Last Updated on 12-30-2023
Why did you come to Taiwan? The reasons for coming to Taiwan are work, travel, study, visiting family and friends…etc. Whether or not you visit Taiwan’s famous attractions, you definitely need to eat something to relax every day. The food in Taiwan is very diverse and can be found everywhere. From morning to night you can taste different cuisines. In addition, the major cities in Taiwan have very convenient transportation. However, Taipei is the best of all cities.
This article will introduce how to take the Taipei MRT to reach these delicious restaurants and enjoy street food. You will get to them faster!
Taipei Bib Gourmand restaurant
What is Bib Gourmand?
Bib Gourmand is one of MICHELIN GUIDE’s awards. Its name is taken from the corporate symbol Bibendum, and the award has been presented since 1955. Restaurants recommended by Bib Gourmand must offer 3 dishes (excluding beverages) and spend less than NT$1,000 (depending on location). These restaurants are recognized for their food, providing high quality cuisine at a low price. It’s worth a try!
Spending amount by different countries
- Taiwan: less than NTD 1,000
- U.S. cities: less than USD 40
- Most European cities: less than EUR 36
- Tokyo, Japan: less than ¥ 5,000
- Hong Kong, China: less than HKD 400
The top 3 Bib Gourmand restaurant in Taipei recommend
Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐)
Din Tai Fung is a well-known international chain restaurant. Currently, Din Tai Fung is located in 13 countries worldwide. They are famous for xiaolongbao and each one must be 18 folds. Each of their restaurants has a bright space and very polite service. Some of the dishes are only available in Taiwan. It is recommended to try it when you come to Taiwan!
- Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday 11:00 AM-8:30 PM
- Weekends 10:30 AM-8:30 PM
- Address: No. 194, Sec. 2, Xinyi Road, Daan District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 1 minute walk from Dongmen Station
Chili House (四川吳抄手)
Chili House has been in business for over 70 years. They are a Sichuan cuisine restaurant. You must feel very spicy when you think of Sichuan cuisine. But they have both spicy and non-spicy dishes for you to choose from, so don’t worry too much! They are famous for wontons in red chili oil(紅油抄手). It has a thin wrapper and full of fillings. There are also many local dishes to choose from, and they change with the seasons. Therefore, you can have a different taste every time.
- Opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday 11:00 AM-2:30 PM and 5:00 PM-9:00 PM
- Friday to Sunday 11:00 AM-2:30 PM and 5:00 PM-9:30 PM
- Address: 4F, No. 58, Songren Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 7 minutes walk from Taipei City Hall Station
Taj (泰姬)
Taj is an Indian restaurant and has been certified Halal. Therefore, no beef or pork is served, but mainly North Indian dishes (chicken, lamb, seafood). The restaurant uses many authentic decorations and plays Bollywood dance songs. However, The owner not only imports spices from India but also hires Indian chefs. It is exotic and feels like you are dining in a local area. Well worth a try!
- Opening hours:
- Everyday 11:30 AM-2:30 PM and 5:30 PM-10:00 PM
- Tuesday is closed
- Address: No. 1, Lane 48, Sec. 4, Civic Boulevard, Daan District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 6 minutes walk from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
Taipei Restaurants Recommended by Foreigners
To introduce the famous restaurants in Taiwan for you.The following restaurants have their own characteristics. The common point is that they are very suitable for yourself or group dining.
Ichiran Ramen (一蘭拉麵)
Ichiran Ramen is a famous ramen chain. It was founded in Japan and did not open in Taiwan until 2017. They want to restore 100 percent of the Japanese taste, so all the ingredients are shipped to Taiwan by air from Japan. In addition, the seats in the restaurant are for one person, with a partition blocking them. Hope everyone can concentrate on the taste of ramen and protect privacy. Although there is only one type of ramen to choose from, you can freely adjust the taste to get a different feeling. Well worth a try! The restaurant is located next to Taipei 101, so you can visit the landmarks of Taiwan as well.
