Coffee shops on and around Dihua Street
Three good stops for when the market gets busy
Dihua Street is known for its historic buildings, bustling markets, and, more recently, a growing coffee scene. The street is famous for its Lunar New Year market, but year-round you’ll find souvenir shops, stores selling herbs, spices, Chinese medicine, and dried foods, as well as street food stalls and restaurants.
Despite being just one kilometer long, Dihua Street can get busy. If you need a break from the crowds, these three coffee shops are good places to dip out for a while, whether you’re vegan, looking to work, on a date, or catching up with a friend.
#1: Koneko Vegan Coffee
A relaxing cafe at the quieter end of Dihua Street
Koneko Vegan Coffee is located at the quieter end of Dihua Street and is a good place to fuel up either before or after you hit the markets.
It is Japanese style, minimal and calm, with a feline theme that appears everywhere. Cats wander around doing their own thing and ignoring customers. If it weren't for the multiple signs, it would be easy not to notice this place was vegan.
When This Is Taipei visited over the Lunar New Year holiday in February 2026, a lot of the desserts on the menu were unavailable, although we were recommended a matcha cheesecake (NT$160), which was super tasty. There's also shaved ice available.
The brown sugar iced latte (NT$160) was satisfyingly strong, and the Thai milk tea (NT$120) was sweet and creamy.
The menu is in Chinese, but the servers speak English and are friendly.
On our February visit, Japanese rock music was playing quietly in the background. The place is small, with about half a dozen tables, and it's full of people sharing cake, talking quietly, or journaling. Sitting there felt relaxing, it's definitely more suited to unwinding rather than working.
Koneko Vegan Coffee is open between 9 AM and 5 PM on Wednesdays to Saturdays.
#2: Island
A wonderful cafe that may be a little harder to locate
If the phrase "hidden gem" wasn't banned, that is how This Is Taipei would describe Island. A five-minute walk from the western end of Dihua Street, it's located inside what looks like a shack, and might be hard to spot.
Once you've made it inside, the cafe is dimly lit, calm, and feels comforting. The wooden beams and low ceilings, paired with old cabinets, mismatched chairs, lamps, and bookshelves make it look a bit like a living room from another era.
It’s a small, intimate space. You can chat, but everyone will hear your conversation, which naturally keeps the volume low.
This isn’t really a laptop cafe. It’s better for reading, thinking, or doing nothing at all. Soft background music, mostly classical and jazz, is the room's soundtrack.
The menu is written on wooden boards and only in Chinese, but the owner speaks English and is happy to explain. Prices are on the higher side. A hand brew is NT$200, and a latte costs the same.
Island is open every day from 12 PM to 6 PM, with a 90-minute seating limit if it gets busy.
#3: All Day Roasting Company
A specialty coffee shop in an old house
All Day Roasting Company feels more like an old house than a standard coffee shop.
Set inside a converted Japanese-style building, it has a dimly lit, retro feel, with bar seats, tables, comfortable seating, and a small courtyard leading to another seating area that looks set up for live music.
The specialty coffee is the main draw here, with each cup made carefully and presented almost like a small piece of art. When This Is Taipei visited, we ordered the Sicilian Lemon Coffee, which was refreshing on a hot day and tasty. Coffee beans are also available for purchase.
It’s a good place for solo visitors, remote work, dates, or catching up with friends, though it can get busy.
When This Is Taipei visited on a Saturday, there were families, friend groups, and people settling in for a longer stay. The menu is nicely designed, but it may be harder to understand if you don’t read Chinese.
There are also several other All Day Roasting Company branches around Taipei.
