Indoor Skateboarding & Beers at Park Life Drinking Room

New safety measures for COVID-19: Alcohol spray provided to customers to use on their hands, customers must have their temperature checked before admittance using a fancy thermometer, surfaces and door handles are disinfected regularly, and the bar is made of copper, allegedly the safest material for fighting the virus.

Delivery information: No delivery available yet.

One of the most epic new additions to the Taipei bar scene has to be Parklife Drinking Room near Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT Station. From the creators of BeerGeek MicroPub and Little London, Parklife has everything you’d want in a bar — great beers, great food, and a great atmosphere — along with an indoor skate ramp, refurbished pinball machines, and a pool table. With its unique concept and grungy retro vibe, Parklife has attracted the attention of expats and locals alike and is becoming an increasingly popular spot for casual drinks.

Despite only having opened in March, Parklife is already a popular choice for weekend drinking. It welcomes a mix of people and has a casual but lively atmosphere that lends itself to striking up a conversation with strangers. We loved how social it was, something that’s often missing from bars in Taipei.

Parklife has a nice, rotating selection of beers at reasonable prices, all between $150-250. The bartender was knowledgable and friendly and took the time to explain what was on tap and make recommendations, saving us a few times from ordering something we wouldn’t have enjoyed.

The coolest thing about Parklife has got to be its indoor mini skate ramp, which can be accessed by members during a skate meet on Tuesdays. Surrounded by a chain-link fence, this mimics an outdoor halfpipe really well (except for its size), and is an incredibly unique feature that we’ve yet to come across in any bar in Taipei. To become a member and gain access, just show up between 6-10:30PM on a Tuesday and register with a member of staff by the bar. Make sure to come on Tuesdays if you want to use the ramp, as a pool table occupies the space on other days of the week.

Another epic feature of Parklife is the refurbished pinball machines in a back room. These work on tokens that are obtained at the bar, and you can get 4 plays for $100. They’re really cool, and give the bar a vintage aesthetic that’s really fun and unique, not to mention pleasing to the eye.

Last but not least, we’d be remiss not to mention the great food you can get at Parklife. In addition to toasties, pies, and hot dogs, Parklife actually offers pulled pork buns from our favourite BBQ in town: Bogart’s Smokehouse. We immediately jumped on this, as Bogart’s is located pretty inconveniently in Nangang and we haven’t been for a while. Parklife’s version lived up to our expectations with their pulled pork bun, which comes slathered in Bogart’s Mama’s Original Sauce and served between a soft bun. At only $250 it’s a good deal, and we strongly encourage you to try it if you haven’t before.

Check out their full food menu down below:

Overall, we enjoyed Parklife much more than we thought it would. It has a lot of character and a comfortable atmosphere where people can relax and socialise, not to mention great beers. The fact that they serve Bogart’s BBQ is the cherry on the cake and a very tempting reason to pop over for a quick drink and dinner after work without having to trek all the way to Nangang. It ticks all of the boxes of what we would want in a bar, and we know we’ll return in the future to hang out.

What’s the vibe?

Fun expat hangout with a retro aesthetic. Customers are a good mix of foreigners and locals.

Worth it?

Absolutely! It’s a unique concept that’s executed well, and a great place to hang out and drink some beers.

Would you go back?

Most definitely.

Last updated May 2020

Parklife Drinking Room

Hours: Tues-Thurs 5:30pm – 12am Fri & Sat 5:30pm – 2am Sunday 5:30pm – 11pm Closed Mondays

Phone: 0227515565

English Address: No. 41, Section 3, Civic Avenue, Zhongshan District, Taipei City

Chinese Address: 台北市中山區市民大道三段41號1樓