If you have been to Taipei before, you may want to zoom into Da’an, a neighbourhood that is known for its swanky residences, and some of the best restaurants and bars around.
Having lost count of the number of times I have been to Taipei – I hit 60 some years back – I dare say I have my favourites in the Taiwanese capital. If you want an indulgent weekend that ticks most of the boxes, dive into Da’an in the eastern part of Taipei city centre.
Characterised by wide boulevards lined with royal palm, camphor and banyan trees, and interspersed with designer boutiques and upmarket lifestyle stores, this is where you will also find some of Taipei’s most expensive real estate.
The affluent neighbourhood of Da’an is also known as a Michelin incubator, as it is here that you will find many of the city’s best Michelin-starred restaurants and bars with 50 Best ambitions.
Here are some of our top recommendations of the best restaurants, bars and hotels in Da’an, Taipei.
Most self-respecting foodies in Singapore would know of Andre Chiang who owned the eponymous restaurant on Bukit Pasoh before closing it in 2018. By then, Chiang had also opened Raw Taipei in his home country to roaring success (although Raw’s impending closure has recently been announced).
Those who are truly in the know would also know that Chiang’s protégé and Raw’s former head chef, Alain Huang, was holding the fort when Raw earned two Michelin stars in 2019. Huang worked quietly at Raw from 2014 to 2021 when he left to take a break and contemplate his next move. Last September, Huang opened Restaurant A in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Diamond Towers, Taipei’s newest mixed-use complex, in Da’an. The restaurant recently received its first Michelin star on August 27, 2024.
Spanning 5,400 sq ft, the restaurant bearing the works of 14 artists and designers that Huang collaborated with resembles a well-appointed home and an art gallery. Each of Huang’s beautifully plated courses is also a delicate work of art.
For the spring menu which I had during my second and last visit, Huang sought inspiration from flowers. Particularly memorable was the “mackerel with finger lime, caper cream and asparagus”. The flavours were light, delicate and clearly enunciated – encapsulating spring in a bite.
The alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings are spot-on, but the latter deserves special mention. The concoctions by Huang’s beverage team are plummy and pleasing, even for wine snobs.
Restaurant A, 4F, No. 282, Section 3, Zhongxiao East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Anchored by a gleaming copper ceiling, Monkie is a glided space that oozes quiet opulence and sophistication. Designed by renowned Taiwanese architect Ray Chen, Monkie bar has been described by the local glitterati as a bar for “adults”. Opened last December, Monkie draws a certain demographic – worldly, creative and banking types in their 30s to 50s, and people who like to have a decent conversation.
The name is a play on the word “monkey” (apparently owner-chief-mixologist Ian Tsai loves monkeys), so expect to see statues of the primate everywhere.
Tsai is proud of Monkie’s clarified cocktails. A top recommendation is the Guava Fizz which uses red guava re-distilled bourbon, and clarified juice from Yilan guava. Imbued with a woody hint of whisky and the refreshing scent of marigold, it is an innocuous drink, and a slippery road downhill. The 32-seater (no standing at a classy bar like this) doesn’t take walk-in guests once it is full. Do not show up at the bar on a weekend without a reservation.
Monkie, No. 67號, Dongfeng St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Why eat Japanese in Taiwan, the non-initiated have asked me. Why not? Fifty years of Japanese rule left a fine appreciation for Japanese cuisine. Local customers’ expectations and chefs’ skills run high – in fact, Taipei is one of the few cities outside Japan to boast Michelin-star sushi restaurants that are headed by non-Japanese chefs.
Having said this, Sushiyoshi Taipei, one of the best Japanese restaurants in Da’an, is owned by bubbly celebrity chef Hiroki Nakanoue who is as well known for his fluorescent-hued hair as his unique melding of Edomae sushi traditions with Western techniques and ingredients such as truffles and caviar.
In 2023, Nakanoue (not necessarily in this order), closed his original Osaka flagship, stationed himself in Sushiyoshi Hong Kong and opened his Taipei outpost which is helmed by local chefs.
The Taipei branch got its one Michelin star shortly after opening. Seasonal produce like white asparagus found its way into the spring menu, paired with a crispy Sakura shrimp and yuzu cream. It was both divine and delectable. I will return on my next trip to Taipei.
