15+ of the Coolest Starbucks in Taipei and Across Taiwan

A collage of some special Starbucks locations in Taiwan

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I have to say right off the bat that I’m not really a Starbucks person. I did work there for four years when I was in university, but I have no particular loyalty to coffeehouse giant.

Still, I have to reluctantly admit that there are some really cool Starbucks in Taiwan.

Starbucks Taiwan actively seeks to set up shop in atmospheric heritage buildings (often preserving them as they do so) and to build cutting edge new ones that incorporate elements of local geography or culture.

The Starbucks (星巴克 or xing ba ke) Taiwan website lists all 36 of them, which it divides into 特色門市 (Special Stores) and 舊建築門市 (Old Building Stores). The full list is here.

In my travels around Taiwan, I’ve come across or purposely sought out many of these special Starbucks in order to introduce to you the ones I would consider most worth visiting. I haven’t visited all of them (yet!), so this article will likely grow longer in the future!

Cool Starbucks in Taipei

Taipei has the highest concentration of Starbucks housed in heritage buildings in Taiwan.

Hanzhong Shop

The internal courtyard of a multilevel Starbucks in Taipei with lots of people sitting at tables
Old study hall turned Starbucks

Starbucks Hanzhong Store (漢中門市, here) is one of most easily accessible special Starbucks in Taiwan for travelers.

That’s because it’s located smack in the middle of Ximending Pedestrian Shopping District, somewhere you are very likely to visit or maybe even stay in Taipei. It’s right on Hanzhong Road, the main pedestrian thoroughfare in the district.

This Starbucks also has the title of first Starbucks in Taiwan to be set up in a heritage building. Its original name was Lotus Garden (蓮苑) and it dates to year 71 in the Republic of China calendar (1982).

The building used to be a cramming center for students of the China Youth Corps. Then it became an Italian restaurant and later steakhouse before Starbucks moved in. Now lots of students can be found studying there again!

Inside a three-level mostly wooden Starbucks in Ximending, Taipei
Multiple floors look down on the central space

The interior of this Starbucks is one of my favorites in the country. Featuring cement columns and a lot of wood, it looks much older than it really is – a nostalgic throwback to the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan.

A series of stairs lead up to three circular seating floors which all look down onto an open central area. Large windows let in natural light, and when I sat at one of the upper floors, I could see a nice view of tree foliage outside.

See more photos in Taiwanese blogs here and here. And here are some other places to eat and drink in Ximending.

Bangka – Xiyuan Shop

Looking up at the exterior corner of a brick Starbucks building in Taipei
Cool angles on this quadrilateral building

Not far from Ximending, I found another cool Starbucks a few minutes’ walk south of Longshan Temple and Bangka Park, and very close to Wanhua train station. This one is called Starbucks Bangka – Xiyuan shop (艋舺門市, here).

Another historic red brick building, this one is called Lin House (林家古宅) and actually dates to the Japanese colonial period (built in 1935). The Lin family (not to be confused with the wealthy Lin family of Lin Family Mansion in Banqiao) were successful fruit and vegetable wholesalers.

The family wanted to live close to the train station for shipping their products. At its height, around 50 people lived and worked in their house. It was the tallest building in the area at the time.

Outer wall of a Starbucks in a heritage building, with a sing that has a simple layout of the building and says 1935 on it
Entrance to Starbucks Bangka

You can see a combination of Western and Japanese architectural elements in the building. The building is of a quadrilateral shape popular at the time – take a look either front corner from afar to appreciate the differing angles.

The exterior features Japanese red brick as well as biscuit porcelain. Inside, there are four floors, with the top one being the former room for worshipping ancestors (not always accessible to the public). The third and fourth floors also have balconies at the back with seating.

An iced Americano in Starbucks glass cup on a table with the cafe interior out of focus in the background
Enjoying my coffee on one of the upper floors where workers used to live

Going up the stairs inside, I felt like I was stepping back in time, running my hands along the smooth terrazzo (chips of marble set in concrete) railings. The wooden window frames are gorgeous, and even the bathrooms have an antique vibe.

Starbucks has also added some decorations such as embroidered siren (the Starbucks symbol) in the style of original decorations from the house.

