Taipei named among BBC’s top 6 best coffee cities in the world

▲ The totally pink Barbie Cafe (Photo / Screenshot fromBarbie Cafe G+ )

By Rita

When chatting with foreign friends about Taiwan’s famous specialties and delicacies, the usual go-tos are stinky tofu, pan-fried buns, and sun cakes. But folks, you can now also recommend what the BBCreported on — “coffee”!the "coffee" !

In 2014, the BBC compiled a list of six cities hailed as the world’s best coffee destinations from reports by Travel and Leisure and USA Today. The list includes several historic coffee hubs such as Melbourne (Australia), Havana (Cuba), Vienna (Austria), Seattle (USA), and Rome (Italy), and Taipei has also made the cut.

▲ Topo Café in Tamsui (Photo /topo+ cafe' and Topo Natural Space Design)

The report pointed out that Taipei residents are known for being “extremely friendly” and “super polite.” Due to past Japanese colonization, Japan’s culture of courtesy has permeated daily life in Taiwan, where shop assistants often smile and bow when customers enter. But beyond the friendliness of the people, Taipei’s cafés leave an even deeper impression — takeTopo Café in Tamsui,for example, which features a small indoor-outdoor waterway inhabited by goldfish.

▲ HOMEY'S CAFÉ in Taipei’s East District (Photo / Screenshot fromHOMEY'S CAFÉ’s Facebook page)

The BBC quoted a bloggerAllister Chang from Washington, D.C., who spent a year living in Taipei and documented his favorite cafés on his blog.

He mentioned that he especially liked the areas around Zhongxiao Dunhua and Da’an, “where shops are more daring,” noting that findingHOMEY'S CAFÉ involves walking down two unmarked concrete staircases, while theBarbie Caféis completely pink right from its signage.