What to Eat in Taipei Taiwan: My 9 TOP Street Foods & Restaurants in Taipei (2025)

Last Updated on June 27, 2025 by Oliver

This might honestly be one of the most important articles I’ll write about Taipei, or even about Taiwan in general. I loved exploring the city and learning about the culture, but if I’m being real, the food ended up being the main highlight for me.

For a lot of travelers coming from the US, Europe, or Australia, visiting Taipei feels pretty different. At least for me it did. The food here was something I hadn’t really experienced before, and that’s exactly what made it so exciting. I wanted to try everything.

I just got back from a week in Taipei and I swear, I spent most of it eating, noodle soups, dumplings, donuts, fried chicken you name it, I was obsessed. 

But figuring out what to eat in Taipei and where to eat in Taipei isn’t always straightforward. A lot of the best spots aren’t on social media or in some “top 10” list. So that’s why I wanted to put together this food guide to share exactly what I loved eating and the spots where you can find it. Let’s get into it.

What to Eat in Taipei – My Experience (Plus a Few Food Tips)

So, a few quick thoughts about food in Taiwan, especially when it comes to figuring out what to eat in Taipei and where to find it.

Figuring out what to eat in Taipei was actually the easy part. I watched a few YouTube videos, read a couple blogs, and just asked people at my hotel what I should try. Everyone always mentioned the same staples: beef noodle soup, scallion pancakes, soup dumplings (xiao long bao)… the usual.

The harder part was finding out where to actually get those things. There are thousands of food stalls and restaurants in this city, and to be honest, it’s kind of overwhelming. I started asking around online, on Reddit, travel threads, stuff like that, just to get some actual local recommendations.

Here’s what I figured out: you can’t trust Google reviews. I know that sounds weird, but a lot of the time the best spots have super low ratings for no real reason. People in Taiwan can be pretty harsh when it comes to reviewing food. If they had to wait in line, if something was slightly wrong, if it was more expensive than expected, boom, one star. So don’t let a 3.2 rating scare you off.

That said, there are some obvious spots that are just plain great. Din Tai Fung, for example, is iconic for a reason. Their soup dumplings are amazing and it’s a good place to start.

Oh, and one more thing, get ready to wait in line. Taiwanese people will happily queue for good food, and I ended up waiting 10 minutes, 30 minutes, even two hours at some places. Apparently, that’s just part of the food culture here.

Last tip: download Google Translate and use the camera feature, because most menus will be ONLY in Chinese. It’ll make your life so much easier.

What to Eat in Taipei & Where to Eat in Taipei

With so many restaurants and street food stalls in Taipei and a lot of them offering the same dishes, I figured it makes more sense to list what you should try and then give you a few good spots where you can actually find it. I think that’s just easier than dumping a long list of random restaurant names.

1. Beef Noodle Soup

Beef noodle soup was probably my favorite thing I ate in Taiwan, and I had it more times than I can count. It’s made with chunks of super tender braised beef, thick noodles, and a rich, flavorful broth. The meat usually just falls apart when you pick it up, which is so hearty and satisfying.

It’s a proper comfort food situation. We had a few rainy, cooler days in Taipei, and sitting in a little restaurant slurping hot beef noodle soup was exactly what I needed.

Honestly, it almost reminded me of some hearty German or European dishes. It’s not spicy like some other Taiwanese food, it’s just rich and warming and super filling.

Best Places to eat in Taipei for Beef Noodle Soup:

• Fuhong Beef Noodles: small, local, and one of my favorites (Google Maps Location Here)
• Din Tai Fung: more upscale restaurant but still does a good Beef Noodle Soup (Google Maps Location Here)
• Master Jim Beef Noodles: super popular for a reason, definitely worth trying (Google Maps Location Here)

2. Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)

Xiao long bao is one of my absolute favorite things to eat in Taipei. If you’ve never had them before, you might just think they’re regular dumplings but they’re not. These are delicate steamed dumplings filled with pork and hot broth inside (hence the name soup dumplings), and they’re just insanely delicious. I’m obsessed.

