A century-old house on Dihua Street transformed into a French-style café – like stepping into a movie scene

▲ Stepping into Modern Mode Café feels like entering the world of *Midnight in Paris*. (Photo / Screenshot fromModern Mode Café’s official Facebook page)

Reported by Peng Huaiyu / Taipei

Taipei’s Dihua Street, one of the best-preserved old streets in Taiwan, is lined with traditional Chinese medicine shops, grocery stores, tea houses... Close your eyes and you might feel as if you've returned to its golden age of commercial prosperity. In recent years, unique cafés have moved in, planting the seeds of a creative cultural image. Modern Mode is a great example—step inside, and you’ll feel as if you’ve entered the world of the movie *Midnight in Paris*, with a rich French modern atmosphere enveloping every corner, making it hard to leave.

▲ The café displays accessories and various antiques collected by the owner from his travels around the world. (Photo / Screenshot from Modern Mode Café’s official Facebook page)

Modern Mode was established in 2001 by two young entrepreneurs, Li Xiangshang and Zhong Yao. Originally located on Chifeng Street in Zhongshan District, it relocated to its current Dihua Street address last October. The café retains its vintage style but reinterprets the century-old Japanese-style house.

Stepping inside feels like entering a different time period, with its soft yellowish tones and the gentle flow of jazz music, reminiscent of 1940s–50s Parisian Left Bank.

▲ The café has carefully crafted a retro space that feels like a journey through time. (Photo / Reporter Peng Huaiyu)

As a café, coffee is naturally the star. Unlike typical cafés that serve Italian-style coffee, this place offers French coffee and light meals, such as café au lait, homemade cookies, and cheesecake—all must-try delicacies.

▲ Unlike regular cafés, this place serves French coffee and light meals. (Photo / Reporter Peng Huaiyu)

In addition, Modern Mode is more like a multifunctional space, displaying accessories and various antiques collected by the owner, Li Xiangshang, from his travels around the world. The interior design is handled by Zhong Yao, who says she loves the 1940s–50s era, especially its metal and wooden decorations—like the wooden horse sculpture hanging on the wall and the wooden horn-shaped lamp, both of which are unique. The most eye-catching item is the large metal cash register at the counter. Zhong Yao explains that this cash register is made in the United States, over a hundred years old, and still in working condition. It’s crafted from pure copper, with embossed floral carvings on the exterior, giving it a distinctive look.

▲ The wooden horse sculpture hanging on the wall. (Photo / Screenshot from Modern Mode Café’s official Facebook page)

▲ The large metal cash register at the counter is a major highlight. (Photo / Reporter Peng Huaiyu)

Most buildings in the Dihua Street area are over a hundred years old, and Modern Mode preserves the old layout. Zhong Yao, who has lived in France, places great importance on outdoor seating. She turned the hollowed-out central courtyard into a lush garden dining area, adding breathing space to the compact café.

▲ The central courtyard has been turned into a lush garden dining area. (Photo / Screenshot from Modern Mode Café’s official Facebook page)

Modern Mode & Modern Mode Café
Address: No. 278, Section 1, Dihua Street, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-25571083