Back to Index

Taiwanese culture has always been late-night oriented. The traditional focus of after-dark action has long been the night market. But for decades a whole host of night clubs, pubs and discos have kept the island hopping after the sun goes down.

A lot of the fun centers around the marvelous Oriental invention called karaoke. Like many other East Asians, the Taiwanese love to take turns at the microphone, crooning their favorite pop songs. A posher version of the karaoke is the piano bar, where instead of the recorded music, you get a back-up from a real baby grand.

In Taiwan, karaoke's latest incarnation is the KTV, which offers private rooms for groups of friends, and big-screen television sets for the full music video effect. At many KTVs, you can sing-along until the crack of dawn.

All-night bowling lanes are also a ubiquitous entertainment choice. Many of these also have billiard rooms and video arcades.

Beerhouses, often described as "traditional Taiwanese beerhouses" don't date back particularly far in the island's past, but they were the favorite nighttime venue before the discovery of discos and Western-style pubs. In addition to the kegs of frosty brew brought right to your table, Taiwan's beerhouse tradition includes plenty to eat - a mix of seafood snacks and spicy Sichuan-style dishes that has evolved into a cuisine of its own.

Hot spots cool down, old spots close down, and new spots pop up all the time. The entertainment scene is constantly evolving, and there's simply too many places to count. The best place to go for updates on what's happening is any one of the three local English-language newspapers, all of which have informative weekend features sections. For starters, here's a short sampling of a few of the better bets.

Taipei
Currently the undisputed best place for live underground rock and roll is Roxy Vibe. After hours, it urns into a hopping dance spot. Features an excellent alternative music shop.

@live is center stage for established live rock-and-roll and pop acts, and one of the hotter dance spots in between shows.

The Blue Note, Taipei's perennial cool underground jazz haven, has a massive record collection and frequent live performances. Jazz fan's should also make an appearance at Brown Sugar.

Driftwood, a little-known but really unique spot, is run by Formosan aborigines, frequently featuring aborigine bands.

A number of good pubs around Shihta, home of the NTNU Mandarin Training Center, serve a mixed crowd of Chinese and foreign college students. For a quiet place with great music, try the basement bar Underground. DV8, 45, and the various members of the Roxy dynasty are also watering holes of repute.

If you're looking for a swank place with dance floor, it's the Opium Den. With music leaning toward techno and acid jazz, it's a long-time habitation of the seen-and-be-seen-scene, where models rub shoulders with movie stars, and maybe you too (it can get pretty crowded). Juliana, another swank place with dance floor, has a decent crowd any night of the week.

The club that fills to capacity about the time every place else closes down is TU. Although it can sometimes feel like you're trying to see how many people you can cram into a telephone booth, its a great place to dance till dawn.

A perpetual magnet for the young set, the enormous Kiss Disco caters to the throngs of Taiwanese youth looking to blow off some steam. Lots of fun, especially on weekends and Wednesdays.

Professionals looking for a popular upscale singles club need look no further than Ziga Zaga, located in the World Trade Center/Hyatt Hotel complex.

Perhaps the most popular downtown Taipei beerhouse is Apocalypse Now, which has developed the traditional Taiwanese beer munchie into a full menu. Big enough to accommodate large groups. It also has a new branch in the Warner Cinema Village.

The "Combat Zone"
One interesting area is the once infamous "combat zone," center stage for GI R&R adventures during the Vietnam era and afterward. When the American military finally pulled up anchor in the 1970s, the "combat zone" was one of the heaviest casualties. The clubs and pubs now service a lively local crowd, and the odd expatriate, who keep this little strip a barhopper's best bet. Located on Shuangcheng Street just behind the Imperial Hotel.

Anho Road
Long the chug-a-lug hub of downtown Taipei, this short strip offers scores of boisterous beerhouses. One of the most well established is the Five Star Beer King, which periodically undergoes a personality transformation. Its once warm, wooden decor is currently going through a gleaming chrome phase.

Tienmu
If you like to mix with the expat crowd, try the Pig & Whistle, the Post Home or Tony's Diamond Bistro in Tienmu. Close to the Pig, you'll find Chung Cheng Road. This thoroughfare used to be one long row of beerhouses. With the arrival of the enormous Takashimaya Department Store, they no longer dominate the landscape, but new establishments continue to crop up. Not a bad spot for some suds.

Yangmingshan
If you're willing to spring for the taxi fare, or have a designated driver, one of the best places to go for the Taipei beerhouse experience is Yangmingshan. Wisely or not, a number of beerhouses have long been running on winding Hsingyi Road, which heads up the mountains toward Yangmingshan National Park. Many of these establishments offer sweeping views and fresh air to wash down with your lager.

Taoyuan
For techno, trance or the latest variant, Beyond is currently ground zero.

Taichung
Napoli, an Italian restaurant and bar, doubles as the focal point of Taichung's small but vital rock-and-roll scene, with live shows going all the time. Probably the best place to pick up the fresh trail on the latest happenings.

Just down from Napoli on Huamei Street is the Circle Bar, and the current disco of choice, Bhoom.

The jazz joint Alla Sax can be found on a little strip down by the People's Park. Also close by is another good bar, Party Animal.

The Pig Pen, a restaurant/bar on the first floor, changes personalities on the second and third, becoming a large-scale disco with a comfy wood English-pub-style decor. For the moment, a very happening place, especially on weekends and Wednesdays.

Rave is alive and kicking in Taichung, the best place being Kaos Disco, which gets busy on the weekends.

Kaohsiung

DNA is the current place to be in Kaohsiung, with excellent music, raves and frequent live alternative rock shows.

Zillions of pubs are clustered along Wufu 4th and 5th Roads, many interesting little holes in the wall. "Fleet Street" is the destination of choice for sailors on shore leave, not far from the huge Kaohsiung port facilities. Good for an authentic "shiver-me-timbers" time.

The Kitchen Pub, an outdoor nightspot with a grill and a big patio, serves up good food and drinks with fresh air and a view. Other good choices are Hassack, a lively club just off the Cultural Center; Blue Fantasy, a live music disco place with a predictably energetic crowd; and Ooh La La, a favorite of the very, very late crowd.

The Rave Scene
Taiwan does have a small, dedicated rave community. Just like any other festivity, rave events run by the lunar calendar - there's a Full Moon Party every month (sometimes more than one). Raves often take place in out-of-the-way places, but are well organized. Check at the Tower Records in the Hsimenting district of Taipei for Full Moon Party information and advance tickets.

Next Page | Top | Back to Index