Even if there's a line, you’ve got to try them out — our top 10 must-try, ultra-popular bubble tea shops across Taiwan

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Every summer I crave drinks — but lately, the beverage scene keeps innovating, with so many options that it’s hard to decide what to drink.Netizens’ Choice DailyviewSpecial public opinion compilation selects 10 bubble tea shops that are absolutely worth waiting in line for. Missing out on these this summer would be a real letdown.

▲ SOMA specialty drinks. (Photo provided by netizen Luo Weiru. No unauthorized reproduction to avoid copyright infringement.)

1. SOMA Specialty Drinks (Taipei)
Located in Taipei’s East District, SOMA is one of those must-visit beverage spots for anyone passing through. With its minimalist style, the shop exudes a fresh, youthful vibe. Their signature Tea Oolong series, made with three types of black tea and skim milk, offers various flavors while maintaining a perfect balance where the milk never overpowers the tea. The taste is incredibly smooth. For something more unique, their special blend series will definitely blow your mind.

▲ Maru Chazuke (丸作食茶). (Photo by mimi Han)

1. Maru Chazuke
Maru Chazuke makes its tapioca pearls fresh daily, infusing them with different natural ingredients to create varied flavors and colors. Paired with expertly brewed tea, not only does the tea bring a refreshing sensation, but the different flavored pearls also bring unique taste experiences. This freshness has earned Maru Chazuke a loyal fanbase in Tainan.

▲ MIRU Handcrafted Drinks. (Photo fromMIRU Handcrafted Drinks' official fan page)

3. MIRU Handcrafted Drinks (Tainan)
Frequent visitors to Tainan night markets will likely know this spot. MIRU sets up shop at specific times, ensuring locals and visitors alike can enjoy great tea. They’re known for using freshly stir-fried black sugar, which fills each drink with an aromatic fragrance. Their signature Black Sugar Milk is made with premium fresh milk, offering a rich mix of deep black sugar and creamy milk flavor, plus Q-textured tapioca pearls for added texture. Can’t make it to the night market? Visit their new MIRU Forest location, where you can enjoy the same flavors and snap photos with their 3D-drawn MIRU mascot — a win-win experience.

4. Taiwan Leimon (Taichung)
At Taiwan Leimon, don't miss their super popular Butterfly Pea Flower series. Thanks to the flower’s natural properties, these drinks feature stunning gradient colors and added nutritional benefits. The shop name “Leimon” is derived from the Taiwanese word for lemon, and as such, their Lemon Drink series features lemon essential oil extracted via a special juicer, giving each lemon beverage a uniquely vibrant scent that redefines your perception of lemon drinks.

5. Guava Juice Ba La Ba (Taoyuan)
Ba La Ba is a juice specialty shop that believes fruit is nature’s healthiest and most natural color palette. The store promises no artificial additives, and uses fresh fruits infused with houseleek polyphenols to create a variety of colorful gradients. Drinks are made fresh upon order to ensure maximum freshness. One standout is the vibrant pink-and-green Guava Dragon Fruit blend — a visual treat that’s both healthy and refreshingly cool to drink.

▲ OutYourDoor (出柜Open Your Door) Cold Drinks Boutique. (Photo fromOutYourDoor Cold Drinks Boutique fan page)

6. OutYourDoor Cold Drinks Boutique (Taichung)
Have you “come out of the closet” yet? That’s a phrase you’ll often hear in Taichung these days, thanks to this wildly popular drink shop. OutYourDoor is built from shipping containers, giving off a strong industrial vibe. They offer three main series: fresh-pressed teas, classic teas, and milk teas. Their signature Golden Buckwheat is even dubbed the “intestinal cleanser grass,” and its rich tea-milk flavor gives you a whole new tea-drinking experience. Don’t miss out on stopping by OutYourDoor.

▲ Hua Da Milk Tea. (Photo fromFar Eastern Department Store’s official website)

7. Hua Da Milk Tea
Established in 1982, the popular old-school shop Hua Da Milk Tea is a nostalgic part of Kaohsiung residents' childhood memories. With multiple branches across the Kaohsiung area, its flagship store is located in Yancheng District, making it a must-visit beverage spot for tourists. As a long-standing establishment, Hua Da insists on not using plastic film seals or adding ice cubes. Since each tea flavor has a fixed level of sweetness—meaning your choice of tea determines the sweetness level—if you prefer a less sweet drink that highlights the tea’s natural flavor, the Yishou Milk Tea is recommended. It's mildly sweet with just the right amount of tea aroma.

▲Yuanshi Zen Drinks. (Photo / Screenshot fromYuanshi Zen Drinks’ official Facebook page)

8. Yuanshi Zen Drinks
Yuanshi Zen Drinks focuses on health and environmental sustainability, placing great emphasis on tea quality. By upholding high standards, it aims to deliver the best-tasting tea through a “LOHAS” (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) approach. Their handmade tapioca pearls are available as an add-on at a special price of one dollar per portion. When you're thirsty, try their signature Retro Black Tea paired with handmade tapioca pearls—the flavor is truly memorable. In recent years, they’ve also opened a branch in Taipei, allowing northern residents to enjoy the Yuanshi experience.

▲Milkshop. (Photo / Screenshot fromMilkshop’s official website)

9. Milkshop
Focusing on fresh milk, Milkshop uses dairy delivered directly from Green Light Ranch to all its branches—this commitment allows them to proudly highlight the rich and delicious taste of their drinks. Their unique white pearls are not only distinctive but also have an exceptionally chewy and bouncy texture. Freshly brewed tea paired with fresh milk makes for a beverage that has won over the hearts of bubble tea lovers.

▲Daqi Bar. (Photo / Provided by Junkies Daqi Bar)

10. Daqi Bar (Tainan)
Come get pumped up at Daqi Bar in Tainan—a shop that specializes in sparkling drinks. They offer four types of beverages: Little Soda, Little Tuned Soda, Ice Frappes, and Secret Blends. The owner especially recommends the following: their fruit sparkling drinks are made with fruits freshly sliced on the same day—sweet, crisp, and incredibly refreshing when enjoyed together with the bubbles. For frappes and ice drinks, the Blueberry Captain is a top pick. It features a generous amount of yogurt that creates a beautiful marbling effect. The sweet-and-sour flavors of blueberries and cranberries, along with its lovely appearance, make it the store’s best-selling frozen frappe. Another popular drink is the Mung Bean Kill Milk, made with self-boiled mung beans and fresh milk—no water added at all. Lastly, the Little Tuned Soda series features vibrant colors, with a gradient effect achieved using Heineken for a dreamy look.