A CUT Steakhouse

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A CUT Steakhouse is a critically acclaimed steak house at the Ambassador in Taipei. They also opened one in the Ambassador Hotel in Hsinchu. A CUT stands among great imported steak houses like Lawry's and Ruth's Chris. A CUT offers a wide array of cuts from different types of cattle and has a wide selection of wines to compliment them. The interior design, silverware, and quality of service reflect the price you pay for the dining experience here. In Hsinchu, this is probably the best steak house available in terms of overall dining experience and food quality. If you have a craving for a upstanding slab of beef, A CUT is a good option for you.
Address: 新竹市中華路二段188號9F
                 No. 188, Section 2, Zhōnghuá Road 9F, Hsinchu City

Phone #: 03-515-1666 ext.3437
Business Hours: 11:30-17:00, 18:00-22:30
Website: http://www.acut.com

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Price Range: $$$$

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: no
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Decor:  4.5 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Side Note: Tender steaks with delicious sides

Review

Gordon Biersch

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Gordon Biersch is a brewery restaurant with locations around the world. They offer 6 different types of beers and a wide array of western food items that pair well with them. The price for a glass of beer is 230 NT each, and the food items average at around 400 NT per item, which is why you can expect to spend around 700 NT per visit. This location is the Hsin Yi restaurant nestled on the second floor of the A11 building of Shing Kong Mitsukoshi. The Worcestershire sauce marinated beef burger is worth a try here. It pairs very well with their Marzen handcrafted beer. Give this place a visit whether you would like to enjoy their food or just to knock a couple handcrafted beers back.


Address: 臺北市信義區松壽路11號2樓

                No. 11, Sōngshòu Rd, Sinyi District, Taipei City (新光三越 A11)

Phone #: 02-8786-7588

Business Hours: 11:00-24:00
Website: http://www.gordonbiersch.com.tw/

Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$$

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Good burgers with a wide selection of brews.

Review

The Villa Herbs

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The Villa Herbs is an enchanting dining space in the middle of the south east corner of the Da An District. It is quite close to the Tong Hwa Nightmarket and a light stroll from the Liu Zhang Li MRT station. When you walk through the front gate you are transported to a pseudotropical "villa". It is a comfortable and interesting place to have a meal or just grab a few drinks. They mix pretty decent drinks, but the food is generally not as good for the price you are paying. They do have some good dishes like their truffle risotto. Come visit and enjoy their relaxing atmosphere.

Address:  台北市大安區樂利路11巷32號
                 No. 32, Lane 11, LèLì Rd, Daan District Taipei City, Taiwan 106

Phone #: 02-2732-3255
Business Hours: 12:00-0:00

Website: N/A

Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$$$

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Interesting Interior Average Western Food


Review

A3 Bar & Restaurant

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Address: 台北市信義區松仁路28號1F
                 No 28, Song Ren Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
Phone #: 02-8729-2866
Business Hours: 7:30-00:00
Website: http://www.bellavita.com.tw/store.php?d=69

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Overall: 4.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Elegant place for afternoon tea, dinner, evening drink.

Review

A³ is an modern bar and restaurant situated in the elegant Bellavita shopping center in the Sin Yi district. The dining space has a contemporary and retro chic design with the black and white checkerboard flooring. The service here is impeccable. You will feel catered from the moment you walk in. However, the prices here are are a little high, but I feel it is worth what you pay for. This is a great place to visit for a relaxing afternoon tea or a late night snack over some well concocted cocktails.

BUTTER Cafe Crêperie

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Address: 台北市忠孝東路四段122-1號2樓
                 No. 122-1 2F, Section 4, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Daan District
Phone #: 02-8772-3832
Business Hours: 11:00-14:00, 18:00-22:00
Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Overpriced pseudofrench Restaurant with good crepes.

