Retro European-style wine bar in Taipei’s East District & fruit-scented craft beer

Text & Photos /Food Craving, Snap Capture

On nights after work, you always want to have a relaxed, casual get-together with friends. Whether it's a Japanese izakaya or a European-style wine bar, they all become a stopover on the urbanite's way home. Sipping a little, chatting and laughing with friends — it seems all the fatigue of the day can just melt away.

There are many relaxing bars in Taipei, but this day I visited the long-renowned Woo Taipei. As the night deepened, the place got livelier, as if it had gathered everyone just freed from their busy lives. Everyone, freely and cheerfully holding a glass of wine, was celebrating the arrival of the weekend.

Woo Taipei is located in a bustling alley in the East District, near the section close to Civic Boulevard. This area has many cafés and wine bars, which often gather crowds at night. Because it was raining heavily that day, I didn’t take photos of Woo Taipei’s exterior. Its actual location is right next to the Bed hookah lounge and stayreal café.

Woo Taipei doesn’t have an especially eye-catching signboard. The exterior follows a retro European architectural style. Push open the low-key dark door, and the inside space is dim, filled with a strong sense of mellow intoxication. The brightest part is probably the long bar counter by the entrance, where bartenders energetically serve cocktails to tables with nimble and skilled movements. I think sitting at the bar and savoring the cocktails must offer a unique experience.

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

I really like the interior decor of Woo Taipei. It has a kind of gorgeous, retro European vibe. Whether it’s the wooden furniture, embroidered curtains, or the hanging antique lamps, each has its own charm.

Compared to its understated exterior, the interior is much livelier, full of the charm of a wine bar. Especially at night, the lighting is dimmed even further, and the atmosphere becomes even more enthusiastic and familiar, as if everyone might start dancing along with the background music.

There aren’t too few seats. The whole place can accommodate at least around 50 people, so when it’s full, it can get a bit noisy, but such an atmosphere is quite acceptable in a wine bar.

Coming to Woo Taipei, you can mainly try their bar snacks and drinks. Before 20:00, ordering a main dish and paying an extra NT$100–150 allows you to enjoy a “beer and white wine combo.” The beer we had that day was brewed in-house.

You can also order some small shared plates, like a fried food platter, which is perfect for a friends’ drinking gathering. (Please forgive the not-so-clear food photos due to the very dim lighting in the venue.)

Bamboo Charcoal Salt Goose Fat Fries — NT$200
Although we didn’t particularly taste bamboo charcoal flavor, the freshly fried fries were pretty good, not greasy or sticky, and great with beer.

Pan-Seared Squid with Anchovy Butter Pasta — NT$380
This dish is recommended to be eaten hot, as butter pasta tends to harden if left too long. Topped with lemon juice and anchovies, the flavors of the whole pasta dish have nice layers, which I quite liked.

Truffle Mushroom Risotto with Makiyama Pork — NT$380
The risotto itself had a nice texture, and the truffle flavor stood out quite well, but the pork was a bit tough and its taste was somewhat overpowered — slightly disappointing.

Baked Spare Ribs in “Typhoon Shelter” Style — NT$320
There wasn’t much meat on the ribs, mostly bones, so it was more about enjoying the seasoning. Overall, it was a bit on the salty side.

Large Assorted Fried Platter — NT$660
This fried platter was really big and generous, perfect for sharing with friends. It included fries, chicken wings, fried squid, and fish nuggets. The wooden stick on top is for squeezing lemon juice — very special and cute.

Woo Beer (before 20:00, main dish + NT$150 deal)＜Don’t drink and drive | Don’t drive after drinking | Minors, please do not drink alcohol＞

This beer is Woo Taipei’s house-brewed beer. It has a faint floral and fruity aroma, making it suitable for those who don’t like strong alcoholic tastes. I think many female friends would probably enjoy it too. It’s said to sell very well and is often sold out in the store. We were lucky to still get some that day.

Overall, I really like the atmosphere at Woo Taipei — it gives off a feeling of relaxing in a foreign wine bar. The food there also slightly surprised me, being tastier than I expected. Next time I’ll want to try their cocktails. That day I saw the cocktails ordered by other guests, each one exquisitely made and very appealing. For those who are afraid the atmosphere might be too loud, I’d suggest coming earlier, maybe between 4 and 6 pm. It gets much livelier later than that.

Woo Taipei
Address: No. 39, Lane 205, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Phone/Tel：02-8771-9813
Business Hours/BH：Mon-Thu: 14:00 - 2:00｜Fri-Sat: 14:00 - 3:00｜Sun: 14:00 - 2:00
Facebook：Wootp 窝台北

Food Cravings, Captured Moments
Navigating through the bustling yet leisurely-paced life of Taipei locals.
Enjoys uncovering hidden culinary gems tucked away in the city, alleys, and right by your doorstep, and loves exploring corners filled with stories.
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