Watson Bar: Tea Cocktails in a Heritage Building
One of the most iconic buildings on Dihua Street is the A.S. Watson Building, the first Western-style pharmacy in Taiwan. Though this might sound unremarkable at first, for a country that made the switch from Chinese traditional medicine to Western-style medicine (in general, although the two exist in tandem) within a hundred years, the Watson Building is a living piece of history. Built in 1917, it is one of the most recognizable and famous pieces of colonial architecture in the Dadaocheng area. After undergoing a painstaking 12-year restoration when the original structure was ravaged by a fire, it is home today to a bookstore and a British-style tea shop with a focus on Taiwanese tea. At night, the tea shop turns into a cocktail bar that features those same teas in an array of boozy concoctions, as well as a selection of Taiwanese whiskeys and beers.
The elegant, vintage interior of the Watson Building makes the perfect setting for both the tea shop (A.S.W. Tea House) and the bar (Watson Bar), and history buffs are sure to enjoy the beautifully-restored furniture and details that make it feel like you’re stepping back in time. During the day, A.S.W. Tea House serves an impressive range of tea and tea sets, along with various other soft drinks and light bites. We have never visited during the day but can confirm that there is a great selection of tea, though prices are quite high. A.S.W. closes at 7:00 PM and reopens half an hour later at 7:30 PM as Watson Bar, which can be a little confusing when making reservations. The menu changes to include cocktails, liquor, beers, “drunk food” like dumplings, braised tofu, and various meats, though it still serves tea and tea sets into the wee hours of the night.
One thing that is important to note is that Watson Bar is by no means an upbeat, bumping sort of place. They play classical music, and tables speak in hushed tones, especially when the bar is on the emptier side. The lighting can be a little bright depending on where you sit, and the atmosphere is distinctly not “fun.” For anyone looking to start or keep drinking, this can be a jarring and unenjoyable experience. When we visited, our group was very divided on whether or not they liked the bar. Some of us appreciated the setting and the history, as well as the creativity of their tea-based cocktail menu. Others thought the bar was too quiet, expensive, and a bit of a mood-killer on a weekend night. We would agree that it was pricey (think $380-$480 per cocktail plus a service charge, which isn’t shocking for Taipei but admittedly not cheap) and the atmosphere didn’t lend itself to a night of drinking and laughing with friends, but think that whether or not you enjoy their experience at Watson Bar is purely subjective. We urge you to consider the things we have mentioned (atmosphere, price, menu) and weigh them carefully before deciding to visit. If you’d prefer something a little livelier, we suggest going to nearby Ginspiration instead, which is located in another beautiful old building and specialises in gin rather than tea.
The first drink we ordered at Watson Bar was the Oriental Express ($480), made with Oriental Beauty oolong Tea, brandy, osmanthus liqueur, lime, and ginger ale. Fruity and floral, it was every bit as sweet and well-balanced as we’d hoped, but we will admit to being a little disappointed in its small size, especially considering its hefty price tag. We enjoyed it, but probably wouldn’t order it again in the immediate future.
The next drink we got was the Taiwanese Stir-Fries ($380), made with kaoliang, gin, garlic liqueur, Taiwan basil liqueur, coriander liqueur, and ginger ale. Like the kimchi and sashimi cocktails at Hanko 60, we ordered purely out of curiosity, and we strongly suspected it wouldn’t be the most enjoyable. This drink was an experience in and of itself, and we will credit them for perfectly recreating the flavours of re chao in a cocktail. It tasted strongly of garlic (our waitress confirmed this with us as we ordered), and was interesting, if not totally enjoyable. We were glad we tried it, but wouldn’t get it again.
In a small deviation from the tea theme, the next drink we got was the mulled wine ($260), made with forest fruits including blueberries, currants, and blackberries. It was a little sweeter than we were used to — probably from the berries — but pleasant nonetheless, and quite warming.
All things considered, we enjoyed our visit to Watson Bar but wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to all. The magic of sipping tea cocktails in a beautiful old building isn’t for everyone, and a person looking to have a fun night out might feel their spirits dampened by the quiet atmosphere of the bar. If you’re specifically interested in tea or the history of Taipei or Dadaocheng, this could be a very worthwhile experience for you. If you have no interest in either of those things and are looking for an upbeat atmosphere, you might consider trying somewhere else.
Check out their menu down below:
What’s the vibe?
Quiet bar in a beautiful, historic building that specialises in tea cocktails. Customers were mostly couples on dates, with a few groups of friends in between.
Worth it?
This very much depends on you. It’s pricey and definitely not a “going out” type of bar, but worthwhile if the setting and experience appeal to you.
Would you go back?
Good question. We’d take a visitor, fellow history buff, or someone who was otherwise interested in the experience of it all, but doubt we’d return otherwise.
Last visited January 2021
| Watson Bar |
| Chinese Name: 沃森茶酒館 |
| Hours: Wed-Sat 7:30m – 12:30am Closed Mondays and Tuesdays |
| Phone: 0225559913 |
| English Address: 2F, No. 34, Section 1, Dihua Street, Datong District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市大同區迪化街一段34號2樓 |