The most famous spot to try them is Din Tai Fung, which actually started right here in Taipei. That’s what they’re known for.

Quick tip on how to eat them: mix up the little dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger (they usually give it to you), then pick up the dumpling gently with your chopsticks, place it in your spoon, poke a small hole to let the soup out, sip the soup from the spoon, then dip the rest of the dumpling in the sauce and go for it.

The Best Taipei Restaurants for Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings):

• Din Tai Fung Restaurant (the original location) (Google Maps Location Here)
• 湯包樂: Amazing value for money, one of my favorite restaurants in Taipei (Google Maps Location Here)

3. Pork Pepper Buns & Pan Fried Buns

Any kind of fried bun is my absolute go-to street food in Taipei, they’re just so good. Honestly, I’m sitting here writing this and already craving them again.

Pan fried buns are basically big baos that are either fried in a pan or baked in those clay ovens to give them that crispy outside. They’re usually filled with pork, cabbage, or mushrooms if you’re vegetarian.

One of the most iconic spots is Fuzhou Pepper Buns, located right at the entrance of Raohe Night Market. Their pepper pork buns are baked in those big barrel ovens and they’re absolutely worth the wait.

But my personal favorite is Chef Yu Fried Bun. Those things were so damn good, juicy, crispy, just everything you want in a bun.

Where to Eat in Taipei for Pan Fried Buns:

• Fuzhou Pepper Buns (at Raohe Night Market) (Google Maps Location Here)
• Chef Yu Fried Bun (Google Maps Location Here)
• 徐記古早味水煎包-吳興店 (Google Maps Location Here)

4. Gua Bao Bun (Taiwanese Hamburger)

Gua Bao is another classic night market food that I had a few times while I was in Taipei. Even though it’s often called a “Taiwanese hamburger,” it’s really nothing like a hamburger but it is still super delicious.

It’s basically an open bao bun stuffed with a super tender slice of braised pork belly, usually topped with things like chili flakes, coriander, and pickled mustard greens. I really liked it. It’s not my absolute favorite thing from the markets, but it’s definitely something I think you should try at least once.

Best Night Markets in Taipei to Try Gua Bao (Taiwanese Hamburger):

• Raohe Night Market ( Best Food Taipei) (Google Maps Location Here)
• Linjiang Night Market (Google Maps Location Here)
• Shilin Night Market (Google Maps Location Here)
• Ningxia Night Market (Google Maps Location Here)

5. Milk Donuts

Milk donuts..honestly, I’m not even sure if this is a thing all over Taiwan, but there’s one spot in Taipei that’s become super famous for it. Crispy Milk Donuts is a tiny little shop that sells these freshly baked donuts all day, every day. They’re covered in sugar and milk powder and oh my god, I was obsessed. Warm, fluffy, sweet, just perfect.

They’re not really comparable to American-style donuts, they’re different, but still incredible, just in a different way. The shop always has a line down the street no matter what time you come, but it moves fast, so don’t let that scare you off. 100% recommend making the stop.

Best place to eat in Taipei for Milk Donuts

• Crispy Milk Donuts (Google Maps Location Here)

6. Bubble Tea & Milk Tea

Bubble tea (or boba tea) and milk tea feel like the fuel that keeps Taipei running. People here are obsessed, there’s a milk tea shop on almost every corner. I have to admit, I got into it too and made it part of my daily routine to grab one at some point in the day.

It’s a real part of the culture here, and Taiwan is actually where bubble tea was first invented. I started liking all of it, whether it was a classic milk tea with flavors like white peach or rose, or something with boba in it. My go-to was usually something along the lines of a brown sugar caramel milk tea. Sounds almost more like a Starbucks order, but honestly, I loved it.

