Yilan Japanese-style Retro Café | Specialty “Black Pepper Honey Latte”

Photos & Text byPurple Smile

This Giraffe Café is truly unique—or rather, steeped in Japanese style. Even the coffee is called “珈t2,” and there are Japanese characters underneath. If you didn’t know the address, you’d think you were in Japan!!! In reality, it’s a café located near Yilan University. It’s an exceptionally classy spot. When you step inside, you naturally lower your voice. The café’s design is also quite distinctive—the lighting stays softly amber both day and night, giving off the vibe of an old-school coffee shop.

The front wall features an exposed concrete design, which is a stark contrast to today’s trend of large glass panels and bright, open spaces. Instead, it offers an alternative charm—a hidden path that sparks curiosity and invites exploration.

Pretty retro, right?! This place really captures that essence—it feels just like the cafés of Taiwan’s earlier days.

Even when taking orders, the staff speak softly and even crouch down to meet the customer’s eye level. Bottom line: even the service has a Japanese flair!!

The atmosphere is truly wonderful!!! Add to that the carefully curated music (yes, the playlists are thoughtfully chosen), and by the afternoon, you might find yourself so relaxed that you’re actually a little sleepy.

There’s even a real giraffe here—it’s probably the café’s mascot.

It has the vibe of an old apothecary cabinet!!!

Even the unintentional little corners have their own unique style.

While most cafés have counters where you can chat with the baristas, this one is different—the counter is high, so you can’t see it from your seat. There are also reading lamps provided.

The café also sells small goods.

They also sell Japanese tea, as expected.

They offer some foreign beers too (don’t drink and drive, and minors should not consume alcohol).

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

Each one looks great!!!

The prices are slightly higher than your average café, but not by much. Plus, the menu features some really unique flavor options.

Black Pepper Honey Latte!!! Isn’t that special? The pepper aroma only lingers on the surface, while the overall coffee flavor is excellent—rich and smooth. The hint of pepper adds an extra layer of charm to this latte.

When the owner served the tea, he also explained his concept for this coffee, hoping we’d appreciate its layers of flavor.

The cheesecake is your typical cheesecake, but the quality is pretty good.

Jean ordered the Giraffe Lady Iced Tea. There are also Giraffe Gentleman and Giraffe Baby Iced Teas—the names are quite intriguing. When it arrived, the layers were clearly visible: Yilan Wuba black tea mixed with plum juice. It tasted sweet and tangy, yet still carried the aroma of black tea. A creative combination that was delicious!!!! Paired perfectly with the cheesecake.

In a moment of relaxation, glancing around, it felt a bit like a Yilan University research lab!!!! Haha, the place is quiet and undisturbed. Couples occasionally hugging and cuddling would definitely find it hard to focus on studying (the supervision is strict here ^^).

Giraffe Gentleman Coffee
Fan Page
Address: No. 55, Section 3, Nüzhong Road, Yilan City, Yilan County (next to Yilan University’s perimeter wall)
Phone: 03-933-0930
Business Hours: Monday/Wednesday–Sunday 12:00–21:00 / Closed on Tuesdays

We are Ben & Jean—we love food, travel, photography, and 3C.
http://smilejean.pixnet.net/blog

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