Three places to eat after 10 PM
From 24-hour dim sum to late-night hot pot and Japanese pub food
Taipei has no shortage of food, but finding a proper meal late at night can sometimes be difficult. Many mom-and-pop restaurants close surprisingly early, and outside the city's busiest nightlife areas, it is not always obvious where to go once 10 PM rolls around.
Fortunately, there are still great options for anyone finishing work late or heading home after a night out. From steaming hot pot and Cantonese dim sum to Japanese pub food, these three are good places to start.
#1: Haidilao
Hot pot into the early hours
Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao is a reliable option for a late-night meal, with several Taipei branches staying open well past midnight.
When This Is Taipei visited the Q Square branch beside Taipei Main Station on a weekday evening, the huge restaurant was packed, and we had to wait a short while for a table.
Part of Haidilao's appeal is that waiting for a table comes with a few unusual extras. The Q Square branch has a children's play area and even offers manicure services while diners wait.
We chose a spicy broth alongside a vegetable-based one, and both were excellent. The menu is bilingual, and the servers were friendly and attentive throughout the meal. We do recommend not over-ordering initially — it's easy to get carried away with all the tasty menu options, and you can always add more later.
If it's your first visit, we recommend ordering the hand-pulled noodles, which are prepared tableside. The chef will probably fling them dangerously close to your face, before adding them to the hot pot.
The Q Square restaurant is open until 3 AM daily, although last seating is at 1 AM. Opening hours vary by branch, so it's worth checking beforehand, but some Taipei locations stay open even later.
#2: City Star
Dim sum around the clock
Citystar Restaurant is one of Taipei’s most reliable options when you want a proper meal long after most restaurants have closed.
Open 24 hours in the eastern district, the Cantonese restaurant serves a huge menu of dim sum, roasted meats, seafood, clay pot dishes, noodles, and rice dishes, making it a particularly good option if you are hungry after a late shift, drinks, or an evening out.
The atmosphere is lively, and dishes arrive as they are ready. The bilingual menu is available via QR code, while servers also circulate with small dishes that diners can choose directly.
For something substantial, try the Singapore-style fried rice vermicelli with shrimp, pork, egg, and bean sprouts. The rice noodle rolls with youtiao and spring onions, and shrimp siu mai, are also easy dishes to share.
It is not the cheapest midnight snack in Taipei, but portions are generous and the huge menu makes Citystar a useful late-night fallback when convenience-store food will not cut it.
#3: Fengfu Izakaya
Late-night Japanese pub food
Fengfu Izakaya (楓馥夜食日式居酒屋) is a small, dark, and cozy spot in Taipei that stays open until 1 AM. The roughly 30-seat restaurant has an open kitchen, with liquor bottles stacked along the counter and a warm, relaxed feel that works especially well for a date.
More broadly, izakayas are one of Taipei's most dependable options for eating after 10 PM. These informal Japanese pubs are typically centered around drinks and shared plates, with diners ordering skewers, grilled fish, fried food, and other small dishes.
They are particularly common around Zhongshan District and often stay open later than many typical Taiwanese restaurants.
At Fengfu, the menu covers plenty of familiar izakaya fare. When This Is Taipei visited, we particularly enjoyed the pepper sesame chicken (NT$280), teriyaki grilled beef short ribs (NT$190), and salted egg yolk water lily shoots (NT$200).
Reservations are worth considering because of the limited seating.
