beverages on a fresh day. They also have imported beer, wine, tea, juices and other snacks in their menu, including cheese and Italian fruit cake. They have a multicultural staff fluent in Chinese, English, and Spanish German and Japanese depending on the day you go, so feel relaxed if Chinese is not your mother tongue as this place is geared for expats and locals that prefer a stronger kind of gourmet organic coffee.
While traditionally a nation of tea drinkers, in recent years the Taiwanese have really embraced the cafe culture, and all the usual chains can be found here in abundance. For cafes with more character, roam the back streets near National Taiwan University between Xinsheng South Road and Roosevelt Road. More cafes are located in the area around Renai Road, Section 4 and Dunhua South Road. There are also some interesting and characterful places between Yongkang Park and Chaozhou Street, and in the alleys around Shida Road. However, for a particularly impressive range of styles, visit Bitan in Xindian, where all the cafes offer restful views over the river and mountains beyond though can be noisy at weekend.
Minimal Cafe
This cafe is famous for having many resident cats living inside of it 49, according to the wait staff. In fact, the owner of this cafe loves cats so much, stray ones are adopted, spayed/neutered, then allowed to live in the cafe. Thus, as you drink your beverage, don't be surprised if cats are checking you out. This cafe is indeed clean despite all the cats, and has tasty mid-range priced desserts and coffee, as well as salads/meals. The cats are friendly, if not always looking for a warm lap to sleep on. The younger cats might jump from lap to lap, just to find a playmate, even if the wiser, older cats do not care for such schenanigans.
Trilobite Cafe.
No. 64-2, section 2, jã¬nã¡n rd, jhongjheng district taipei city, taiwan å°åå¸æ¿åè·¯2段64-2è, 1+2f. serves excellent coffees offering a wide selection of espresso. the two resident dogs are very friendly too.
Coffee Lab.
No. 6, lane 64, section 2, zhångxiã o east road, jhongjheng district taipei city. this small coffee shop roasts their own beans on site. 3 resident cats keep patrons company as they sip carefully crafted lattes.
Tea houses
Wisteria House
ç´«è¤å»¬, 16 xinsheng south road, sec 3. tel:+886 2 2363-7375 (http://www.wistariahouse.com/). wisteria is set in a traditional house, complete with tatami mats, and is a great place to spend an afternoon relaxing with friends and soaking up the atmosphere of taiwan.
Hui Liu
åç, no 9, lane 31, yongkang street. tel:+886 2 2392-6707. located next to the small and verdant yongkang park, hui liu is a modern style tea house. in addition to serving chinese tea, hui liu is also famous for its organic vegetarian meals and hand made pottery.
Teng
è¤å± , 29, lane 61, linyi street between renai road, sec 2 and xinyi road, sec 2. tel:+886 2 2321-9089. a rustic tea house and art studio in the heart of taipei.
The mountainous Maokong area of Muzha in the Wenshan district of the city has dozens upon dozens of teahouses, many of which also offer panoramic views of the city. Its especially spectacular on a clear evening. A Maokong Gondola cable car system (http://gondola.trtc.com.t...) services the Taipei Zoo MRT station to Maokong. The S10 bus comes up from the Wanfang Community MRT station.
Juice bar
Nothing is better on a hot and humid Taipei day than a refreshing glass of juice made from a huge assortment of fresh fruit!
Happy Fruit Juice Bar
æ°´ææ¨å, 53 yongkang street. tel:+886 2 2343-2393. located next to the california grill burger place on yongkang street near jinhua intersection, happy fruit juice bar is a fresh fruit juice bar decorated with a greek cafe interior. the store is family owned and run by a mom and four sisters. they serve tea, fresh fruit juice, milk pearl tea and other drinks. it's a great place to grab something cool and refreshing on a hot day. also, happy fruit juice bar's right beside the mofo burger joint...so it's a perfect place to get a healthy drink to wash down that burger afterwards, or to simply sit down at after a trek through yongkang st!
Taipei is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.