Wine Cafe: Relaxed, Hidden Cafe with Delicious Wine & Cheese
| New safety measures for COVID-19: Alcohol spray provided to customers to use on their hands, tables at least 1.5m apart, and surfaces disinfected regularly. |
| Delivery information: No delivery available, although you can buy bottles of wine to take away if you wish. |
There are any number of awesome bars in Taipei to have a fun night out in, but once in a while, the situation calls for something a little more low-key. We’ve recently been loving the vibe at Wine Cafe, an understated cafe/bar that’s tucked away in an alley near Da’an Station. Wine Cafe is open at 2PM every day, making it perfect for our day-drinking needs. It’s also relatively unknown, so it’s the perfect escape for when you want to hide yourself away from the rest of Taipei.
The first time we visited Wine Cafe, it took us a while to figure out how to get inside. There is no sign, just the mysterious gate above — ring the doorbell to the right and a member of staff will buzz you in. We thought this was pretty neat, though it did make the process a little more challenging. If you’re planning on meeting people here, make sure they know what to look for!
Once inside, you’ll notice that Wine Cafe doesn’t really resemble a wine bar at all — it really is much more like a cafe. It doesn’t look particularly fancy, and even though it wouldn’t appear like a huge amount of effort put into the aesthetic, it comes across as warm and comfortable with lots of wood, brick, and dim lighting. This might be off-putting for some, but we love it. It’s cosy and intimate, and as a bonus, we never feel like we’re underdressed.
Another thing we appreciate is that there’s an outdoor area suitable for a larger group, with comfy couches and chairs surrounding a small table. It’s a favourite spot of ours for lounging the day (or night) away.
Wine Cafe usually has around five types of red, white, and sparkling wine. Two of these you can buy by the glass for $250 or $350, and the others you get by the bottle. We usually buy by the glass and have been impressed with their selection every time. They also have a few snacks available, like cheese, cold cuts, bread, and canapes. We’ve tried their mixed cheese and meat board before for $400 and thought it was perfect for savouring with our wine, though the portions were not huge.
Check out their full menu below:
Overall, we really like Wine Cafe — it’s one of those places we stumbled across by chance and keep going back to. We love how laidback it is, and we love the fact that it’s open during the day for some casual day drinking, something sorely missing from our Taipei experience. We personally feel like Wine Cafe would be a nice spot for a date, though we’re sure that depends on your taste. Either way, if you’re looking for a place that has nice wine at affordable prices and is extremely lowkey and hidden, Wine Cafe has got you covered.
What’s the vibe?
Very relaxed, almost-hidden cafe serving wine, cheese, cold cuts, and a couple of other snacks. Customers were mostly Taiwanese when we went, though we’ve seen foreigners there too.
Worth it?
Only if you want to tuck yourself away from the world and sip some wine. If you’re looking for a big night out, this is not the place for you.
Would you go back?
Always.
Last updated March 2020
| Wine Cafe |
| Hours: Sun-Thurs 2pm – 11pm Fri & Sat 2pm – 12am |
| Phone: 0919 302 780 |
| English Address: No. 5, Rui'an Street, Da’an District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市大安區瑞安街5號 |