Review

The East District in Taipei is a bustling area filled with a variety of restaurants. Butter is a "French?" restaurant that is very new to the scene. It is located at the old Akasaka Ramen location, which is right next to the Zhong Xiao Hi Sushi. I realized its existence from my visit to Hi Sushi last week and vowed that I will return and try this place out soon. Butters is more like a pan-european cafe that offers a plated entrees, wide variety of spagetti dishes, baked rice, and crepes. They are quite pricey for the quality of items that you get. However, I do recommend a visit for a some crepes over a cup of coffee.

Toasteria

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Address: 台北市忠孝東路四段248巷2號
                No. 2, Lane 248, Section 4, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Daan District
Phone #: 02-2778-1088
Business Hours: Mon-Thurs 10:00-23:00 Fri-Sat 10:00-2:00; Sun 11:00-21:00
Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Quick Grilled Sandwich Joint

Review

In the states, i would switch up my meals during my lunch break and sometimes go for sandwiches. My usual options were subway, togo's, quiznos, deli's, panera or corner bakery. Somehow, the subway in Taiwan is utterly horrible, so I would not have imagined having good Taiwanese forms of panera or corner bakery. Luckily, I found a sandwich place that has ok grilled sandwiches that can curb my craving for a sandwich. Toasteria is a restaurant that offers a variety of sandwiches and salads at prices around 150 NT. They don't have much seating and it is pretty noisy, but this small restaurant has a cool vibe and tasty sandwiches.

NY Bagel

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Address: 台北市信義路五段 122 號
                No. 122, Section 5, XìnYì Rd, Sinyi District
Phone #: 02-2723-7977
Business Hours: 24 Hours

Website: http://www.nybagelscafe.com/

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: It's a 24 Hour Diner

Review

NY Bagels cafe is an american style diner that boasts a wide menu available to its customers at any hour of the day. They sell breakfast plates, bagel sandwiches, steaks, and even pasta with an average price of 300 NT. Items like steaks will be more expensive (around 700 NT). They have a spacious dining space, and can accomadate groups up to 8 people comfortably. This is one of the late night options available in Taipei, and in that sense is a very good place to grab a bite when other restaurants are unavailable.

Joyce East

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Address: 台北市信義區信義路五段128號一樓
                 No. 128, Section 5, XìnYì Rd, Sinyi District Taipei City
Phone #: 02-8789-6128
Business Hours: 11:30-0:00

Website: http://www.joycecafetw.com/

Price Range:   $$$$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: semicasual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: High-Value Afternoon Tea

Review

In the bustling Hsin Yi district, there are many options for afternoon tea. There is Smith and Hsu, A3 at Bella Vita, and Elite Concept at the Taipei 101 just to name a few. Among the many places to enjoy a relaxing cup of tea accompanied with exquisite snacks and desserts, Joyce East stands out as a prime gateway restaurant to hook you into a life of afternoon tea-ing. Joyce East offers a deluxe afternoon tea experience at the very competitive price of 880 NT for two persons. The 3-tiered set comes with 2 tiers of snacks, and 1 tier of small desserts. The items will vary, but expect to see some sort of sandwich, a few pastries, and an assortment of cakes and puffs. The quality of the items is pretty high, and the prices are a lot cheaper than Smith and Hsu, A3, or Elite Concept, making this an afternoon tea experience with a relatively high value.

A380

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Address:    台北市信義區松高路12號4樓(新光A8館)

                   No. 12, SōngGāo Rd, Sinyi District, Taipei
Phone #:   02-2722-6380
Website: http://www.a-380.htm.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  4.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Airplane Themed Restaurant serving "Airplane Food"

Review

Upon my sauntering around Gong Guan I happend to spot a Airplane themed restaurant called A380. I thought it was pretty cool, but I was informed that the Shing Kong Mitsukoshi store was a lot cooler. Indeed the space looked like it was designed more like you are in an Airplane. The store is stuck on the 4th floor of the A one buliding in the spoiled brat department (Burberry and Dior for toddlers?). They serve the typical Taiwanese "western meals" like pasta and steak set meals that come with bread, soup, and a drink. The food here is only a tad better that real airplane food. In fact, airplane bread tasted better than their bread. I would only suggest that you check out the restaurant's exterior, but don't actually dine in.

