Northern Taiwan
Graze on burgers, burritos and barista coffee from this food truck 3km east up the road from Cihu. The truck is parked in a kitsch roadside space evoking…
Must-see restaurants in Taiwan
Taipei
A superpopular shaved-ice joint with a wide menu of flavours, including strawberry, kiwi fruit and, most famously, mango. So busy that customers are…
Taipei
This very traditional basement restaurant is a secret local favourite. There's no menu: each diner chooses fish or meat, and dishes are decided by the…
Matsu
By day, it bakes delicious fruit breads, but Qinwo's real specialities are its 12-inch good-to-share pizzas whose thin crusts are a pinkish hue, having…
Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park
Whether for coffee and cake (NT$120), pasta or risotto with a cheesy gratin-style topping, this cafe is appealing, with its array of foliage, pet cats and…
Chiayi
Everyone in Taiwan knows that Chiayi is famous for its turkey-rice dish (火雞肉飯, huǒjīròu fàn). This is the place that started it all 60-odd years ago. It's…
Northern Taiwan
This long-running restaurant on the tourist street, just past the Atayal Museum, serves some excellent if obscure indigenous dishes, such as bird's nest…
Northern Taiwan
The onion-and-fried-egg pancakes (蔥油餅; cōngyóubǐng) sold from this truck on the right as you exit Toucheng train station are a local institution – crisp,…
Taichung
A sprawling night market well known for its innovative and cheap street food. Vegetarian nibbles are especially well represented. A taxi from Taichung…
Taipei
This is an excellent venue for sampling traditional snacks, not least because most stalls have tables. The food here is very fresh, and dishes to try…
Songshan
Taipei's oldest night market, Raohe St is a single pedestrian lane stretching between two ornate gates. In between you'll find a great assortment of…
Hualien
Seemingly unchanged for decades, timber-walled Dou Sang is an unrestored time warp of a place full of old pop pin-ups, fading collages of business cards…
Taipei
A popular shop in the Huashan Market for a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. Be prepared to wait – the queue regularly snakes down the stairs, and since…
Taipei
A huge covered food court with lots of choice – burgers, fried rice, a couple of Indian eateries (one vegetarian), and local meat noodle dishes – in…
Kaohsiung
Milkfish is associated with Tainan, but Kaohsiung has its own version, too. Instead of serving the meat as is, slivers of meat are wrapped in fish cake…
Northern Taiwan
One of many fantastic Burmese restaurants near Huaxin St in the western suburb of Zhonghe. This is the first shop on a left-hand alley about 400m down…
Ximending & Wanhua
Plates of raw fish and assorted sushi are pulled past customers by tiny trains, and Taiwanese pop music from the '50s fills the air. This is a fun…
Shilin
Serving Italian food in American portions, this place is best enjoyed with a friend. Superpopular, especially with expats; it's worthwhile booking if you…
Taipei
This popular restaurant serves fantastic ramen noodles (拉麵, lāmiàn) in a miso base prepared with hot-spring water. Try the standard ramen with pork (正油叉燒,…
Nantou County
A remnant of Cingjing's Yunnan and Southeast Asia connection, this restaurant was started by a woman of the Bayi tribe who set up house in Cingjing with…
Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park
This is a reliable choice for fresh seafood, though there's minimal atmosphere, with round family tables plonked blandly on a concrete floor.
Penghu Islands
It's very humble-looking and way out of Magong, but if you're touring Xiyu, this place is well known for its seafood.
Ximending & Wanhua
Greeted by the sound of a toilet flushing and a sign proudly claiming 'crappy food', guests at this novelty restaurant need a certain sense of humour…
Songshan
Tasty Cambodian fare with Thai undertones. There's no English name but the Chinese has a red sign. Try the jiāomá jī (椒麻雞; fried chicken on shredded…
Taipei
Though the market has been reduced in scale because of noise complaints from local residents, it's still a lively place for a cheap feed of traditional…
Songshan
Often compared to the other main dumpling establishment Din Tai Fung, Dian Shui Lou offers well-rated baskets of the delicacy as well as a range of…
Xinyi
Minder is a chain of buffet-style vegetarian (not vegan) restaurants run by the controversial and very wealthy Tzu Chi Buddhist foundation. The selection…
Taipei
With decor last updated during the martial law period and no-nonsense service, Xiao Wei has some of the best Sichuan food in the city, albeit a less fiery…
Taipei
This Victorian-style building is an architectural landmark in Tamsui, and was built between 1895 and 1899. Beautifully restored and reborn as a swank…
Taipei
Quite possibly the best international vegan food in town. This small funky cafe with glass walls offers scrumptious salads, brown-rice bowls, coconut…
Taipei
Come mealtimes, there are always long queues outside this Hong Kong dim sum chain, likely generated by its Michelin star and the relatively low cost. To…
Hualien
This popular little Japanese restaurant with floor seating options, has an izakaya menu that includes steamed clams in sake, salmon-fried rice and grilled…
Taipei
This two-storey, airy cafe set in a refurbished heritage house with exposed brickwork is an Instagrammer's delight. As are the scrumptious cakes. Cinnamon…
Taipei
Very studenty, so expect lots of wooden desks and laptops. Great coffee, friendly service and usually a small gaggle of rescued cats that are all up for…
Taipei
Long-running favourite spot to have an evening drink and enjoy the reflections of the lights on the river. The food is Indonesian inspired and features a…
Taipei
Taking homestyle Taiwanese cooking to a higher level of freshness and presentation is this popular eatery. Chi Fan's dim lighting and grey-slate-and-wood…
Taipei
This authentic and ever-crowded eatery asks you to choose both your broth flavour and thickness, as well as noodle thickness and texture. Extra noodles…
Madame Jill's Vietnamese Cuisine
Taipei
Opened by Chinese fleeing the Vietnam War in 1974, Madame Jill's was Taipei's first Vietnamese restaurant and is still one of the best. This enduring…
Hualien
Popular for years, this comfortable family restaurant is run by a jovial Burmese gentleman, but cuisine covers wider Southeast Asian bases with good Thai…
Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park
One of the most reliable main-strip eateries, the specialities here revolve predominantly around fresh seafood, including catch of the day, garlic scallop…