4 places to eat on a date in Taipei, hand-picked from our A-to-Z guide — from Addiction Aquatic Development to Raohe Street Night Market. Every spot below was verified by an editor on the ground, with the address, the best time to go, and a one-line reason it earns the trip.
4 hand-picked spots
A
Zhongshan
A fish market reimagined as a date — pick your catch, eat it raw at the counter, and toast with sake before the lights go down.
Tip Skip the supermarket aisles and go straight to the standing sushi and oyster bars at the back — point at what looks freshest and let them plate it. Order a flight of cold sake to split. Go on a weekday evening; weekend queues for the seated grill can run an hour.
I
Xinyi
The shaved-ice mountain that made Taipei famous for it — one towering bowl of mango-milk ice, two spoons, and a guaranteed reason to sit close.
Tip The fresh mango sensation — shaved mango-milk ice piled with fresh fruit, sorbet, and pudding — is the signature, and one giant bowl is plenty for two. Go in mango season (roughly May–August) when the fruit is at its best. Expect a line in high summer; the air-conditioned room is part of the relief, so eat in rather than takeaway.
N
Datong, near Dadaocheng
The night market that food-obsessed Taipei locals actually rank first — short, dense, and unbothered by trends.
Tip Go for the classics the market is famous for: Liu Yu Zi taro balls, the egg yolk taro (dan huang yu), and oyster omelet. It's a single straight lane so you can do a there-and-back recon walk before committing your stomach. Cash only at almost every stall, so hit a 7-Eleven ATM beforehand.
R
Songshan, by Ciyou Temple
The classic temple-gated night market — gilded, glowing, and crowned by that legendary pepper-pork bun.
Tip Queue at the famous Fuzhou pepper-pork bun stall right at the temple entrance — the line moves fast and it's worth it. Walk to the far end and back so you don't blow your appetite on the first 50 meters. After eating, the Rainbow Bridge over the Keelung River is a 5-min stroll for a lit-up couple's photo.