Second Floor Cafe 貳樓餐廳

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Address: 台北市中正區羅斯福路三段316巷9弄7號
                 No. 7, Lane 316, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #:   02-2364-1666

Website:
Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: maybe

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5

Decor:  4.5 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Recommendation: Well decorated Cafe serving "American" Cuisine

Review
In the lanes around the front entrance of NTU, Second Floor Cafe recently opened its doors to the area serving American food in its quaint and clean cafe space. What impressed me most about the place is their decor, how they designed each corner of the diner with rustic earthy themes, and how they maintain its cleanliness. They serve a wide variety of "American Cuisine" from Quesadilla's to Spagetti. The items may be a bit pricey especially if you make each entree a set meal in comparison to their competition in the area. However, price does not seem to be a problem as this place was packed during dinnertime over the weekend. When I pass by I notice that they have a steady client flow. This place is very popular among the young female demographic. Second Floor Cafe is a great place to hang out over a light meal.

Smith and Hsu

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Address:    台北市忠孝東路五段33號

                   No.33, Section 5, Zhong Xiao East Road, Taipei
Phone #:   2-2747-4857
Website: http://www.smithandhsu.com/

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Great place for modern afternoon tea.

Review

Next to the number 1 Taipei City hall exit is a modern looking tea house offering a wide assortment of tea, sandwiches, and desserts. Smith and Hsu is just the place for a modern afternoon tea experience at an affordable price.

Bele'm 貝倫坊

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Address:   台北市和平東路2段118巷37號

                 No. 37, Lane 118, Section 2, HéPíng East Rd, Da-an District

Phone #:    02-2732-3391

Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5

Decor:  3.5 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall:  3.5 out of 5

Recommendation: Ok pasta at a slightly higher price than market.

Review

Bele'm is a bakery and cafe located near the rear entrance to the National Taiwan University. It is one of the many diverse dining options available in the rear entrance area. They serve steaks and pastas ranging from 120 NT to 300 NT, with an addition 50 NT option to include soup, bread, and a drink of chioce. Bele'm is also a bakery that provides a wide assortment of average looking baked goods. They have a cozy interior and a competent wait staff. They have enough people to run the bakery and the cafe efficiently. It is an average store with nothing special in particular. 

Mary Jane Pizza 瑪莉珍披薩

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Address:    台北市大安區溫州街89號

                   No. 89, WēnZhōu St, Da-an District
Phone #:   02-2369-5333
Website: http://www.maryjanepizza.com/

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Crunchy personal pizza at a bargain.

Review

Mary Jane Pizza is a restaurant that provides affordable and palatable pizza. Their 8-inch pizzas range from 200-300 NT from the basic pepperoni and cheese to the sicilian pizza topped with artichokes, anchovies, olives, and roma tomatoes. If you don't like what they offer, you can also build your own pizza by selecting your favorite toppings. They also offer Hoegaarden on tap, which is a plus. Mary Jane Pizza brings a rendition of New York Style Pizza at an affordable price to Taiwan. This is a popular place to dine among local students and foreigners alike.

House No. 202 Steak and Pasta

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Address:   台北市汀州路三段202號

                 No. 202, Section 3, TīngZhōu Rd, Jhongjheng District

Phone #:    02-2369-8800

Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/No202-House/126185724096011

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.7 out of 5

Decor:  3.5 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 3.7 out of 5

Recommendation: Go for quality pastas at a bargain.

Review

Continuing on my quest to find an acceptable pasta spot, I stumbled upon a newly opened restaurant nearby called House No. 202 Steak and Pasta. Their menu consists of many entrees in which you can add a combination of salad, soup, bread, or drink. The entrees range from 140 NT for a plate of seafood spagetti to 260 for steak. They also serve lamb chops and chicken rice, all under 300 NT. The food here is delightful. The portions are just right, the flavors are light and fresh, and the platings are alluring. They offer quality food and drink at an affordable price. This is the type of neighborhood eatery that is worth frequenting.