Drinking here for ten years straight！Taipei’s Gongguan late-night, no-time-limit café with cats for company

Text & Photos／Zhou Huahua

Is there a coffee shop in your heart that you’ve been visiting for ten years? My first coffee shop was 《Norwegian Wood》 in Gongguan, but I spent most of my time at 《Picked Up a Cat on the Road》. Aside from its extremely laid-back atmosphere, the relatively low prices were also a big plus. I didn’t have much money back in my student days, so this was the perfect spot to hang out.

Picked Up a Cat on the Road

Recommendation Rating: ★★★★☆　4 stars
Short Review: A rare affordable, all-day coffee shop in Gongguan near National Taiwan Normal University—its relaxing vibe is highly recommended.

The shop is located on Wenzhou Street, an area with quite a few coffee shops. You can walk here from either Taipei Metro’s Taipower Building Station or Gongguan Station, though it’s about a 10-minute walk from either. There are many one-way streets in the alleys opposite National Taiwan University, so be extra careful if you’re riding a bike. Fortunately, parking isn’t too hard to find—there are plenty of parking spaces along the alleys off Xinyi South Road.

After I started writing articles, I often had to push myself to visit different shops for material, which is why I hadn’t been here for quite a while. Looking back, I realized I’d never written a review for 《Picked Up a Cat on the Road》. Maybe it’s also related to the shop’s vibe—it’s just so out of step with the times.

The defining traits of 《Picked Up a Cat on the Road》 are “old” and “messy,” at least that’s how I remember it. The chairs are the kind of old ones where you have to check if they wobble before sitting. But strangely, the sofas here are so cozy you never want to get up. You can casually grab a comic from the bookshelf to read along, and of course, there’s free Wi-Fi and power outlets. The whole shop, including the owner, is so laid-back that there’s no restriction on how long you can stay. They’re open until 1:30 AM, making it the perfect late-night café whether you’re tired after work or just can’t sleep.

The stickers and slogans are still as abundant as ever, reflecting an era that hasn’t changed. Though you can no longer find the now-defunct “Pots” newspaper here, I remember once bumping into the band “Come On, Baibai!” by the window seat. I loved their song “Lost” back then—it’s been on my playlist from MP3 to iPhone 7.

The shop’s mascot is the cat “Little Leopard,” who always sleeps on the coffee machine. Most of the time, it lies there hugging the machine, but today it decided to switch things up and sit like a hen incubating eggs.

The menu at 《Picked Up a Cat on the Road》 is all written on the blackboard. Don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s messy—trust me, this is actually the neater version. Various coffees are paired with soft drinks. Before I became obsessed with coffee, I used to love flavored sodas for a while. Now there are also some cakes, which is actually quite fitting, plus the hipster-favorite Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Iced Americano — NT$110

Latte and Americano are my usual go-to drinks. Today, my friend and I both instinctively ordered iced Americanos.

To be honest, the coffee here tastes slightly different each time you have it—sometimes with a strong roasted aroma, other times more mild. If you’re chasing the ultimate perfect cup of coffee, you might not find it particularly professional here. But you can’t overlook the great atmosphere of 《Picked Up a Cat on the Road》.

I visited during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the afternoon, the staff started preparing barbecue ingredients behind the counter, and by evening, they were grilling right at the shop entrance. I naively hoped that maybe each customer would get a skewer, but alas, that wasn’t the case. I’ve also seen the owner playing video games on a big screen with friends inside the shop more than once. Customers are used to treating this place like their own living room—you can chat comfortably, work on your laptop, or step outside for a puff of nicotine. You can do whatever you want here. Over the years, Gongguan in Taipei has changed a lot, and honestly, so has the entire city. I hope 《Picked Up a Cat on the Road》 can keep going without changing.

Picked Up a Cat on the Road
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Address: No. 2, Lane 49, Wenzhou Street, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2364 2263
Business Hours: Monday–Sunday 1:00 PM–1:30 AM

‘Zhou Huahua, have you eaten?’ Eat first, lose weight later.
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