Hanko 60: Old-School Taiwanese Style Bar with Crazy Cocktails
Hanko 60 is one of the coolest bars in Taipei, maybe even the whole of Taiwan. It’s hardly a secret, but we’ve been dying to review this moody speakeasy since we first visited two years ago, having developed a taste for their incredibly unique cocktails and great atmosphere. Even today, it is one of our favourite places to take friends, dates and visitors in the city, and we personally feel that no trip to Taipei is complete without a visit.
Located at Number 60, Hanko Street in Ximen, Hanko 60 disguises its entrance as a somewhat shady-looking cinema, with posters advertising old Bruce Lee movies or Western classics like Breakfast at Tiffany’s. To enter, press a tiny button to the right-hand side of the door. The one-room interior has a moody, grungy, slightly underground vibe that is much more alive than your average Taipei cocktail bar. The customers are mostly cool, young, and Taiwanese, and the place is nearly always packed. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on the weekend — we’ve even heard of people getting turned away on a Thursday night because they didn’t call ahead. It’s just that popular.
You can also turn up and put your name and phone number down so that they can call you if a spot opens up, but to be honest we don’t recommend doing this, as there’s a good chance you’ll be waiting all night — especially if you have more than three people in your party. If you really must (and we have, with mixed results), go to nearby Driftwood while you wait: it’s only a few minutes away by foot, so you can come running if you get the call.
Hanko 60 is known for their creative cocktails, many of which incorporate or play around with Taiwanese or other Asian ingredients. Don’t be surprised if some of these ingredients tend to be on the more interesting side… Like the Amazing Jing Jing ($350), made with tea, apple liqueur, 513 tea liqueur, and asparagus juice. This may sound absolutely horrifying, but we were pleasantly surprised by how fruity and refreshing it was, and how nicely it steamed as it first arrived. It was quite delicious and totally safe to drink, which led us to falsely believe asparagus juice was alright on its own. Spoiler alert: it’s not.
Another one of their interesting cocktails is the Wasabi Sashimi ($350), made with chili vodka, honey, cucumber, tarragon, konnyaku, and wasabi. This cocktail is much less drinkable than the last and has a love-it-or-hate-it kinda taste, but is undeniably creative — it’s served with a little portion of “sashimi” (which is actually konnyaku, a kind of jelly made from a potato-like Japanese plant) in a separate container on top. It has a strong wasabi flavour and is both sweet and spicy.
The idea is to eat the “sashimi” with a little bit of wasabi and soy sauce, just like you would real sashimi, as you drink your cocktail. We do not recommend you do this, as konnyaku has a texture like rubber and almost no detectable taste, but it definitely adds to the experience. This drink is not for the faint-hearted: if you don’t like the idea of a wasabi cocktail, you might want to skip it. Most people in our party didn’t enjoy it, and definitely wouldn’t order it again, but some of us thought it was brilliant. Another drink that sounds similarly disgusting that you may or may not enjoy is the Gangnam Kimchi ($350), made with vodka, sour apple, and yup, real Korean kimchi. It’s served with a side of Doritos (bizarrely enough) but to be honest, we quite liked it.
Another creative but much less controversial cocktail is Grey’s Anatomy ($400), made with Big Peat Whiskey, blueberry, and fresh lemon juice. This cocktail is pretty cool because you get to squirt the blueberry juice inside yourself, controlling the sweetness. It was a nice, fruity option for whiskey lovers that we also enjoyed.
We quite liked the Pirates of the Caribbean ($400) too, which comes with a flaming passionfruit and is made with Sailor Jerry Rum, Cointreau, and coconut syrup. This was a strong rum drink that had us buzzing pretty quickly. If you love tropical drinks and are feeling a little intimidated by some of the more creative options on the menu, give this a try.
One of our very favourite drinks at Hanko 60 is Movie Street ($400), a strong, sickly-sweet but absolutely delicious cocktail made with rum, yoghurt liqueur, sea salt, and milk. It’s hidden in a bag of cinema popcorn and should only be ordered if you have a serious sweet tooth, as it can be pretty hard to finish due to its sweet, milky flavour. You might be nursing this drink for a while, so we recommend splitting it with someone who has a lighter drink.
There’s one drink at Hanko 60 that we must urge you away from at all costs: The Grudge Toshio ($400), made with vodka, Campari, blue Curacao, and Vermouth. These ingredients may seem pretty unassuming on their own, but they combine to make the vilest, sourest, bitterest, most undrinkable cocktail on the planet. Even the bartenders will warn you about how bitter it is before you order this bubbling green monstrosity. Please. We implore you. Don’t. If you have to order it, try doing so with the Movie Street cocktail, which is so sweet that it will help to balance out the intensity The Grudge Toshio. But seriously, don’t.
Those were just a selection of the drinks that we ordered the last time we visited, but Hanko 60 has a wide selection of both creative and standard cocktails. It’s worth playing around with whatever excites you — we’ve had a lot of fun working our way through the menu over the years. We also love that there are so many Taiwan and Taipei-inspired drinks to choose from! Check out some of the other cocktails on offer:
Overall, we seriously can’t recommend Hanko 60 enough. Whether you live in Taipei or are just passing through, this is a really cool spot with excellent drinks that play around with some really unique Asian ingredients. It’s got the coolest vibe, and it’s a fantastic spot for a date or a catch-up with friends. If you’re only going to one bar in Taipei, let this be it! Just don’t forget that this place is also on everyone else’s radar, so chances are you will need a reservation to secure a spot. Call ahead (someone at the bar speaks English) as early as you can — the smaller your group, the better your chances of getting a place last-minute. Stopping by without a reservation is a big gamble.
Check out Hanko 60’s full menu here:
What’s the vibe?
A little bit retro, a little bit grungy, but with a cool, modern twist. Expect mostly young Taiwanese couples and friends. Like other cocktail bars in Taipei, this is a place to take friends, not make friends. If you’re in the mood to socialize, check out Cafe Dalida, another awesome bar in Ximen.
Worth it?
Very much so! It’s not cheap, but it’s creative and unique. In our opinion, a must-go in Taipei.
Would you go back?
We have been back multiple times — it’s our favourite date spot in the city, and we love taking people from out of town.
Last visited June 2019.
| Hanko 60 |
| Chinese Name: HANKO 60 如醉如夢 |
| Hours: Sun-Thurs 8pm – 2am Fri-Sat 8pm – 3am |
| Phone: 02 2381 0808 |
| English Address: No. 60, Section 2, Hankou St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, 108 |
| Chinese Address: No. 60漢口街二段萬華區台北市108 |