See more photos in this local article. Also consider visiting Huaxi Night Market nearby, which has the oldest vibe of any night market in Taipei.

Chongqing Shop

The exterior of a Starbucks in a three storey red brick heritage building at the corner of a street
Exterior of the former tea shop and post office

Starbucks Chongqing Shop (重慶門市, here) is on Chongqing street in Zhongzheng district, between Ximending and 228 Park, or between Ximen MRT and NTU Hospital MRT.

Housed in another Japanese-era (1912) building, this corner building used to be a Japanese-run tea traditional teashop called Tsujiri Tea Shop (辻利茶舖). The occupants hailed from Uji, a small city between Kyoto and Nara. The building also used to house a post office.

A cool fact about it is that after World War II, when the Japanese colonial government left Taiwan, the owners moved the teashop to Kyoto’s Gion district, and it’s still running there today!

Inside a Starbucks cafe seating area with several tables and seats, large windows, and no people
Windows looking down on Chongqing street
A historic photo of Chongqing street in Taipei in the Japanese era, with dirt road, rickshaws, and colonial buildings on the sides
What the street looked like when the building was first constructed

Outside the front entrance, you’ll find a covered walkway with baroque-style arches. That’s also where I spotted the above photo and a few others showing Chongqing street in the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941).

In its time, the ground floor would have been the teashop and the upper floor was a living space. Later, a third floor was also added. When I visited, I was lucky enough to have the whole third floor to myself, with a full wall of windows looking down on busy Chongqing street.

When renovating, Starbucks did its best to retain the original appearance of the shop and upper floors.

Here are some more photos of this shop.

Starbucks Reserve Bao’An

A three-storey red brick heritage baroque-style building with a white apartment on top
Starbucks in a baroque-style building

The fourth and final Starbucks I’d like to introduce in the old city center of Taipei is Starbucks Reserve Bao’an Shop (保安門市, here).

This one is located in Dadaocheng area, near Dihua Street, which is often called the “oldest street in Taipei”.

This market street is where locals used to unload products from boats on the adjacent river, and Dihua Street remains the best place in Taipei to buy tea, Chinese herbs, Lunar New Year products, and other dried goods.

Starbucks Bao’an is housed in a gorgeous red brick baroque building, complete with Greek columns, arcade of arches and arched windows, floral patterns, and intricate reliefs.

Close up of the Starbucks Reserve Bao'an exterior, which shows some pineapple reliefs
Note the pineapples (the original occupant was a pineapple distributor)

In my opinion, the building has the most stunning exterior of any of the historic Starbucks on my list.  

This was originally the house of Ye Jintu (葉金塗), a wealthy canned pineapple seller. Look closely and you can see pineapples carvings on the exterior façade of the building (see above photo).

The three-storey interior is equally extravagant and luxurious, with artsy staircase railings, elegant chandeliers, rounded doors to side rooms, and a good amount of space and privacy between tables.

See more photos inside the shop here.

Tianyu Shop

A deep purple colored glass goblet of beer with the word Starbucks on it on a wooden round table on a second floor patio with view of trees out front
Local craft beer at Starbucks

Moving along to a Starbucks in a more modern building, I must say I really enjoyed the Starbucks Tianyu branchg (天玉門市, here) in Tianmu area of Taipei’s Shilin district – an area known for having lots of trees (and lots of expats).

Several things stand out about this gorgeous Starbucks location. The first thing I noticed was the black metal gate and beautiful garden with several large trees. I felt like I was entering a rich person’s house, not a coffeeshop.

Second, the building itself is constructed of handsome red, black, and gray stone. Interestingly, before Starbucks, it used to house Taiwan’s flagship Häagen-Dazs branch.

Last but certainly not least, the stylish rounded bar offers up not only nitro brew coffee but also a selection of local craft beers. Yes, you read that correctly – you can drink beer at this Starbucks!

Nick Kembel's hand holding up a deep purple goblet of beer in front of a tree and Starbucks building
Round two in the garden

I promptly ordered a hibiscus craft beer and headed to the second floor seating area, which is flooded with natural light and views of greenery from the trees outside. There’s also a second-floor patio for some fresh air.

