The 10 Best Bars In Daan, Taipei

You could be forgiven for thinking on your first glance that Tasting Room is a type of well-maintained industrial facility. While the wooden tables and endless row of stainless steel taps creates a clinical feel, the venue certainly has a touch of originality to it. The concept, a bar for sampling a range of craft beers where drinks are all served straight from the tap, is itself still fairly new ground in Taipei but Tasting Room has it down to a fine art.

Ounce is leading the way for mixologists in Taipei by balancing novel and tasty cocktails with each individual customer’s personal tastes. Some of their most noteworthy concoctions include drinks such as their brandy apple flip, which is offset with grated nutmeg, or the fabulously named Loch Ness. This venue is well off the beaten path as the location to Taipei’s only speakeasy-style bar is a relatively well-kept secret. To access this Aladdin’s cave of cocktails you will need to go to R/X espresso bar, ring a doorbell inside a picture frame and voila, it’s cocktail time.

Although R&D, which stands for Research and Development, is no secret, it certainly does challenge Ounce for the top cocktail joint in Daan district. They see good drinks as a true craft which they explore through a whole range of techniques including dehydration, fermentation, distillation, infusion and maceration. In their own words, R&D will ‘stop at nothing to surprise you, entertain your palate, and make your experience drinking with us truly memorable.’ In addition to drinks, they also serve great food and snacks, such as ceviche and sweet potato crisps to soak up some of those delicious beverages.

The sophisticated ambience at Mono Mono makes it a great place to go to for a quiet mid-week drink when you don’t necessarily feel like hitting the dance floor. Unlike bars that have a party atmosphere with loud music, the intimate and relaxed vibe at Mono provides guests with the perfect environment to catch up with friends over a long island ice tea.

Without even knowing its name, as soon as you enter Little London, the Union Jacks plastered around the walls, the Beatles memorabilia and the boxes of Yorkshire tea stacked up in the corner would leave customers in no doubt of the source of its inspiration. This cozy underground pub extends the British theme right through to its drink selection. There’s a huge range of quality craft beers and ales, including British classics such as Old Speckled Hen. The great music, video gaming and dartboard will make you feel like you’ve touched down in a classic British pub.

This bar is in fact far, far more than just a bar. In typical Taipei fashion, spaces can’t limit themselves to one function, so Woo Taipei is also a café, a Mediterranean restaurant, and focuses on hipster crafts and exquisite antiques. Despite the laid back atmosphere, this is not somewhere you would come for a casual pint. In fact, there isn’t a beer in sight but there’s a good selection of wines and sparkling drinks. They also offer twists on all their cocktails by using homemade ingredients to add an exciting signature taste to the classics.

Roxy Rockers should be the first port of call for any rock fans visiting the capital. In the listening room, guests will find stacks of vinyls, including hits from Pink Floyd. If retro décor appeals to you, then this will be your perfect bar. The drinks are reasonably priced and the experience is great. This venue is gives guests the chance to hang out in a retro environment, stepping in the past of old rock ‘n’ roll.

The bartenders at MOD treat their work like a form of art but manage to do so in an entirely unpretentious manner. Their whiskey selection is arguably the largest and the best in the city. An added bonus is that on the weekends, MOD stays open significantly later than other bars in Taipei, when everywhere has closed, many come here to wind down afterwards.

Built on the old site of one Taipei’s former premier nightclubs, Luxy, the opening hours at Omni are quite different from other spaces as it only opens its doors three evenings of the week. A large dance floor, impressive DJ stage and brilliant light displays keep guests enjoying the venue until the early hours. If you’re not a confident dancer, just watch and learn from the professional all-female dancers, otherwise known as Omni’s angels.