Nep Lounge Bar: Cocktails in Zhongshan
When you think of drinking on or around Linsen North Road, you may picture the countless hostess bars, authentic Japanese izakayas and the rather private cocktails bars that the area is famous for. And while we can’t deny that these institutions add to Linsen North Road’s charm, we have often found ourselves in the area looking for something a little more mainstream. Luckily for us, we found it.
We’d heard of Nep. Lounge Bar a while ago when it was recommended to us by friends and had never gotten around to checking it out until recently. It’s actually pretty neat — think basement lounge with purple mood lighting, competent staff, lots of space, and a massive built-in fish tank above the bar. It gets reasonably busy on the weekends, but we had no problem finding a seat by the bar. Sitting here was actually a great choice because we got a chance to chat with the mixologist, who was both welcoming and helpful when consulting their drinks menu.
We started off our night with a plate of complimentary dried fish strips, which was actually really good if fishy snacks are your thing. We did notice that they had food, but since we had just eaten at nearby 築地銀だこハイボール酒場, we skipped it and went straight to drinks.
The first thing we ordered was the Pinnochio ($350), made with Tanqueray No. 10, yuzu liqueur, homemade ginger syrup, and lemon. This was a nice citrusy cocktail that was neither too light nor too heavy: you could definitely feel the gin, but the yuzu and ginger worked to mask it with flavours that were strong but still quite delicate. It didn’t blow our minds in terms of creativity, but it was beautifully balanced and came in a rather interesting glass that we couldn’t help snapping photos of.
Next, we went for a classic: the Moscow Mule ($350), made with vodka, ginger beer, homemade citrus beer foam, homemade ginger syrup, and lime. We enjoyed this drink too — it was delicious and well-made, with the homemade ginger syrup packing a punch in terms of flavour. If you’re not in the mood to take a chance on something more creative, this was a solid choice.
Being a total sucker for cocktails made with Taiwanese tea, we next ordered the Hermit ($400), made of Lishan Oolong tea-infused dark rum and roselle flavoured Suze. This was one strong, bitter cocktail. The roselle and the oolong tea were an interesting mix of flavours, but it wasn’t for the weak. We can imagine this being a great choice for someone who likes strong drinks, but if you don’t, we recommend giving it a miss.
The last drink we ordered was probably our favourite of them all: the Open Sesame ($400), made with brown rice liquor, black sesame, popcorn syrup, and cream. This was a beautiful, creamy concoction with a little bit of crunch from the sesame seeds inside. The popcorn syrup added a mildly nutty sweetness without becoming the dominant flavour, and we liked that we could taste the brown rice liquor just enough to know that it was there. If you don’t mind your cocktails being on the sweet, creamy side, this is a great choice.
Check out their full menu below, which we got on from their Facebook page. Note that they have a minimum spend of $300 on weekdays and $500 on weekends.
All in all, we really enjoyed our experience at Nep. Lounge Bar, far more than we thought we would. The bar looked cool and had a bit of atmosphere to it, the staff were friendly to us, and we found the cocktails to be extremely well made. We probably wouldn’t urge anyone to travel across Taipei specifically for it, but it was a great place to end up at, especially when coming from the Linsen North Road area.
What’s the vibe?
Cool underground lounge bar with a built-in aquarium, good drinks menu and competent staff. The mixologist was especially friendly and knowledgable. Customers are mostly young locals.
Worth it?
Sure. The drinks were about as expensive as you would expect ($350-$400) and were very well-made. It was also slightly more atmospheric than your average cocktail bar, which we liked.
Would you go back?
Yes, but only if we were in the area.
Last updated January 2020.
| Nep. Lounge Bar |
| Hours: 7:30pm – 3am |
| Phone: 02 2521 0069 |
| English Address: B1, 63 Tianjin Street, Zhongshan District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市中山區天津街63號B1 |