For my second beer, I relocated to one of the tables outside in the garden. Seeing as Taipei in general has a shortage of bars with patios, this is a real gem.

The only catch is getting here. I rode the MRT to Shipai MRT station on the red line then caught bus 224 (direction Tianmu) and got off at Tianmu Square stop (天母廣場, 12 minutes). You could also just walk (23 minutes) from the MRT station.

See more photos of this shop here. Consider visiting Shilin Night Market on your way back to the city center.

Caoshan Shop

The green and white Starbucks logo on a wooden sign with sidewalk leading to a white bungalow house in the background
Starbucks in an old American army bungalow

Starbucks Caoshan Shop (草山門市, here) is also located in Shilin district of Taipei, but a remote part of it which is on the way up to Yangmingshan National Park.

Caoshan (literally “grass mountain”) area is known as the location of Chinese Culture University, which has impressive views of Taipei, and the Yangmingshan American Military Housing District, a 1950s US Army Settlement. Many Americans were stationed here during the Korean War.

Walking around Caoshan, I practically felt like I was walking around an older residential neighborhood in the States.

The Caoshan Starbucks shop is housed in a typical house from the period. While it’s built in a Southern US style, the white paneled house would just about fit in in my neighborhood in Canada (and it’s of a similar age!), except for the Chinese tiles on the roof.

A trail winding through a forest of bamboo
Bamboo garden at Cama Cafe near Starbucks Caoshan

Stepping into the former general’s single family house today, with some imagination I could pinpoint where the living room, bedroom, dining room, and sunroom used to be. The many windows on every side let in ample light and make for beautiful contrasts of light and shadow.

There’s a lovely wooden porch at the back, and the shop even rents out picnic mats for use on the classic green American lawn outside.

When in the area, I also saw alpacas at David & Alpaca (housed in a house from the same era), took in the view from CCU Lover’s Vista, and finished with a short stroll in the bamboo forest at Cama Coffee Roasters Yangmingshan (you can see it without going into the cafe).

The Taipei to Yangmingshan bus stops near Cama just before entering the national park. Here’s more info about how to get there there.

And here are some more photos of the Caoshan shop.

Neihu Minquan Shop

Pointed roof of a Starbucks with the round Starbucks logo on it
Recycled materials on Taiwan’s first “green” Starbucks

My final entry for Taipei is Starbucks Neihu Minquan Shop (內湖民權門市, here). This one holds the title for Taiwan’s first “green” Starbucks.

Curious about what exactly that means, I made my way here one day after doing one of my favorite hikes in Taipei, Jinmianshan trail.

It’s close but not quite walking distance from the trail – I just hopped in a taxi after the hike. By MRT, Wende station on the brown line is closest (but still a 25-minute walk).

Inside a Starbucks with lots of natural light and a glassed-in internal courtyard on the right side
Open air internal courtyard on the right side

I found that this relatively new branch is on the smaller side, with a collection of decorative gates connecting to a small garden on top of the pointed building.  There’s also a cute bicycle rack next to a long skinny window with a cement windowsill where cyclists could stand and enjoy their coffee.

Inside, I noted the use of recycled materials, such as corrugated paper lamps. Supposedly, every aspect of the construction, from land acquisition and construction methods to materials and energy use conforms to LEED green building standards.

The most notable feature inside is an internal open-air courtyard, separated from the rest of the interior by glass windows, with a wall covered in hanging plants on one side.

A hand holding up a plastic cup Starbucks iced American with a wall of vegetation and some tables behind
Having my coffee in the open air courtyard

This is where I chose to enjoy my coffee, but I must say the courtyard is not really large or natural feeling enough – it can’t compare to the large yard where I enjoyed my beer at the Starbucks Tianyu branch.

See a few more photos in this local blog. This article goes into more detail about what makes the building eco-friendly.

Fun Fact: Starbucks Taipei 101 used to be the tallest Starbucks in the world until it closed during COVID. It was on the 35th floor of the skyscraper.

Today, Simple Kaffa Sola is even higher, on the 88th floor. Read more about it in my Taipei 101 guide and see more facts about Taiwan here.

New Taipei City and Northern Taiwan

Here are a few fun Starbucks locations I’ve encountered in New Taipei City and Northern Taiwan.

