La Locanda: Taipei’s Best Italian Restaurant
Have you ever found a restaurant that you love so much that you consider not telling your friends about it? Selfish as it sounds, the Michelin-rated restaurant La Locanda is such a firm favourite in our friend group that we almost hate to advertise it. Though it’s hardly a secret — indeed, reservations are a must — we were surprised to discover that La Locanda still flies under the radar of many a Taipei resident despite having some of the most authentic Italian food in the city. And we don’t say that lightly: we were brought to La Locanda by a dear Italian friend who was on a mission to introduce us to the most genuine flavours of her country.
Located in a sleepy neighbourhood between Taipei Arena and Zhongxiao Dunhua, La Locanda has a relaxed, intimate atmosphere and is polished yet comfortable. On days with good weather, customers can choose to sit at one of two outdoor tables, and bigger groups can be accommodated downstairs. Service is friendly and efficient, especially if you get a chance to the chef, who will happily talk you through the menus and specials. Although the restaurant closes at 10:30, we strongly recommend making your reservation for earlier rather than later so that you don’t rush through your meal, possibly (gasp) missing dessert and the chance to peruse their fantastic wine list.
We would argue that — other than the incredible, authentic food — two things, in particular, make La Locanda stand out from the other Italian restaurants in Taipei. First, their attention to detail: they strive to make as much as they can in-house, including but not limited to bread, pasta, biscotti, gelato, and jams. The bread is made with their own yeast, which the chef harvested from honey. The complimentary breadsticks (pictured below) are made with a mix of corn and wheat flour to make them extra crunchy and are absolutely phenomenal.
The second thing that makes La Locanda so special is that they are extremely flexible in terms of dietary restrictions, and have no problem adjusting dishes or making you something completely off the menu. Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or are following a specific kind of diet, the chef encourages you to let them know so that they can find a way to meet your needs. Even if you have no specific dietary requirement and simply want to eat something that isn’t on the menu, they will do their best to work with you to make something you’ll like. As plenty of our friends — in fact, the very friends we visited with — have quite strict dietary requirements, we were extremely grateful in their flexibility as it meant that we had a wide range of choices available to us, something that is pretty uncommon with this particular group of friends.
The first thing we ordered was a selection of Italian cheese and ham, served with honey, nuts, and mustard jam. This was a slightly modified version of the cheeseboard on their menu ($450) as we really wanted to try some a little of their cold cuts, which are usually served separately. This board was utterly magnificent, with a delicious array of Parmigiano, gorgonzola, asiago, and pecorino cheeses, as well as prosciutto, salame, coppa, and speck. Everything was phenomenal, and we were glad that the cheeses were diverse in taste and texture. However, the real star of the show here was the mustard jam, which was sweet, sharp, and magnificent when paired with cheese and wine.
One thing to note: since the cheese and meat selection is slightly different each time depending on the availability of the importers, we strongly suggest buying extra of your favourites to take home with you. We left that night with about 1kg of Parmigiano at the behest of our Italian friend, who almost exlusively buys her cheeses here.
Next, we got the insalata di rucola funghi e parmigiano ($480), a salad made with arugula, mushrooms, Parmigiano cheese, and a lemon dressing. As basic as this may seem, it was absolutely bursting with flavour: peppery arugula was tossed with mushrooms and generous shavings of cheese, complemented by a satisfyingly tangy dressing that worked wonders to tie all of the flavours together. Arugula lovers, this one is for you.
Next, the chef made us a dish that was off the menu so that we could have a slightly wider range of vegetarian choices. This was a tagliatelle made with mixed mushrooms and truffle oil, quite similar to another item on their menu (tagliatelle misto funghi, salsiccia e tartufo, $480) that includes handmade sausage. Despite being a vegetarian dish, this tagliatelle was so rich and hearty that it was hard to believe there was no meat inside.
For our last main, the chef prepared us a simple vegetarian version of a spaghetti carbonara. This was a dish where the flavours of each ingredient shone, and the delicious handmade pasta and pecorino romano made for an indulgent eating experience. We’re sure the non-vegetarian version would be divine, too.
Choosing a dessert was hard, but after much deliberation, we finally decided on an Italian cheesecake ($250). Served with a dollop of blueberry jam, candied fruit, and meringue dust — all of which was made in-store — this cheesecake was rich and dense, made with a beautiful creamy mascarpone and not oversweet like it’s Americanized cousin. We had to restrain ourselves from immediately ordering another plate, which was no easy feat.
As one member of our party was following a rather strict diet and could not partake in the aforementioned cheesecake, the chef very kindly made a keto-friendly deconstructed cheesecake just for her. Dollops of mascarpone and ricotta were served with blueberry preserve and drizzled with honey, with two slices of pecorino cheese and mustard jam on the side. In our opinion, nothing could really beat the original cheesecake itself, but this was a creative alternative that we all loved. We were all touched and impressed at the chef’s commitment to accommodating each dietary restrictions at every turn.
To round off our dinner, we finished with a couple of complimentary Italian moka coffees, and gratefully accepted pieces of handmade biscotti to dip inside. The coffee was strong and smooth, and the perfect way to end our meal as we needed every bit of help to digest everything we had feasted on. A decaf version is available too.
All things said, we really can’t rave enough about La Locanda. Not only is it some of the best (if not the best), authentic Italian food in Taipei, but their use of quality imported and local ingredients make for a phenomenal dining experience. The owner and head chef is down-to-earth, friendly, and very accommodating of all kinds of dietary restrictions, which takes a lot of the stress out of eating with a group. We can’t think of a better Italian restaurant in Taipei, and that’s saying something.
Check out their full menu down below:
What’s the vibe?
Intimate Italian restaurant with a spectacular menu and wine list. We saw both locals and foreigners eating there, and have heard that it is a popular option with Italians living in Taipei.
Worth it?
Incredibly worth it! It’s by no means cheap, but you pay for the experience and the quality, both of which are top-notch.
Would you go back?
Absolutely. We’ve already sent half our address book to La Locanda, and we’re excited to return there ourselves!
| La Locanda |
| Hours: 11:30am – 2pm, 5:30pm – 10:30pm |
| Phone: 0225792922 |
| English Address: No. 18, Alley 52, Lane 12, Section 3, Bade Road, Songshan District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市松山區八德路三段12巷52弄18號 |
