Mei's Tea Bar

Address: 16, Lane 37, Yongkang St, Taipei (台北市永康街37巷16號) 

Telephone: (02) 2394 2425 

Hours: Mon - Fri 3pm to 1am, Sat - Sun 3pm to 2am 

Pricing: $$

   One of my favorite restaurants in Taipei, Mei's Tea Bar is a cozy cafe tucked into one of the many alleys around the Daan area. With the welcoming decor, soothing music, and inviting atmosphere, Mei's is a great place to either have a glass of wine and read a book, or socialize with friends. 

   On my first visit to Mei's I had the hot chocolate ($180 NT, includes cookie). It's by far one of the best cups of hot chocolate! With frothed milk on top in lieu of whipped cream, this drink has the same consistency as that of a latte. However, this, combined with a hint of cinnamon, makes for one of the most unique tasting cups of hot chocolate I've ever had. This definitely isn't some cheap cocoa powder drink! An additional plate of three cookies is $70 NT. 

On my next visit to Mei's, I had the Egyptian spice tea ($180 NT). As with the hot chocolate, the spice tea definitely has some cinnamon in it, but since cinnamon is one of my favorite spices, I'm instantly addicted! Mei's also offers a diverse selection of Taiwanese black teas ($150 - $180 NT) - Sun Moon Lake and Hualian teas to name two. Also on offer is a good selection of international beers like Peroni and Mexican Tecata. And the mulled wine that Mei makes follows a traditional British recipe and is well worth the $200 NT.

   For lunch I ordered duck breast with a salad and a side of rice (~$230 NT). I was expecting all three items to come to the table in three separate dishes or separated into three piles on one plate. However, this particular dish has its elements stacked one on top of the other.

  The rice, duck, and salad was drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette that enhanced the flavor of both the salad and the duck, but left the rice slightly soggy and "vinaigrette-y". Overall, lunch at Mei's was very good and I highly recommend a visit. The menu is in both Chinese and English and all of the staff speak English. The rest of the menu is reasonably priced with items ranging from $180 NT to $400 NT. The appetizers range from $60 NT to $150 NT and include large cheese platters, scones, cookies, apple strudel, and honey pancakes. 

Mei's Tea Bar does not have it's own website, but please read more about Mei's here.