Best Bubble Tea in Taipei:
You can grab one pretty much anywhere and it’ll be good, but Xing Fu Tang Flagship (Google Maps Location Here) is a fun option. They’ve got a big glass window where you can actually watch how the boba and teas are made.

7. Taiwanese Breakfast

I definitely recommend trying Taiwanese breakfast. I had it pretty much every morning while I was in Taipei, and I really liked it, though I get that not everyone will be obsessed.

There’s a whole range of different dishes: shao bing, dan bing, cong zhua bing (that’s the flaky scallion pancake one), fried bread rolls, meatball sandwiches, and then all the soy milk options, cold, hot, and even a savory, soupy one that tastes almost like a light broth. Everything is usually super affordable, so we’d just order a bunch of random things to try different flavors.

My usual go-to was an egg crepe or a hot clay oven roll with pork, but honestly, just point at a few things and give it a go, it’s part of the fun.

Here are my best Taipei restaurants for Taiwanese breakfast:

• 秦小姐豆漿 信義店 (Google Maps Location Here)
• Yong He Soya Milk (Google Maps Location Here)

8. Peanut Ice Cream Roll

Peanut ice cream rolls are easily one of my favorite Taiwanese desserts. You’ll find them at pretty much every night market in Taiwan, and they’re such a fun little treat after you’ve eaten your way through all the savory stuff.

It’s basically a dessert wrap, kind of like an Asian tortilla with a couple scoops of ice cream (usually vanilla or taro), topped with shaved peanut brittle that gets scraped off a big block of sugary peanut candy. Then, for some reason, they sprinkle cilantro on top (yeah, I always skip that part). But overall, it’s cold, crunchy, sweet, and just the perfect night market dessert.

Best Night Markets in Taipei to Try Peanut Ice Cream Rolls:

• Raohe Night Market
• Linjiang Night Market
• Shilin Night Market

9. Taiwanese Fried Chicken

I’ll be honest, my first experience with fried chicken in Taiwan wasn’t great, so I won’t even bother mentioning where that was. But once you find a good spot, Taiwanese fried chicken can be so good. It’s usually a juicy chicken breast, fried up crispy, kind of like a big chicken tender, and it’s definitely one of the classic night market foods.

That said, one of the best versions I had was at Weekend Chicken Club. It’s more of a hip little restaurant than a street food stall, and yeah, it’s definitely overpriced for what it is, but the fried chicken is really tasty and the place has a cool vibe.

Best Restaurant in Taipei for Fried Chicken:

• Weekend Chicken Club & Bar ( Taipei Best Food Spots) (Google Maps Location Here)

FAQs About What to Eat in Taipei

What are the best restaurants in Taipei?

Taipei definitely has a bunch of high-end restaurants, but honestly, that’s never really my thing. I was way more into the local restaurants and street food. The only proper sit-down restaurant I went to was Din Tai Fung, and it really lived up to the hype.

What are the best cafes in Taipei?

You probably didn’t expect this, I didn’t either, but Taipei has a surprisingly good coffee scene. My favorite coffee shops in Taipei are After 5 and Summer Savage for sure.

What is the best food in Taipei?

That’s a tough one, but if I had to choose, I’d say pepper pork buns, soup dumplings, and beef noodle soup are my personal favorites.

What do you think is a must eat in Taipei?

If you only try one thing, I’d say make it the pan-fried buns. But honestly, going to Din Tai Fung for their xiao long bao is a must too.

Final Thoughts on Where to Eat in Taipei

Honestly, I don’t even know if this section is needed, you’ve probably figured out by now that I was obsessed with the food in Taipei. Eating here was my main focus, more than sightseeing.

Some of my personal favorites are the beef noodle soup from Fuhong Beef Noodles, the xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung (of course), but also the ones at 湯包樂, which might actually be my favorite little soup dumpling spot in the whole city. And when it comes to night market food, a good pepper pork bun is hard to beat.

Anyway, I hope this little travel guide helps give you a better idea of what to eat in Taipei and where to try it. Happy eating!

Related Articles