Second to French countryside? Yangmingshan’s “Montmartre Café” fulfills every princess’s bubble dream

▲ Step through the door to begin a dreamy journey (Photo / netizen-provided, please do not reproduce without permission.)serena0725Provided, please do not take unauthorized photos to avoid infringement.

Reported by Peng Huaiyu / Taipei

Many girls dream of a future with their other half — the prototype of a shared home... What does your dream house look like? The “Montmartre Image Café” is hidden on Jing Mountain Road in Yangmingshan. With its French countryside-style wooden houses, it feels like a magical bubble from a fairy tale. If you have a romantic streak, you’ll definitely fall in love with the atmosphere.

The “Montmartre Image Café” has been open for 17 years. The owners have hand-painted several small wooden houses in various bright colors, and the interior is styled with a French countryside theme, making you feel like you’re truly in a European village. Notably, it also functions as an imaging studio that offers bridal couples a perfect setting for wedding photos.

▲ The canary-yellow cottage is an independent private room, painted inside in different hues (Photo / netizen-provided, please do not reproduce without permission.)alvin831Provided, please do not take unauthorized photos to avoid infringement.

There’s a reason it’s named Montmartre. The owner, Lai Yuezhong, is a photographer who also loves painting. He once traveled to Montmartre, the artists’ village in Paris, and brought back the inspiration from that trip to Taiwan, realizing his dream in this “Montmartre Image Café” on Yangmingshan.

The café consists of three small wooden houses available for dining. The main building, painted white on the outside, greets you with French chanson music as you step in, along with three cats lazily lounging about, offering an incredibly soothing vibe. To cater to guests’ needs, blankets and heaters are provided in winter, ensuring a warm and cozy experience even when it’s freezing outside.

▲ The interior of the white main building is full of rich French countryside charm (Photo / by reporter Peng Huaiyu.)

Following the winding stone path leads you to the last hidden orange wooden house, originally the owner’s room, later transformed into a photography studio and dining area. It features a bathtub and princess bed that make girls squeal with delight for photos, adorned with white tulle curtains that create an endlessly romantic ambiance. Every corner is so dreamy it draws gasps of awe from female visitors.

When the weather is nice, the outdoor seating area is highly popular. Designed with a “grab-and-go” style in mind, it allows guests to enjoy the mountain views and the fragrance of flowers while sipping coffee.

▲ The dreamy interior of the orange house makes girls go crazy for photos (Photo / netizen-provided, please do not reproduce without permission.)ling.1203Provided, please do not take unauthorized photos to avoid infringement.

Wooden structures are hard to maintain but offer a unique texture. After weighing emotion against practicality, the shop manager and owner decided to stick with the warmth of wood instead of cold metal. They repaint the wooden exteriors in different colors at fixed intervals to give guests a fresh experience each time. They also use “textured coating” to create an uneven wall surface, making photos even more atmospheric.

▲ Every spot feels like you're in the French countryside, with countless details that make girls gasp in delight (Photo / netizen-provided, please do not reproduce without permission.)raiiinbow0325Provided, please do not take unauthorized photos to avoid infringement.

The menu includes main dishes like steak, afternoon tea, and drinks. The shop manager says all meals are made from scratch using fresh ingredients with no secondary processing — everything is cooked to order. The wait is worth it, as you can taste the care put into each dish. Many guests come with a book or laptop and end up staying the whole day, because the place has a certain magic that makes you want to linger in this endless beauty.

▲ The hidden orange house at the very back features an ultra-dreamy princess bed and bathtub (Photo / by reporter Peng Huaiyu.)

Montmartre Image Café
Address: No. 13, Lane 131, Jing Mountain Road, Shilin District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2862-4347
Business Hours: 10:00–19:00
Minimum Charge: NT$150 per person (can be used toward food and drinks, no time limit, no service charge)
Amateur Photography & Lessons: NT$300 per person (includes one drink)