Cover At Zhao Zhao Tea Lounge, Taiwan’s tea culture is reinterpreted in a relaxed, bar-style setting
At Zhao Zhao Tea Lounge, Taiwan’s tea culture is reinterpreted in a relaxed, bar-style setting
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From street food and tea culture to restored cafés, hot springs and coastal journeys, this Pocket List captures Taiwan’s balance of tradition and reinvention
Taiwan’s identity is built on flavour and craft, a mix of heritage, precision and quiet innovation. Its best experiences are not found in grand gestures, but in simple, deliberate encounters: a bowl of soup, a cup of tea, or a train ride along the coast.
This Pocket List comes from Yinru Tu, Tatler Best co-jury head for Taiwan. A food writer and curator of cultural experiences, she highlights five ways to see (and taste) the island through its most meaningful details.
In case you missed it: 5 ways to experience Australia and New Zealand by Tatler Best co-jury head Pat Nourse
Above Yinru Tu, co-jury head for Taiwan, gives us her top 5 picks in Taiwan
Yinru Tu, co-jury head for Taiwan, gives us her top 5 picks in Taiwan
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Start your adventure with street food
Above A bowl of warming lamb soup and braised pork rice at Lai Kang Shan in Xindian
A bowl of warming lamb soup and braised pork rice at Lai Kang Shan in Xindian
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Find a few snacks that speak to you, and they’ll keep calling you back. At Lai Kang Shan in Xindian, a shop known for its lamb soup, the braised pork rice is the unexpected star, rich, simple and deeply comforting. In Taipei, Chu Cha serves perfectly crisp fried chicken, a national banquet staple executed with care. And in Tainan, Six Thousand Beef Soup remains legendary: its sweetness comes from freshly delivered warm beef cooked each morning, never held over.
Lai Kang Shan
Address: 244-4 Zhongzheng Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Chu Cha
Address: 57, Lane 308, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Six Thousand Beef Soup
Address: 63, Section 1, Hai’an Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan
A personal way to explore Taiwanese tea
Above Fruit oolong using local longan charcoal from Taiwan from Zhao Zhao Tea Lounge
Fruit oolong using local longan charcoal from Taiwan from Zhao Zhao Tea Lounge
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Taiwan’s tea culture is wide-ranging, but a new generation is making it personal and precise. In Taichung, Zhao Zhao Tea Lounge offers an approachable, bar-style setting guided by Scott, who grew up in a tea-farming family. From hand-poured to cold-brewed, his seasonal selections highlight the island’s terroir with clarity. In Tainan, Hutu The Tea, led by former sommelier Yang Yang, approaches tea like wine — clean, measured and modern, with elegant teaware and thoughtful presentation.
Zhao Zhao Tea Lounge
22, Alley 66, Lane 79, Section 1, Xiangshang Road, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan
Hutu The Tea
2F, 65, Lane 293, Qingnian Road, East District, Tainan City, Taiwan
Enjoy a coffee break in a historic house
Above Sunlight through wooden beams at Hausinc 1035 in Taichung, a restored Japanese-era café
Sunlight through wooden beams at Hausinc 1035 in Taichung, a restored Japanese-era café
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In Taiwan, many cafés inhabit restored residences, turning coffee into an act of preservation. In Taichung, Hausinc 1035 occupies a beautifully maintained Japanese-era house, its wooden beams and brick walls framing slow afternoons. In Tainan, Gui Coffee offers a more intimate encounter, just over ten seats tucked in a quiet alley. With the owner’s background in bartending and roasting, it’s open late and frequented by regulars who come for both coffee and calm.
Hausinc 1035
Address: 73, Shifu Rd, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan
Gui Coffee
2/F, 22-68 Lane 79, Zhongshan Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan
Soak in the hot springs at Beitou
Above Private hot spring pools with mountain views at 32 Villa in Beitou
Private hot spring pools with mountain views at 32 Villa in Beitou
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Just a short ride from central Taipei, 32 Villa offers a refined version of Beitou’s famous hot springs. Private pools overlook the valley’s mist and mineral springs, balancing the retreat’s modern design with its natural surroundings. Quiet, restorative and distinctly Taiwanese, it’s less a resort than a reset.
32 Villa
Address: 32, Zhongshan Road, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Take the scenic route along Taiwan’s east coast
Above Exploring Taiwan’s east coast with its open skies, rice fields and fishing towns
Exploring Taiwan’s east coast with its open skies, rice fields and fishing towns
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From Hualien to Taitung, Taiwan’s east coast reveals its character in open skies, rice fields and fishing towns. The Haifeng and Shanlan trains trace these landscapes with uninterrupted views of the Pacific. In Hualien, stop for cocktails at 5m Under, a bar in a renovated house, or coffee at Longgone Café near Qixingtan Beach. In Taitung, local institutions like Beinan Pig Blood Soup, Young Quan peanut brittle and Wang Ji swordfish snacks showcase flavours that define the island’s quieter side.
5m Under
Address: 6, Jieyue St, Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan
Longgone Café
Address: 3, Lane 79, Qixing St, Xincheng Township, Hualien County, Taiwan
Beinan Pig Blood Soup
Address: 117, Chuanguang Rd, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan
Young Quan Peanut Brittle
Address: 86, Minzu Road, Guanshan Township, Taitung County, Taiwan
Wang Ji
Address: 53, Xinsheng Rd, Chenggong Township, Taitung County, Taiwan
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