While you can easily find information about Beitou’s hot springs, there’s little mentioned about Beitou’s traditional market and eateries. Just a short walk downhill from the hotels you will find a bustling market where locals shop for the freshest ingredients. Dotted throughout the market are casual restaurants and street food stalls. Lines of eager patrons mark places where prices are low and satisfaction is high. I have eaten my way through Taipei but these eateries keep bringing me back! I hope you enjoy this collection of my favorite Beitou eats!
Prices may have changed since I published this article
Eateries Near the Beitou MRT Station
葉櫻拉麵 Hazakura
If you find yourself in Beitou, this tiny ramen stall is where it’s at! With only 6 seats, there might be a wait but it’s worth it if you want a different type of ramen. It’s made with a thick chicken broth served with lemon. I’ve never had this before!
This shop is a block from MRT and a few doors from the free indoor playground. Perfect spot if you ask me!
Eateries located inside of the Beitou Market Building
High Quality Tea 高記茶莊
Located in the back of Beitou’s indoor market, locals queue up for their refreshing teas. The flavor is light and clean.
📍No. 30, Xinshi Street
Ai Zi Cai Braised Pork Rice
This may be the most famous eatery in all of Beitou, known for its 25 NT bowl of rice topped with fragrant minced pork stew. They are located on the 2nd floor of the indoor market. Arrive early as lines sometimes wrap all the way out of the building. Limited seating is available.
📍Beitou Market 2F, No. 30, Xinshi Street
Wok Noodles 鼎邊銼 (MUST TRY!)
This stall is known for its pot-sticker noodles, named for the way the noodles are made (not the meat-filled dumplings). Stop by early Saturday mornings to see the noodle-making process in action. 50 NT buys you a bowl of fragrant seafood broth with chewy rice noodles and assorting meatballs. I dream of these noodles!
📍Beitou Market 2F, No. 30, Xinshi Street
Beitou Outside Market Eateries
Righteous Cuisine 正靖美食
The food stand offers home-made traditional delicacies, such as Taiwanese Sticky Rice ( 油飯), mua chee, hakka steamed rice cakes (艾草粿), and Taiwanese Steamed Rice Bowl Cakes (碗糕)
📍No. 12, Qingjiang Road
Chitterling Vermicelli 大腸麵線
You can find Chitterling Vermicelli, or intestine noodles, in just about every neighborhood in Taiwan. This stand is quite delicious and a bowl of noodles will only set you back 45 NT. Limited seating.
📍 No. 24 Qingjiang Road
素食飯團燒餅 Vegan Rice Rolls
Popular stand where locals line up for vegetarian Fàn tuán (範團 ), a Taiwanese breakfast staple of glutenous rice, fried donuts, and pickled radish. This shop makes its own crunch vegetable bits that set it apart from the others. Get a couple for the kids to snack on later.
📍No. 58, Lane 25, Qingjiang Rd
Taiwanese Oyster Omelette 蚵仔煎 (MUST TRY!)
Crisp edges surround a chewy egg batter filled with fresh oysters and greens, topped with a sweet garlicky sauce. So many textures and flavors packed into one dish, more reminiscent of a thick crepe rather than an omelet. 60 NT. Limited seating. This is the best Taiwanese oyster omelet I’ve had on the entire island!
📍No. 20 Huanggang Road
Taiwanese Shaved Ice 陳家剉冰
Traditional Taiwanese shaved ice is the perfect way to beat the summer heat. Locals like this spot for their toppings, cooked to the perfect “QQ” texture. Limited seating is available.
📍No. 22 Xinshi Street
Zhong Mei Bakery – Green Onion Bread
Tucked a few shops into Xingsen Alley is a pop-up bakery only open on Mondays at 3:30. They are usually sold out within half an hour. The owner is semi-retired and once ran a full bakery at this location. She now only bakes up her famous green onion buns and occasionally offers pineapple buns too. It was the aroma that led me down the alley to this tiny shop. My son says her green onion buns are too good! He can eat a whole bag in one sitting! You are probably thinking that these look like any green onion bun, but these are the best I’ve had and you can’t beat them when they are hot out of the oven.
📍No 26 Xingsen Alley
Soup Dumplings 小籠包
A favorite food stall popular with young eaters for their mini mantou (steamed bread). The long line of patrons waits to devour freshly steamed soup dumplings and shumai handmade daily. Limited seating is available and only open for dinner.
📍No. 1 Gongguan Road
Izakaya 蔦燒日式居酒屋-北投店
Cozy place for a sake-fueled, protein-packed dinner. Nice date night spot with a great ambiance. You must pose for a selfie with samurai armor.
📍 No. 24 Wenquan Road, Lane 30
Tea Shop 北投本土味明泉紅茶
This easily missed small tea shop is the perfect pit stop on a hot day when walking from the Beitou market to the Hot Springs Museum or Thermal Valley. With patrons blocking the narrow sidewalk, you know it’s a place worth checking out. Their traditional black tea on ice really hits the spot!
📍No. 129 Guangming Road
Eateries near Xin Beitou MRT Station
Penglai Tai Cai
If you’re going to Beitou’s Hot Springs, try this Taiwanese restaurant that is popular with locals and even made it in the Michelin Guide. Reservations are necessary as they are always booked. Penglai is a casual eatery famous for its Asian ribs. Other traditional dishes include taro balls, flying fish roe fried rice, sweet and sour fish, stir-fried yam leaves, sautéed liver, wood ear and chicken, and more.
Feeling adventurous? It was my first time trying chewy fish skin, a delicacy with the texture of cold jellyfish.
Wu’s Beef Noodles
Quite a well-known spot for Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Order at the register and find a table next door. There is a small playground outside and across the street.
📍No. 224 Zhongyang North Road號, Section 1
JING YING NIOU 京盈牛
Jing Ying offers beef noodle soup in a choice of 3 different broths; clear, traditional, and mala. I noticed almost every table ordered the fried pork chop. It was tender and delicious! The friendly staff suggested their appetizer platter of boiled peanuts, seaweed, sliced pig ear, braised tofu and egg, and seasoned yuba. Worth ordering! Look around the restaurant and you see smiling faces and full bellies.
📍No. 240 Zhonghe Street
Beitou Restaurants Near Qiyan MRT Station
Hakka Restaurant
Don’t be fooled by this unassuming establishment. There’s a reason this family-owned restaurant is packed each night. Meals are served family-style with very large portions. Not to be missed are the soups and jumbo prawn fried rice.
📍No. 14-1 Zhongyang South Road, Section 2