Cafeography
戶外座位 · Taipei

Outdoor seating cafés in Taipei

Tables under Dihua Street's arcades, timed around the rain.

Photo: Inna YN, Pexels License

Sitting outside in Taipei is a matter of timing. The city has a humid subtropical climate: in July the average daily high reaches 34.8 °C, the record of 39.7 °C was set on 24 July 2020, and every month from May to September averages more than 210 mm of rain.1 Typhoon season runs from June to October.1

Winters are short and often foggy, and temperatures rarely fall below 10 °C.1 The wet half of the year starts with the 梅雨 (plum rains) of May and June, which mark the beginning of Taiwan's flood season.2

Local tip: Between May and October, pick a café with indoor seats as well as outdoor ones, such as Aura微光咖啡 in Gongguan or Dreamers Coffee in the East District, so a plum-rain shower or a typhoon squall doesn't end the visit.

Where these cafés are: Dadaocheng & Dihua Street (12), Gongguan (6), Wenshan & Muzha (6), Nanjing East Road & Xingtian Temple (5), East District (Dongqu) (5), Zhongzheng & Main Station (5), Zhongshan & Chifeng Street (3), Minsheng Community & Songshan (3), Dazhi (2), Xinyi (2), Yongkang Street & Shida (2), Neihu & Nangang (2), Tonghua & Technology Building (1), Ximending & Wanhua (1), Yonghe & Zhonghe (1).

At a glance

56Cafés listed
25With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
01:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Dreamers Coffee, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–21:30).
  • Closes latest: 穆勒咖啡館, until 01:00 (Mon–Thu 11:30–23:00 · Fri–Sat 11:30–01:00 · Sun 11:30–23:00).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (50%), smoke-free indoors (30%), toilets (25%).
Zhongzheng & Main Station

墨歐早午餐

MELB & CO.

  • 南昌路一段74巷 18之2號
  • Mon–Tue Closed · Wed–Sun 09:00–18:00
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Plum rains, typhoons and heat

The plum rains usually reach central Taiwan in early May before moving north, according to the Central Weather Administration.2 Total rainfall has changed little in recent years, but it now falls in more short, heavy bursts, and the fronts can bring thunder, lightning and hail.2

Humidity never drops far. Taipei's average relative humidity is 74.8%, lowest in July at 70.2%, which is also when the afternoon heat peaks.1

Arcades and sidewalk seating

Much of the city's shade is built in. The 騎樓, or 亭仔腳 (teng-a-kha) in Taiwanese, is a covered walkway beneath an overhanging upper floor; a 1900 building rule under Japanese rule made it compulsory along roads, and Taipei still requires arcades on commercial lots that face roads at least 8 meters wide.3 By law the arcade counts as a sidewalk, and owners may not block it, even though the land is private.3

Tables on a public sidewalk need a city permit. Only registered food businesses can apply, not next to residential zones, and they must leave at least 2.5 meters clear, or 2 meters beside an arcade.4 The furniture has to be movable.4

Dihua Street and Dadaocheng

Dadaocheng & Dihua Street has the most cafés with outdoor seating, ahead of Nanjing East Road & Xingtian Temple, Gongguan and Wenshan & Muzha. On Dihua Street Section 1 (迪化街一段), 鹹花生 (Salt Peanuts Cafe) at No. 197 and Modern mode café at No. 278 have outdoor seats and Wi-Fi. In Lane 14 off the same street, 一杯青 (Cup of Qing) at No. 6 opens Tuesday to Sunday 12:00–19:00, and 草原派対 at No. 4 opens daily 10:00–20:00 and takes cash only.

On Yanping North Road Section 2 (延平北路二段), 擺渡咖啡 (Baido Cafe) at No. 214 has outdoor tables and opens daily 08:00–19:00. 深夜咖啡, at 34-2 Jiuquan Street (酒泉街), has outdoor seats and stays open until midnight.

Early terraces and late ones

For breakfast outside, 擺渡咖啡 (Baido Cafe) at 214 Yanping North Road Section 2 (延平北路二段) opens daily 08:00–19:00, Always Day One Cafe in Lane 20 of Dazhi Street (大直街) at 08:00, and Keystone coffee roaster on Bade Road Section 2 at 08:00 on weekdays. TA Coffee in Xinyi runs 08:00–16:00 and takes cash only.

Evenings outside run later in the East District and Dazhi. 爛醉咖啡, at 9 Lane 116 Guangfu South Road, serves until 23:30 every day, and 穆勒咖啡館 (Cafe Muller), on Lane 595 of Bei'an Road, has outdoor seats and stays open until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday. In Gongguan, Picnic Cafe on Wenzhou Street has outdoor tables and serves until 23:00.

Sources

  1. Taipei: Climate, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Taiwan to have fewer plum rains and hotter temperatures, Taiwan News (April 29, 2025), accessed October 2026
  3. 騎樓, Wikipedia (Chinese), accessed October 2026
  4. 臺北市人行道設置露天座管理辦法, Taipei City Government law database (amended May 18, 2018), accessed October 2026
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By area: Dadaocheng & Dihua Street Zhongshan & Chifeng Street Minsheng Community & Songshan Gongguan Yongkang Street & Shida East District (Dongqu) Xinyi Ximending & Wanhua

FAQ

Outdoor seating in Taipei: questions

When is the best time of year to sit outside at cafés in Taipei?

The months to plan around are May to October. The plum rains fall in May and June, typhoon season runs from June to October, and July has an average daily high of 34.8 °C; the city record, 39.7 °C, was set on 24 July 2020. Winters are short and often foggy, and temperatures rarely fall below 10 °C.

Where are the cafés with outdoor seating in Taipei?

Dadaocheng & Dihua Street has the most, ahead of Nanjing East Road, Gongguan and Wenshan & Muzha. On Dihua Street Section 1, Salt Peanuts Cafe at No. 197 and Modern mode café at No. 278 have outdoor seats, and Cup of Qing in Lane 14 opens Tuesday to Sunday 12:00–19:00.

What are the rules for café tables on Taipei sidewalks and arcades?

Café seating on a public sidewalk in Taipei needs a city permit. Only registered food businesses may apply, not next to residential zones, and they must leave at least 2.5 meters clear, or 2 meters beside an arcade. The furniture must be movable. Arcades count as sidewalks by law, so owners may not block them.

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