What to See and Eat in Ximending // Taipei, Taiwan
The most popular tourist neighborhood in Taipei, Ximending is often referred to as the “Harajuku of Taipei” because of its youthful vibe and trendy atmosphere. But visiting it can be a little overwhelming, and it’s unclear what exactly you should see when you first arrive.
We’ve had a home in Taipei for 2 years and visit Ximen often, so have built up a lot of favorites and recommendations that I’d love for you to also enjoy!
If you’d prefer to do a guided tour, this historic walking tour will take you to most of the highlights listed below (including ones in the “Nearby Attractions” section), or this private tour will take you from your hotel to Ximending for a 6 hour experience.
Here’s how you can make the most of your visit to Ximending:
What to See
On May 17, 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, and this flag was painted in that honor. This rainbow, right in front of the Ximen MRT, is a popular place to take photos and is one of Ximen’s most iconic “landmarks.”
This Western-style building was built in 1908 and is Taiwan’s first public market and most well-preserved historic site. Today, it is a market that houses artisan craft shops and small galleries. I love artisanal shops and come in as often as I can.
The Red House Creatives and Art Market (西紅市創意市集)
On the weekends, there’s a local street market, with stalls selling artisanal trinkets, bags, earrings, tea, etc, all around the MRT exit, usually starting in the afternoon into the evenings.
Don Don Donki (Don Quijote in Japan)
If you’ve never been inside one of these, I recommend a visit — it’s part store, part spectacle. Don Don Donki is lined to the brim with Japanese goods of every variety, complete with a catchy tune. It’s a cultural experience that we take almost all our visitors to.
Pedestrian Area
This pedestrian area is filled with food stalls, souvenir shops, and clothing boutiques. It’s a great place to shop for food souvenirs (like pineapple cakes, mochi, or nougats). Shop around, though, as the pricing and samples vary by store. I have found Mr. Ho’s Shop to have the best prices.
You can also sometimes see street performers putting on a show in the middle of the street. A lot of them are not very good, though, so YMMV.
Near the Taipei Cinema park there is a lot of street art and graffiti that’s off the pedestrian area by a street or two. It feels a little random for Taipei, but the art is pretty cool, and there’s a monstrous steel dinosaur that is overrun with plants.
Where to Eat
Taiwanese Breakfast
Start your day with a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. Enjoy a bowl of salty soy milk (鹹豆漿), paired with crispy youtiao (fried dough sticks) or an egg pancake (蛋餅) (for more detail on Taiwanese breakfast foods, scroll to the bottom). Most of these places are street food, cash only:
The most popular in the area, but not super welcoming/friendly
Xi Ke Lai Breakfast Restaurant
Has an English menu available
Has an English menu available
This is one of our favorite Taiwanese restaurants in the area, and it’s a proper restaurant with doors and AC that takes credit card (another reason we love it). They serve breakfast until 11am, and on their menu is hakka breakfast, which is different than pure Taiwanese breakfast.
Their combo meals are excellent, and they have a signature soup dumplings, egg pancake and cold tea that is delicious.
Lunch / Dinner
As everywhere in Taiwan, there are many options for food, and I’ve divided them here into categories of comfort/payment methods.
Street food, cash only:
Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle: Probably the most famous street-food stall in Ximen, serves mee sua (麵線), thin rice noodles in a savory broth with pieces of tender pork intestines. Very long line, but moves quickly.
Popcorn Chicken King: Popcorn chicken is a Taiwanese specialty, and is very popular.
There is a section that is proper street food in Ximen, though none of the stalls are amazing, so I wouldn’t recommend eating there.
Sit down, cash only:
Lao Shan Dong (老山東牛肉麺): Known for the beef noodles they have been making since 1949, this Michelin Bib Gourmands spot is delicious. Found in the basement food court of the Wan Nian Building, there’s an English menu, and you should get the beef noodles and dumplings. Veggies are in the fridge to grab on your own.
Sit down, AC, takes credit card:
God Guo Hot Pot: Very popular hot pot restaurant, always a line. This was our first Taiwanese hot pot experience, and we absolutely loved it. They have an unlimited salad bar and free ice cream, so you leave absolutely stuffed.
