Taipei at Night: Bars, Night Markets, & Things to Do
BY JARED DILLINGHAM
TAIPEI’S NIGHT MARKETS & NIGHTLIFE
Taipei comes alive after dark, and not just on Fridays and Saturdays.
This blog will explore different things to do in Taipei at night. In addition to the vibrant night markets in different parts of the city, other popular options for Taipei at night include Taipei 101’s observation deck, bars, and even foot massages!
Taipei’s Best Night Markets
With literally dozens of night market options in Taipei, I’ll go over a list of the largest and most well-known. The incomplete list includes:
- Shilin Night Market
- Huaxi Night Market
- Ximending Night Market
- Linjiang Street Night Market
- Raohe Night Market
- Ningxia Night Market
One thing you won’t find at the Taipei Night Markets is counterfeits. No fake Prada bags or Gucci belts or anything of the sort. The counterfeits disappeared after a crackdown on copyrights in the 1990s.
What you *will find is plenty of street food, known as xiaochi, which loosely translates to “small eats.”
Taipei’s Night Markets provide countless options to grab and go, or sit down and enjoy at small tables, often surrounding the stovetops and boiling pots.
The prices are shockingly low!
The only thing I have to compare it to in the US is the street food you can get in mobile vans and trucks. If you’re used to sampling from American food trucks, your jaw will drop at the low low prices you find in Taipei’s Night Markets.
Linjiang Street Night Market
The Linjiang Night Market is also known locally in Taipei as the Tonghua Street Night Market.
While not one of the biggest night markets in Taipei, you’ll still find plenty to eat and check out along Linjiang Street.
You’ll find socks, shoes, household items and other dry goods, along with tech accessories, bags and belts.
The longest lines often form for pan-fried buns and potstickers, which are outrageously inexpensive!
A container of 8 pork spring rolls will cost about $1.50 (USD).
The Linjiang Street Night Market is popular with locals and tourists alike, boosted by its location in the Daan District of Taipei, close to the Taipei 101 tower.
Linjiang Street Night Market Hours:
- Daily 6:00pm – 12:00am
Linjiang Street Night Market Location
- Linjiang St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
- MRT Stations nearby: Xinyi Anhe or Taipei 101
Shinlin Night Market
The Shinlin Night Market is more than a century old, dating back to 1899! Part of it stands on what used to be a wharf on the Keelung River.
Part of the market, with many of the street food vendors and restaurants, is in an old market building. There are 500+ food options.
The surrounding alleys and streets are lined with arcades, karaoke bars, and shops.
While the Shinlin Night Market officially closes at midnight, many of the shops and restaurants don’t close until the crowds go home around 1:00am or 2:00am.
The Shinlin Night Market is known for all kinds of food, but especially chicken katsu, fried buns, oyster omelets, and papaya milk.
Shinlin Night Market Hours:
- Daily 4:00pm – 12:00am
Shinlin Night Market Location
- No. 101, Jihe Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111
- MRT Stations nearby: Jiantan Station
Raohe Night Market
The Raohe Night Market was one of the first to become popular with tourists, and start luring crowds from beyond Taipei.
It’s in the Songshan District, and adjacent to the Songshan Temple.
The Raohe Night Market is most famous for its pepper buns. They’re not exactly what I was imagining, but still delicious.
You’ll likely find a long line of people waiting for the pepper buns, which sell for about $2 (USD) each.
It’s almost the equivalent to an enclosed hamburger.
Sticky buns are filled with a big chunk of spicy sausage, wrapped in a paper, and then put into a molten-hot vertical oven. They appear to be stuck to the wall in the oven for a while, before they’re pulled out piping hot. They’re so hot, you truly can’t bite into the pepper buns for several minutes.
You’ll also find different meats on sticks, seafood options, and fried sweet potato balls at the Raohe Night Market, which smells of burning incense that’s also sold by the vendors.
Raohe Night Market Hours:
- Daily 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Raohe Night Market Location
- Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
- MRT Stations nearby: Songshan Station
Ningxia Night Market
Ningxia is one of the largest Night Markets in Taipei. It’s popular with local families, and tourists who come to soak it all in.
Dumplings, crab legs, fried squid, and oyster omelets often draw the longest lines at the Ningxia Night Market.
Pork floss is also a top seller at the Ningxia Night Market.
And while they say Ningxia is also famous for its stinky tofu, brace yourself. I don’t care what anyone says – the stench is overpowering! Maybe it’s an acquired taste?
Ningxia Night Market Hours:
- Daily 5:00pm – 1:00am
Ningxia Night Market Location
- 103, Taiwan, Taipei City, Datong District, Ningxia Rd.
- MRT Stations nearby: Shuanglian or Zhongshan
Keelung Night Market
The Keelung Temple Night Market isn’t in Taipei. It’s in the port city of Keelung, on Taiwan’s northern coast.
The vendors line the street surrounding the Dianji Temple.
The Keelung Night Market is actually open for most of the afternoon.
It’s smaller than what you’ll find in Taipei, but still full of dozens of food options.
Keelung is still a busy port for fishermen, so the city’s night market is full of seafood options.
Keelung Night Market Hours:
- Daily: Noon to midnight
- Sunday: 8:00am to midnight
Keelung Night Market Location
- 200, Taiwan, Keelung City, Ren’ai District
- Train Station: Keelung City
Taipei 101 at Night
I took the insanely fast elevator up to the observation deck at Taipei 101 during the day, but I think the view is more spectacular at night.
The most fascinating part of the visit to the top of Taipei 101 (at night or during the day) is the exposed tuned mass damper.
What’s a tuned mass damper?
It’s a massive metal ball, made of steel plates, which is designed and positioned to keep Taipei 101 from swaying during strong winds and earthquakes.
