Taipei
Taipei's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
DA'AN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
23 Brewing Co draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
DA'AN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar Mood draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
ZHONGSHAN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar Pun draws a steady local crowd in Zhongshan. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
ZHONGSHAN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Blue Note Taipei draws a steady local crowd in Zhongshan. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
DA'AN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bobwundaye Jazz Bar draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
DA'AN · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Chamberlain draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
ZHONGSHAN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
COA Taipei draws a steady local crowd in Zhongshan. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
DA'AN · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cohiba Atmosphere draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
SONGSHAN · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Dragon Pearl draws a steady local crowd in Songshan. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
BEITOU · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Driftwood Brewery draws a steady local crowd in Beitou. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
DA'AN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
The Tavernist occupies the 12th floor of the Kimpton Da An hotel, with a bar and rooftop over Ren'ai Road and a Michelin recognized kitchen. Designers Neri and Hu shaped the room. Order: a cocktail built on local ingredients. Best time: sunset before dinner service.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Taipei or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Taipei would tell you to put on the list.
23 Brewing Co draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Bar Mood draws a steady local crowd in Da'an. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Taipei? See our guide to the best cocktail bars worldwide, or compare cocktail bars city by city. Or find cocktail bars near you.