Perhaps Taoyuan isn’t the top choice when you’re visiting Taiwan but it’s actually a pretty quick trip from Taipei via HSR (20 minutes from Taipei Main Station and a one-way ticket is only $160NT which is approximately $5 USD). You can stop by Gloria Outlets (they have Loewe, Bottega Veneta, Lanvin, Gucci, etc) which is only a 5 minute walk from Taoyuan HSR station and make a stop at any one of these 10 spots and call it a day:
啡蒔 Verse Cafe by Minorcode–better quality food than almost all of the Australian cafés in New York and we all know how many Australian cafés have opened in New York in recent years. The menu offers a small array of options but each dish is done very well. We have tried everything on the menu already including their lasagna (which I can’t find my photo for) and would highly recommend everything. Favorites would have to be the avocado toast (it’s anything but basic) and their tiramisu. We typically order an Australian breakfast each with an avocado toast to share and end with a dessert. I would also highly recommend Minorcode–the womenswear store upstairs–if you’re looking for something chic and reasonably priced. See the three photos in the last row for some tops I’ve purchased from them.
Glück–situated near Zhongli’s Sogo department store, this café is both super photogenic and creative. I do have to say the presentation is much superior to the quality of the food. Nevertheless, the desserts are not bad!
友美子珈琲 Cafe Yumiko–this spot is almost always crowded but the desserts are quite tasty. The savory dishes are decent but I’d recommend the desserts more. The space is quaint and the staff is friendly and there are lots of charming little trinkets sprinkled all around if you’re good at picking up small details.
日福 OH HAPPY DAY–highly, highly suggest ordering the edamame smoothie. Every dessert we’ve had here is absolutely fantastic. They don’t offer savory options so you’ll have to find an actual meal somewhere else beforehand. Have been here multiple times and have never been disappointed with anything.
M PAIN Boulangerie & Pâtisserie–the chef here was trained at Le Cordon Bleu and this spot gives off cute countryside French vibes with sweet and simple décor. Wasn’t particularly impressed with the beverage options but at the end of the day, this place is about bread so I’m not holding that against them. The cured meats and cheese spread was great and the baguette perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
日青方好 Goodafter–Harbs who? The seasonal fruit mille crepe here is so much better than Harbs’. The savory dishes weren’t bad but nothing special aside from the presentation. Go for the desserts.
lindajia 甜点工作室–Linda makes some damn good desserts. She announces reservation times on her Instagram and posts a Google form 3 times a month to secure a table. She changes the menu pretty often and the two times we’ve gone, we were truly impressed by the quality. It’s clear that Linda is passionate about her craft and pours a lot of love into her café.
破舍咖啡 Për Se–this spot near Yuan Ze University (元智大學) in Neili seems like an IG trap but it’s not. The dessert and beverage options are great and the owner has a cute cat that will sometimes hang around the café. They also serve a few simple savory options if you want to eat a meal before moving on to dessert.
Tama Tama たまたま 慢食堂–the shaved ice here is good, especially if you want something less sweet than your typical shaved ice. The faint bitterness of the tea flavored ice offsets the sweetness quite nicely. The hot options are also really creative and delicious–we had the roasted red bean mochi dunked in matcha tea.
小舊閣樓 Glow–super rustic and traditional Taiwanese vibes here. The savory options are great (highly recommend the short rib risotto) and so are the beverages and desserts. They offer some house specials and daily specials as well so remember to check the chalkboard before choosing what to order.
巧遇甜點–came here for the chiffon cake topped with boba and was not disappointed. The place was a little difficult to find because of its geotag on Google maps but the staff was kind enough to direct my cab driver on the phone to the correct location.
花居樂花坊–this place is run by a Korean owner who brought bisu ice to Taoyuan. I believe it used to be a floral shop but now it also offers shaved ice. We have gone multiple times and were never able to try the pumpkin ice as it always sells out super quickly but I really love the taro bisu. It’s quite big so would recommend sharing one bisu between two people and ordering a beverage to meet the sit-in order minimum.
綠町冰室–traditional with a twist. This joint is so cute and I love the old school Taiwanese décor. The ice is on the sweet side but I like that they take advantage of the delicious fresh fruits Taiwan has to offer. Most ice shops tend to only offer strawberries in the winter and mangoes in the summer and no fruits in between but this spot offers pitted cherries, citrus fruits, pineapples, etc.
LA GRACIEUSE 