Take Tainan’s premium coffee on the go—locally sourced fresh milk paired with Italian-roasted beans for a smooth taste

Text/Photos byAibi Niu

Have a cup of coffee!!

I don’t know since when, but I’ve gotten into the habit of starting my day with a cup of coffee—it’s my morning motivation. Come on, perk yourself up. It feels strange, like something’s missing, if I don’t have coffee in a day. Are there any friends out there who drink coffee every day like me?

1980 CAFE - Coffee To Go is located on Section 1, Yonghua Road (near the intersection of Haian Road and Xialin Road)

It’s not far from the Tainan Xinyi A11 branch of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi either. The slightly recessed storefront isn’t very noticeable—if you happen to walk by, you might wonder, “Since when did they start selling coffee here?” The yellow coffee cup logo on the door is quite cute.

As soon as you step inside, you’ll be greeted by the staff’s warm smiles. The shop isn’t very large but does offer seating for dine-in customers. However, their main focus is takeout coffee!! So there aren’t many seats inside, and they also provide delivery services. Orders over NT$200 within the surrounding area qualify for delivery—the delivery range and pricing can be confirmed by calling ahead.

Coffee enthusiasts will be pleased to find a selection of house-roasted beans available on-site. Prices vary by bean type, so feel free to ask the staff. The beans come in small packaging, which means you don’t have to buy in bulk—helping ensure freshness—and you can switch up flavors frequently. For those without a grinder at home, the shop also offers complimentary grinding services so you can enjoy great coffee at home.

What’s special is that 1980 CAFE - Coffee To Go even accepts card payments!! There’s no minimum spend for cards, and they also accept Apple Pay!! No need to carry cash—buying coffee these days is super convenient.

Let’s take a look at the menu~

Coffee options include espresso, pour-over, classic Italian-style coffee, and more. For those who don’t drink coffee, there are also fruit teas, cocoa lattes, or other flavored lattes to choose from.

They’re currently running a stamp card promotion—get 5 stamps and you’ll receive a free drink of your choice. Interested friends can join their LINE digital stamp card program. Promotion details are subject to the shop’s announcements.

The coffee is freshly brewed upon ordering—I really love this kind of dedication to the craft. I secretly snapped a few photos (of course, with the baristas’ permission). I find these kinds of photos really charming, capturing a natural vibe rather than a posed one. I’m a big fan.

1980 CAFE - Coffee To Go has their coffee philosophy posted on the wall—let’s take a quick look~

1. The most important thing is using freshly roasted beans, roasted and hand-selected in-house
2. Extraction times are adjusted to bring out acidity and sweetness without bitterness, fine-tuned for each type of bean.
3. Each coffee bean variety has a unique blending ratio—nothing more, nothing less—just right to achieve the optimal flavor.

Classic Latte / Hot 12oz $50

For those who prefer a larger size, there’s also a 16oz option for $70. The hot coffee has an aromatic, smooth taste, not bitter, and the flavor is well-balanced. The milk complements the coffee gently, with subtle acidity and no bitterness. Even without sugar, you can still detect a slight natural sweetness. The milk foam on top has a distinct milky aroma.

Classic Latte / Iced 12oz $50

Lattes are generally a crowd-pleaser. That day, we tried both the iced and hot versions. The iced classic latte has a bold coffee flavor, emphasizing the acidity and sweetness from the front and middle notes, with a touch of milkiness creating a naturally lightly sweet taste. We recommend trying it unsweetened to enjoy its inherent mild sweetness. At first, the cold aroma is subtle, but once it hits your mouth, the fragrance surges upward, lingering in your nasal passage—it’s a smooth, delicious latte. The iced and hot versions have completely different flavor profiles.

On my first visit, the staff kindly explained that they use fresh milk from small local farms—the milk and Italian roast beans must complement each other smoothly. After trying many types of milk, they found the one that pairs best.

Premium Estate-grade Americano $55

This one doesn’t have as intense a coffee flavor. It tastes refreshing with a citrus note, gradually developing a sweet aftertaste, with a prominent citrus finish and a hint of sweet potato-like sweetness. Over time, the flavor evolves—you sometimes need a bit of imagination to fully appreciate coffee’s nuances. Friends who don’t like overly strong coffee might want to try this one.

Coffee lovers should definitely check out this shop. The storefront isn’t very noticeable, but the latte is smooth and delicious, without any acidity or bitterness—I really love it.

=====INFO=====
1980 CAFE - Coffee To Go
FB
Phone: 06-2223100
Address: No. 70, Section 1, Yonghua Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Business Hours: Monday–Friday 06:30–18:00, Saturday & Sunday 08:00–18:00
Deliveries available for 200 yuan.

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