- Opening hours:
- 24 hours a day, all year round
- Address: No. 97, Songren Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 6 minutes walk from Xiangshan Station
- Price range: Roughly between 280~400 NTD
De nuit
De nuit is a French restaurant with one Michelin star. The name means “night” in French. Therefore, the interior design and lighting of the restaurant are dark in tone. Each dish is delicately presented on a plate and accompanied by French music. It makes people relax and feel like they are immersed in the romance of France. This is a great restaurant for business, where you can easily discuss business matters without losing your polite manners.
- Opening hours:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 6 pm-10:30 pm
- Friday, Saturday 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 10:30pm
- Sunday and Monday are closed
- Address: No. 175, Sec. 4, Xinyi Road, Daan District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 3 minutes walk from Xinyi Anhe Station
- Price range: Roughly between 3500~5000 NTD
LE BLE D’OR (金色三麥)
LE BLE D’OR provides a wide range of exotic cuisines. The main feature of the restaurant is beer, and the space is designed in a classic European style wine cellar. It’s perfect for those who need to drink, and there are also private rooms available. However, there is live music on weekend nights. Therefore, it is a great place to chat or talk about business.
- Opening hours:
- Sunday to Thursday 11:00 AM-11:00 PM
- Friday, Saturday 11:00 AM-00:00 AM
- Address: No. 11, Songgao Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 5 minutes walk from Taipei City Hall Station
- Price range: Roughly between 800~2000 NTD
Orange Shabu Shabu House (橘色涮涮屋)
Orange Shabu Shabu House is a restaurant that sells hot pot. Taiwanese hot pot is a dish made of various ingredients and soup (thinly sliced meat, seafood…etc). This restaurant is well known in Taiwan. It is a comfortable place to eat and you will be served by professional staff. Therefore, it is very suitable for two or more people to come here for dinner!
- Opening hours:
- Everyday 5:00 PM-2:30 AM
- Address: No. 29-2, Section 4, Renai Road, Daan District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 5 minutes walk from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
- Price range: Roughly between 1000~1500 NTD
Street food that only Taiwanese know
If you want to know more about what Taiwanese usually eat? Next, you will get to know more about local food in Taiwan from below. Don’t underestimate these restaurants, some of them are even recommended by Bib Gourmand.
Lin Dong Fang (林東芳牛肉麵)
Lin Dong Fang is a beef noodle restaurant that you must try when you come to Taiwan. Beef noodles are a popular local food in Taiwan. The soup at this restaurant is very delicious and the beef tastes soft and tender. If you want to eat some local food or street food in Taiwan, you definitely need to try it!
- Opening hours:
- Everyday 11:00 AM-3:00 AM
- Address: No. 322, Sec. 2, Bade Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 8 minutes walk from Nanjing Fuxing Station
- Price range: Roughly between 150~300 NTD
Wang’s Broth (小王煮瓜)
Wang’s Broth is a Lu Rou Fan restaurant. Although this restaurant sells a kind of street food, it has been recommended by Bib Gourmand. The overall environment is more comfortable after redecorating, so it attracts many people to make pilgrimages. If you want to experience more of Taiwan’s local food culture. You really need to come and try this cuisine!
- Opening hours:
- Everyday 9:30 AM-8:00 PM
- Tuesday is closed
- Address: Booth No. 153, No. 17-4, Huaxi Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 7 minutes walk from Longshan Temple Station
- Price range: Roughly between 100~250 NTD
Fu Hang Soybean Milk (阜杭豆漿)
Fu Hang Soybean Milk is a Taiwanese breakfast joint that has been recommended by Bib Gourmand. Its menu sells traditional Taiwanese breakfast items. You can order the famous xian dou jiang (鹹豆漿). It may be a little different from other countries. But if you want to know more about what Taiwanese people usually eat for breakfast, go to this joint and try it!
- Opening hours:
- Everyday 5:30 AM-12:30 PM
- Monday is closed
- Address: 2F, No. 108, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao East Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
- Nearby MRT station: 1 minutes walk from Shandao Temple Station
- Price range: Roughly between 100~200 NTD
More local food in Taiwan you should try
In fact, there is a lot of local food in other cities as well. However, Taipei has a more convenient public transportation system, so this article will mainly share the restaurants in Taipei. But if you want to go to other cities for more local food. You can take the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) for faster access to the places you want to go.
Very informative artical