Tamsui Cloud Gate Shop

A statue of a woman in a dressing spinning, in a pond of lotus flowers, in front of a Starbucks
Statue representing Cloud Gate Theater

The Starbucks Tamsui Cloud Gate branch, also called Zhongzheng – Tamsui branch (淡水雲門門市, here), is reminiscent of the “green” Neihu Minquan shop, but I would say more bright, beautiful, and in a quieter location.

Located in popular Tamsui district of New Taipei City, at the northern terminus of the Red MRT Line, this Starbucks is actually quite a ways from the Tamsui MRT station.

It’s somewhat hidden on a hill overlooking Tamsui, right behind a major local institution: Cloud Gate Theater. This is the main theater of renowned Taiwanese choreographer Lin Hwai-min, who started Taiwan’s first and most famous contemporary dance grounp.

If you take a taxi from Tamsui MRT like I did (10 minutes), you’ll get dropped off at the theater. Take a moment to see some of the statues outside the theater and peek inside if its open.

Inside a Starbucks with large windows, trees outside, and tilted ceiling
Well-lit interior with natural surroundings

When I arrived at the Starbucks, I was greeted by a stunning statue of a twirling woman in a dress, in a small pond with lotus flowers. Inside, there are other nods to the famous dance group.

The outer walls are made entirely of windows, letting ample natural light in. Long, rounded tables appear to flow through the center of the café. A large painted scene of a coffee plantation adorns one wall, while there’s a lovely seating area outside.

Besides Cloud Gate Theater, Hobe Fort and Drop of Water Memorial Hall are two other attractions within walking distance. Few foreign tourists ever make it up here.

See more photos of the Starbucks here.

Yuying Yingge Shop

A three-storey red and white Starbucks building with ceramic art out front
Yingge Ceramics Street Starbucks

The Starbucks Yuying Yingge Shop (鶯歌門市, here) is right on Yingge Ceramics Street in Yingge, a district of New Taipei City which is considered to the pottery capital of Taiwan.

Yingge is my go-to place for buying ceramics and tea sets in Taiwan. There are hundreds of ceramics shops around the Ceramics Street, not to mention some historic kilns, DIY pottery making experiences, and an impressive Ceramics Museum.

It’s hard to miss the three-storey red brick Starbucks building, which occupies the corner at the western entrance to the pottery street. A short parapet wall around the building features a large ceramic mosaic pot with the words 陶瓷老家 (“Ceramics Old Street”).

A blue wall inside Starbucks with 28 square pieces of ceramic art on the wall
Ceramic art inside (image from Starbucks Taiwan)

As you might expect, the interior is decorated with several examples of ceramic artwork crafted in the area. The double diamond windows filled with ceramic tiles and terrazzo stairs going to the upper floors also especially beautiful.

Yingge is only a 30-minute train ride from Taipei Main Station (see my guide to riding trains in Taiwan). The Starbucks is a 15-minute walk from the station.

See more photos of this Starbucks here.

Yi 14 – Keelung Shop

An octagonal window on a wood wall with staircase going up next to it with red iron railing
Octagonal window and iron railing

In Keelung city, which is considered part of the greater Taipei–New Taipei–Keelung Metrpolitan area, there’s one special Starbucks called Yi 14 (義 14門市, here).

Keelung has northern Taiwan’s largest port. As such, it has been the focal point of centuries of colonial intrusions in Taiwan. It also has one of the best night markets in Taiwan – see my guide to Keelung Night Market here. This Starbucks is only five minutes’ walk from the night market.

Y14 is housed in a renaissance-style building dating to the 1950s. It has Asian and Western elements and belongs to a style that is relatively common in Keelung. I have to admit, this Starbucks won’t blow you away, but it has a few special features if you look closely.

Outside, tall pilasters frame two rows of three tall skinny windows. Cross the street and walk down a bit to catch a few of the curving front of the roof, which is meant to mimic the hat of an official in old times. Also note the floral patterns on the exterior.

A Starbucks cafe room full of Taiwanese sitting at tables
Top floor of Starbucks Keelung Yi14

Stepping inside and climbing up to the higher floors, my favorite design features were the red iron handrails and especially the octagonal windows. The decorations throughout are tasteful.

