Nicknamed Portland of the East, Taipei is where delicious food, excellent coffee, and great design intersect. The city’s buzzing food scene has always been the primary draw; as it’s named World Design Capital 2016, a design dimension is also brought to the fore. Planning a trip to Taipei soon? Here’s our shortlist to the best of the city for design lovers.

Stay

Most luxury hotels congregate around Taipei 101, but the Mandarin Oriental Taipei decided to stake its claim in a more charming area. Sitting along the tree-lined Dunhua North Road, the hotel stands as a beacon of elegance with its soaring ceilings and distinct European feel. The rooms are decorated in sedate hues and sumptuous fabrics, but the real standout is the spacious bathroom (the true measure of luxury if you ask me). Each room also comes equipped with a valet box, ensuring you get the Financial Times or room service delivered to your door while still enjoying utmost privacy.

Eat and Drink

Luguo Café

There’s no shortage of cool cafes in Taipei, but Luguo Café has more than just single-origin beans and hand-brewing techniques. Located on the second floor of a shop house near Dihua Street, the café’s cinematic space is the best place to savour the slow lifestyle that the city espouses over an expertly made cup.

Sweet Tea

With love of coffee comes a penchant for cakes and pastries, and Sweet Tea, a sister establishment of acclaimed restaurant S.T.A.Y. (Simple Table Yannick Alléno), offers one of the best selections in the city. Try one of chef Alexis Bouillet’s signature desserts such as The Formosa – an intricate, dainty cake that tastes of lychee. Work up an appetite by checking his Instagram page, in which he documents his elegant creations.

Visit

Minsheng Community

Considered the first residential area in Taipei, Minsheng Community is made up of a network of small, tree-lined streets with charming buildings. Fujin Street, the centre of all the action, has transformed from a quiet leafy area to a creative hub. Gentrification is visible on the ground level of these old, low-rise buildings as studios, boutiques and cafes take over the spaces. It doesn’t, however, ruin the homey feel, which makes this area even more appealing.

Huashan 1914 Creative Park

Formally established as an arts centre in 2007, Huashan 1914 Creative Park is a former brewery that’s now an enclave for creative pursuits spanning industries such as film, design and food. On the weekends, it’s filled with locals checking out exhibitions, or just soaking up the atmosphere with their children and dogs in tow. Definitely worth an afternoon wander.

ArtYard Taipei

Dadaocheng is known as the city’s historical heart – its streets filled with shop houses selling Chinese food, medicine, ceramics and more. It’s also ground zero for adaptive reuse initiatives and advocacy projects such as ArtYard Taipei, which showcases traditional arts, crafts and designs in a stylish, converted shop house.

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