Sushiyoshi Taipei, No. 12號, Alley 19, Lane 216, Section 4, Zhongxiao E Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
In Taipei, having a personal chef is not enough. It’s not uncommon for businessmen or society ladies to band together to open a restaurant in one of their commercial properties lying vacant, and poach their favourite chef to cook only for their friends and families. When the novelty wears out and the staff gets bored, they open the restaurant to the public so that others can also benefit from their good taste.
GyuB started this way in 2021, when one of the five businessmen who own it griped about not having access to yakiniku whenever he felt like it.
Cuts of wagyu from Omi, Shiga and Kagoshima cooked differently to retain a delicate flavour and buttery texture are par for the course here. The atmosphere is convivial. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anyone. Conversations, even among strangers, flow easily, as does wine from a well curated cellar.
The owners claim not to want publicity as they don’t want the restaurant to get on the Michelin guide – in case they can’t get a table for themselves in the future. Fortunately, for now, you can book a seat here.
GyuB, No. 64號, Dongfeng St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
When the Lin family, who used to run Hachioji and Peony Garden, two of Taipei’s best-known Japanese restaurants, decided to close them and focus only on tempura, they made sure Mudan Tempura would be the best one that the city would come to know. They hired a chef from the Michelin-starred Tempura Hasegawa, in Tokyo, to show their chefs the ropes. In 2023, the tempura restaurant earned its second Michelin star.
Each lightly battered morsel, fried in premium sesame oil under the most precise conditions when it comes to temperature, time and touch, is perfectly turned out. A simple fried nugget of bafun sea urchin wrapped in a crisp shiso leaf is a delightful combo of umami and refreshing herbaceous flavours. The sterling service here is intuitive yet unobtrusive, making it one of the best restaurants to visit in Da’an.
Mudan, No. 17號, Lane 52, Siwei Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
The latest hotel to open in Da’an is more than a hotel. It is a lifestyle. Envisioned by Aaron Chan, chairman and CEO of parent company, Riant Capital, to be Taipei’s answer to be a playground of Soho Club, a selective and exclusive members’ club, Episode Da’an Taipei is designed to entice and keep Taipei’s who’s who in.
My impression of the hotel (Episode is a sub-brand of the JDV by Hyatt brand) is that it is for the young-at-heart bon vivant. The décor is stylish-retro, So the colour palette for the interiors is dominated by rich teal, scarlet, mustard and dark wood, while the theme is nostalgia – as evident in the 1990s music theme throughout the hotel.
The guest may have grown up, but there is still a student trapped inside who wants to let his hair down and not heed rules. The key difference is that he now has better taste, and the means to splurge.
During Happy Hour and when there are events going on, well-dressed customers from the media, fashion and art industries pack the fifth-floor hybrid space, The Social by Lay Low. Inspired by Taiwanese fruits and tea culture, the head mixologist (who hails from Lay Low, a trendy bar in Taichung, central Taiwan) creates cocktails and craft beers infused with Taiwanese flavours and memories.
Episode Da’an Taipei, No. 219-2, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Da’an Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan, 106
For those who like to decompress after a long day out, and bask in the familiarity of a brand they grew up with, there’s the Shangri-La Far Eastern, Taipei, the first international branded hotel to open in Da’an in 1994.
Still fresh from a USD 20 million (SGD 27 million) renovation in 2017, the Shangri-La wears an updated Oriental look, with Chinese artwork by local artists and latticed woodwork in the rooms with Song Dynasty-inspired window frames
Having stayed in Taipei’s grand dame perhaps 30 times (I have lost count), I feel a sense of homecoming every time I check in. I know some of the staff, like chief concierge Jeffrey Chung, who has been with the hotel for 24 years. I can always count on reliable, white-gloved service. The wonderful F&B selection is also another draw.
Shang Palace is one of the best and most popular Cantonese restaurants in Da’an. But my favourite meal here has to be the hotel’s buffet breakfast. The old-school spread – it is unapologetically large and offers way more than people should eat – is great for those who cannot decide between traditional Taiwanese fare like braised fatty pork over steamed rice and danzai noodles or a comforting bread and butter pudding. Why not have them all?
Shangri-La Far Eastern, The Mall, No. 201, Section 2, Dunhua S Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
(Main and featured image: Episode Da’an Taipei)
Editor-At-Large
Mavis Teo is an editor-at-large at Prestige Singapore where she focuses on travel, arts and culture, and personality profiles. A regular contributor to South China Morning Post, DestinAsian, The Straits ..Read More
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