Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with cover charges averaging NT$700 (including two free drinks). Check club Facebook
and website pages as some have cheaper admission early and late, drink specials and
ladies nights (usually Wednesday).
Check out
www.taipeitrends.com.tw
and
http://taipei543.com
for more nightlife list-
ings.
Herb Alley
TRADITIONAL DRINKS
(Qīngcǎo Xiàng; Lane 224, Xichang Rd; drinks NT$20-40; Longshan Temple)
Just around the
corner from Longshan Temple is this herb-selling area that dates back to Qing times. It's
a great place to sample some of the incredible range of Chinese herbal drinks available,
though some may truly curdle your liver.
Try the refreshing roselle, the soothing wax gourd tea or the incredibly bitter, bitter
tea. Herb alley is just to the right of Longshan as you face the entrance (Lane 209,
though the official address is Lane 224, Xichang St). Wander through and as you pop
onto Xichang St, you'll see the drink stalls.
Fortress Cafe
CAFE
(Bǎolěi Kāfēi;
www.csh.taipei.gov.tw
; 2nd fl, 98 Yanping S Rd; 11am-10pm; ; Ximen)
It
may be hard to believe, but you can actually enjoy a coffee (or beer or meal) here on the
stone terrace of Zhongshan Hall that authoritarian leader Chiang Kai-shek used to stand
on to deliver speeches to the people.
ASIA'S COFFEE CAPITAL
In recent years, Taipei has emerged as Asia's great coffee capital. Exactly how all
this began is still being explored. It seems the Dutch first planted coffee around the
Gukeng area (Yunlin County) in the 17th century, but for centuries the red beans
were used only for decorative purposes by aboriginals.
Things really began about 10 years ago as Taiwanese living or studying abroad
started bringing back new ideas about how to make proper coffee. As is usual here,
they found a ready audience both eager to try new things and also to learn to ap-
preciate the drink at a high level. Today you'll find scores of cafes serving gourmet
coffee, often from single-origin beans (some locally grown), roasted on the
premises and brewed in a slow, labour-intensive way right in front of you.