The device helps maintain the skyscraper’s stability, and this is one of the only mass dampers exposed for the public to see.
It’s fascinating to read about, and watch the video playing on a loop in a monitor, showing the damper swinging during an earthquake years ago.
Info on Taipei 101 at Night
- Cost: $20 for adults
- Time: 35 seconds to climb 89 floors
Shop the Fancy Stores at Night
Taipei 101 is home to some of the highest-priced luxury brands in the world. Many of them look like flagship locations, over-the-top in size and each trying to outdo the other in eye-popping style.
You can stand in the middle of one of the floors in the mall, and just gawk at the artistry and creativity that goes into the storefronts alone!
There’s also a far less fancy food court on the bottom floor of Taipei 101.
- Open Fridays & Saturdays until 10:00pm
- Open Sundays through Thursdays until 9:30pm
Taipei Nightlife
Taipei’s nightlife has something for everyone, whether you’re looking to explore a lively new street market, spend time chatting at a quieter coffee shop, or relax after a long day of hiking with a massage.
Unique Fun Bars in Taipei at Night
For a night out in Taipei, I’d suggest checking out a stretch of Wenchang Street in the Daan District.
In fact, I’d recommend staying in this neighborhood. You can use this interactive map to checkout hotel and rental options:
Due to zoning laws, no restaurants are allowed along Wenchang Street. It’s bars-only, and the remaining furniture stores which used to run all up and down the street.
It may be more of an alley than a street, but it’s nice and quiet and dotted with unique small bars.
Among them: the Needle Bar, which is right on Wenchang Street. The staff comes up with a new theme twice a year, so the entire concept behind the bar’s decor and the drinks they offer changes every six months.
They closed out 2022 with a real estate them, and began 2023 with a wizardry and witchcraft theme. Next up for the second half of the year is a spiritual theme which is still in development (they’re quite serious about it!).
Needle Bar offers a few snack options, but people mostly come for the unique drinks. They run about $13 each, and that’s the minimum charge for a bar tab.
Needle Bar
- No. 125, Wenchang St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
- Closest MRT subway stop: Xinyi Anhe
- Open daily: 7:00pm – 2:00am
- Known for: Themed decor & drinks
Tickle My Fantasy Bar
- No. 8, Section 2, Anhe Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
- Closest MRT subway stop: Xinyi Anhe
- Open daily: 7:00pm to 3:00am
- Known for: Long Island Iced Teas
The Aging Room
- 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Wenchang St, 60
- Closest MRT subway stop: Xinyi Anhe
- Open daily: 2:30pm to midnight
- Known for: Cigar bar with rum and beer options, plus a street-side patio
Coffee Shops Open in Taipei at Night
Walking around Taipei at night, you’ll come across several coffee shops which are open late.
We stopped by this one, the Bit Coffee shop, after going to the Linjiang Street Night Markt. It’s in the Daan District, and open until 10:00pm nightly.
It’s relatively new, and we loved the quiet street after the night market’s chaos!
Karaoke in Taipei at Night
Karaoke is a big thing in Taipei. We were hiking up to one of the famous trails just east of the city, and surprised to hear it coming from a small house in a rural area. It goes to show: it’s everywhere!
At night, people gather in groups at PartyWorld locations in Taipei, to rent out rooms and sing. It’s a huge operation, taking up the entire building below in the Sogo location.
PartyWorld is open 24-hours a day at many locations in Taipei.
Foot Massages at Night
After long days of exploring Taiwan, your feet might need some attention!
Foot massages are available at several spots in the Daan District. They almost universally run $20 (USD) for a 40-minute massage.
You’ll find many of them down the block from the Linjiang Street Night Market on Tonghua Street in the Daan District.
While tipping isn’t really a thing in Taiwan, you should still tip the massage therapist who just spent the better part of an hour working on your feet!
Carrefour Wine
The Carrefour has come to my rescue on three continents now! If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a grocery chain that’s popular in cities from Marrakech to Madrid … and also apparently in Taipei!
Some close at 11pm or midnight, while others are open 24 hours a day.
While the grocery options vary country-to-country, you can always find a well-stocked wine selection with decent prices (though the wine selection was much more limited, and in an odd basement in Marrakech).
My point is: if you’re tired and just want to relax at your hotel, head to the Carrefour and grab a bottle of French wine to enjoy back in your room.
Taipei at Night: FAQ’s
Let’s tackle some of the frequently-asked-questions about nightlife in Taipei.
How many night markets are in Taipei?
There are around 30 night markets to choose from in Taipei!
Is Taipei safe at night?
Yes, you’ll feel very safe in Taipei, whether it’s night or day. The streets are usually full of people walking around, and you’ll see police out and about.
Which night market is the best?
Some are more popular than others, but it’s really impossible to say which Taipei night market is “best.”
Shinlin might be the most well-known night market. Ningxia, Raohe and Linjiang are three of the largest.
What’s the best late night street food in Taipei?
I’m not overly adventurous when it comes to food, but I do love street food!
Of course, this comes down to personal preference, but for me: nothing is better than the pepper buns you can get late night at Raohe Night Market. The strawberry and chocolate doughnuts are a nice dessert option, too!
Is Taipei’s MRT Subway safe at night?
The subway system in Taipei is not only safe, it’s efficient and very easy to use.
The signs and stops are all in English.
Wrap: Things to do in Taipei at Night
Taipei is a city that takes a while to wake up in the morning. While there’s definitely an early morning rush hour with people zipping to their office jobs, many of the shops and restaurants don’t open until later on in the morning.
It may be due to the fact that there are so many things to do at night in Taipei!
Check out our other posts from Taiwan for more travel ideas:
