You don't have to splurge for fine dining – enjoy high-end French-Italian cuisine under NT$1,000 at these 3 restaurants

Reported by Huang Shih-yuan / Taipei

Many people have the preconceived notion that French or Italian restaurants are always "expensive." In fact, you can enjoy French cuisine without breaking the bank. Recently, several restaurant chefs have specially designed set menus priced under NT$1,000 so everyone can savor delicious French-Italian dishes, making fine dining both high-class and affordable.


▲ Crispy frog legs with zucchini and pickled cucumber mayonnaise. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Chou Chou
Chef Lin Ming-chien of ACHOI Contemporary Cuisine, which he planned from scratch, has long had the idea of opening a French restaurant. After a year and a half since ACHOI’s opening, he finally made it happen. Lin has positioned Chou Chou as a modern brasserie — a style that sits between a traditional, higher-end and more formal French restaurant, and a casual neighborhood bistro.

Chou Chou offers set meals: the lunch set includes an appetizer, main course, and dessert, plus coffee or tea, starting from NT$880+10% per person, with options to upgrade the appetizer or main course for an additional fee. The dinner set features soup or salad, appetizer, main course, and dessert — four courses in total — starting from NT$1,280+10% per person. You can also upgrade the appetizer or main course, such as the slow-roasted spiced “Whole Roast Chicken,” the “Roast Whole Duck” that combines classic French orange duck with a Hong Kong-style crispy skin concept, or the charcoal-grilled “Bone-in Ribeye Steak.”

Address: 1F, No. 22, Lane 6, Alley 170, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City (Exit 5, Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT Station)
Tel: 02-2773-1819


▲ Grandma’s Rabbit, inspired by the pickled vegetable jars of Grandma Igor. (Photo / Provided by L’origine by La Credenza)

L’origine by La Credenza
Italian Michelin one-star restaurant La Credenza from Piedmont has opened its Taiwanese branch, L’origine by La Credenza, in Nangang. Chef Igor has positioned the restaurant to offer a simple and comfortable atmosphere, allowing diners to enjoy their meals in a relaxed and pleasant mood. As such, prices are kept affordable. The lunch set includes four courses — appetizer, soup, main course, and dessert — for NT$780, while the five-course dinner set is available for NT$1,480. À la carte options range from NT$230–420 for appetizers and NT$620–1,380 for main courses.

Two-thirds of the L’origine menu matches that of the original La Credenza in Italy, featuring many of Igor’s signature dishes, while the remaining third is exclusive to Taiwan. One dish, “Grandma’s Rabbit,” is inspired by the pickled vegetable jars of Chef Igor’s grandmother — a common practice in Italy where seasonal vegetables are partially cooked, pickled, and stored in jars, then later used to accompany fresh vegetables and meats.

Address: No. 526, Section 7, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City
Tel: 02-27893358

Monsieur L Restaurant
Monsieur L Restaurant is tucked away in a lane in the Minsheng community. With a décor dominated by black and red, it exudes an elegant and romantic vibe. On weekdays, the three-course lunch set is NT$780, and the four-course set is NT$980 — both offering delicious French-Italian cuisine.

Address: No. 21, Lane 131, Section 4, Minsheng East Road, Songshan District, Taipei City
Tel: 02-8770-5505