Best clubs and bars in Taipei for backpackers

Taiwan is a beautiful tropical paradise, famous for its white beaches, and amazing night markets. Ever found yourself in a new city, wondering where to find the best nightlife? The good news is there are plenty of good bars in Taipei to enjoy, plus a few clubs and night markets to give your night a bit of variety. Whether you want to sit outside and enjoy a warm summer evening, or hideaway in an Irish pub from the rain, Taipei has loads of cool nightlife options to choose from.

1. Trio café

Trio café is a small bar with a relaxing terrace, where you can enjoy cocktails under the warm Taiwanese evening sun. Terraces are rarely seen in there because the Taiwanese often try to avoid the sun! The drinks were great and affordable too – a mojito costs around 200 TWD (6 USD). Around 7PM the place gets rather packed and the atmosphere really heats up!

2. Tickle My Fantasy

Tickle My Fantasy is the place to be for those looking to get a little more than tipsy 😉 This bar is famous for its heavy duty Long Island Iced Tea. They cost around 10 USD, which doesn’t seem overly cheap. But, you can be sure that one drink might be all you need for the night! On weekends, the bar gets very packed so get there early!

3. AQ Cava

A shot bar located in the city centre, it’s probably the best place in Taipei to pre-drink. Each shot is only 50 TWD (1.50 USD), and long drinks like whisky Coke or gin & tonics are 100 TWD (3 USD). AQ is probably the cheapest bar in Taipei. They offer shot sets with all different kinds of liquor!

4. Revolver

One night during our recent trip to Taipei we decided to go check out a place called Revolver. We jumped into the next taxi and loved what we saw as we pulled up outside! Groups of people were chatting and enjoying their drinks, and we noticed the club has TWO floors of pulsating nightlife! On the first floor is a small bar, an open space without a wall towards the street. On the second floor is a small stage where live bands can perform. Drinks were cheap and quite strong (around 6 USD for a gin & tonic), the dance floor was packed and the atmosphere was buzzing.

5. Night Markets

After making your way through a few of the bars in Taipei, you’ll probably need to grab something to eat. Luckily, there are incredible night markets all around. Have you ever tried chicken feet and stinky tofu? Well, we have… After a few experiments we got ourselves some fried chicken which tasted like heaven.

6. Korner

The entrance fee for most nightclubs in Taipei (like Myst, Omni or Electro) is quite high and falls somewhere between 20 and 30 USD. On our trip, Banananights suggested another club called Korner due to our budget preferences. The entry fee was only 200 TWD (Around 6 USD), including a drink which is unbeatable in Taipei. And oh boy, this venue was gold! It’s one of those small underground clubs that you find normally only in Berlin. The DJ spins electronic beats while the crowd goes crazy, and the lights don’t come on until 5AM! Definitely check out Korner after you’ve warmed up with a some of the Taipei bars above.

7. All You Can Drink

There are a couple of “all you can drink” places like Box club, Babe18 or M-Taipei. For an entrance fee of about 20 USD you can refill your cup all night long!
Taipei is an awesome city, a great place to party, full of breath-taking nature and lovely people everywhere. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great night out. It’s definitely a must for anyone with Asia on their bucket list!

About the authors:
Stefan, Flo and Andi are backpackers from Germany: “When travelling through South East Asia, we struggled to find bars and clubs that can reach our expectations. Tired of wasting time reading comments and googling, we decided to create our own bar/club finder for travellers. With the app, you can select your preferences like the bar/club type, your preferred music styles, the maximum drink price, the maximum entrance fee and the dress code. Banananights calculates a match rate for all bars and clubs around you to find the ones that suit your desires the most.” Since June 2016 the app is available for iOS and Android.
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