Cha Cha BBQ: BBQ restaurant, usually a line. You order a plate of meat (starts at ~$12) to grill yourself at your table, and it comes with access to an unlimited salad bar, miso soup, curry rice (so good), poached eggs, and free ice cream that you have 60 min to eat. A great date spot, though it can be a bit rushed as you try to get the most value out of the place.
TrueWow: Korean spot that has free ice cream. This spot is on the 2nd floor of a building, so easy to miss, but it has delicious Korean food and a really fun atmosphere (they invite diners to play games for prizes). The fried tteokbokki skewers live permanently in my dreams, though everything is bomb.
Gan Mei Alley: Taiwanese, great meal sets, has a signature Xiao Long Bao with a skirt. This is our go-to spot when we want Taiwanese food in a comfortable setting. We really like the beef stir-fried noodles, and I almost always get a red bean or green bean drink when there.
Sauerkraut Fish: Chinese fish and suancai restaurant, that serves the most amazing spicy sour fish soup. Beware: it’s very, very spicy. They also have a tomato and egg broth, but it’s not nearly as good. The bowls are massive (we can usually share a 2-3 person bowl amongst 4). Get the fish skin to dip in the broth and drink their chenpi (sun-dried mandarin peel) or rose tea.
Marugame Udon: There are two in Ximen, one in the Eslite in the middle (closed for renovation until Dec) and one in Carrefour in the south. Marugame makes amazing udon and is very reasonable. The only thing is that it’s an international chain, so you don’t have to get it in Ximen.
Haidilao: Another international chain, Haidilao can be found in the Carrefour at the southern end of Ximen. This Haidilao always has a line, but at least they have snacks while you’re waiting! The spicy broth is no joke spicy, and the tomato and egg (another popular broth) is probably my favorite.
Dessert
Bubble Tea:
The thing you’ll probably notice first is the number of bubble tea spots in Ximending. Xing Fu Tang is a popular chain who’s flagship in Ximen is pretty good. They make the tapioca in the windows where you can watch, and their brown sugar milk is iconic, though I don’t think it has any tea. Kungfutea is another popular choice in the area, and 50 Lan is our go-to for a solid boba.
If you’re looking for something in particular, look around, as the drinks vary from place to place (eg. some have oat milk or matcha and others don’t). They’re all pretty good unless you’re particular about boba. If you see a long line, I’d get that one.
Shaved Ice:
There are a lot of shaved ice spots in the area, but Ice Una is a particularly fun one. They make the cutest dessert monsters, complete with eyes and sometimes a crown. The shaved ice here is melt-in-your-mouth, and it looks like a lot but disappears quick, though I definitely think one is enough for at least two people.
Taro Balls:
Taro balls are a classic Taiwanese dessert, and there are lots of options for it in Ximen, but we like 王福芋圓. I personally don’t like almond dessert, so I usually go for their classic, Taro balls with brown sugar (which I prefer hot to cold).
For any other dessert needs, pop into a souvenir shop to buy a box to share with friends or even a 7-11 or Family Mart. Family Mart’s soft service is famous (with rotating flavors) and they both sell other desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Nearby Attractions
Outside of the immediate Ximending area are a few other attractions that are worth seeing while you’re so far west. Here are a few:
This area (Wanhua) is particularly old, so this temple is one of the nicest and oldest in Taipei.
Bopilao is a well-preserved historical block with buildings dating back to the Qing Dynasty. Tucked in these narrow lanes are restored buildings that house exhibitions on Taipei’s history and culture that are cool to read about.
Established in 1919, the building was initially designed during Japanese Colonization, then restored after World War II to become the Presidential Office in 1950. It’s a beautiful building that you should definitely see while in the area.
This park was where the February 28 (228) Incident (or Massacre) took place, and has a memorials of the incident and a beautiful pagoda in a pond. This is one of our favorite places in the city to walk around after dinner.
Dihua Old Street (Dadaocheng)
Just north of Ximen is a Dihua Street, considered the oldest street in Taipei. The street is rich in history and filled with traditional tea shops, herbal stores, and fabric shops. They also have lots of great ceramics and souvenir shops, and great bars at night. This is one of my favorite areas of Taipei that I think is really underrated.
Tamsui Riverside
Walking or biking along the Tamsui River is a great way to spend the afternoon, especially golden hour. You can walk it all the way to the other side of the city if you’re so inclined, and it’s a nice reprieve from the bustle of the city.