It’s easy to miss, but this Starbucks also has the only mailbox inside any Starbucks in Taiwan. It’s near the products area on the ground floor. And they do sell postcards which you can mail there.

See more photos in this local blog.

Hsinchu Xinfeng

Exterior of an old train station building converted into a Starbucks
Starbucks in a former train staton

Down in Hsinchu county, there’s one especially cool Starbucks to be found right next to Xinfeng station, a small train station two stops north of Hsinchu station.

Called Starbucks Xinzhu Xinfeng – Hsinchu (新竹新豐門市, here), the coffee shop occupies an original train station building dating to 1989. The current building replaced an older wooden train station building which went all the way back to 1893.

Due to an increase in arrivals with the building of the nearby Hsinchu Industrial Park, a new train station was built 20 meters away in 2014 and the old one succumbed to its fate of becoming a Starbucks.

Inside a Starbucks coffee shop with some train track decorations visible over the bar and a real railway line visible out the back doors
Train track decorations over the bar and real train tracks outside

When it first happened, it attracted the masses of railway fans in Taiwan, but now it is definitely on the quieter side as far as Starbucks go.

Unless you’re working in a factory nearby, there’s little reason to stop at this station except to check out the Starbucks, and that’s exactly what I did one day!

I had the Starbucks all to myself when I visited. The building looks very similar to other train stations built in the 1980s across Taiwan.

Inside, I could really imagine the train station layout. Above the bar, some hanging wooden panels reminded me of train tracks.

A white Starbucks coffee cup on a round table in the foreground, with a fence and railway lines with a train going by in the background
Having a coffee as I watch the trains go by

If you’re into collecting Starbucks mugs, the shop has some rare ones with trains on them.

The best part for me was the outdoor patio at the back, which would have originally been a waiting platform and is mere meters from the tracks. I sat for some time sipping my coffee and watching the trains go by.

See more photos of the train station Starbucks here.

Central Taiwan

And now here are a few entries in Central Taiwan, starting with the east coast, and then back to the west.

Hualien Shipping Container Store

A Starbucks made out of stacked white shipping containers
Store made of shipping containers

Perhaps the most distinct and unforgettable Starbucks in all of Taiwan is the Hualien Shipping Container Store, also called Hualien Bay or Huilan Store (洄瀾門市).

This Starbucks is created from a collection of carefully stacked shipping containers, all painted white. It is the first of its kind in Asia.

The containers are stacked in four layers and form an inverted pyramid shape, so the layers get wider as they go up.

Inside Starbucks Hualien Shipping Container store, with a condiment stand, some tables on a second floor, and a green painting on the side of one container wall mentioning four ports it has been to
Container showing the ports it has been to

I honestly felt a child’s excitement exploring this Starbucks – there are so many nooks and crannies formed by the way the containers are connected – it would be a fun place for hide and seek.

Upon closer inspection, I found that several of the containers are marked with their history, including which ports around the world they have been to (see photo above).

There are also a few aboriginal designs inside – Hualien has a larger indigenous population than any other county in Taiwan.

Considering that the shop is indeed a mere 800 meters from the sea, I would have loved to have a sea view. Instead, the glass windows at the ends of some containers provide an uninspiring view of a parking lot.

Some stools and round tables inside a shipping container cafe with glass window at the end
Inside one of the containers

The shop is in Ji’an district, just south of Hualien city. It makes for an easy stop when setting out on a road trip down the east coast. By bus, it’s a bit of a journey from Hualien or Ji’an stations. Here are some other things to do in the area.

You can also visit it as a part of an East Coast tour like this or with a private driver. You could also rent a scooter to get there like I did.

Starbucks Promiseland

The front of a fairy-tale-like Starbucks
Fairly tale cottage at Starbucks Promiseland

Starbucks Promiseland (花蓮理想門市, here) really seems to live up to its name – the cottage-like structure overlooks a lake in the countryside and looks straight out of a children’s fairy tale.

But the name actually comes from Promiseland Resort (理想大地渡假飯店, see on Booking / Agoda), an upscale resort and nature park on the other side of the lake.

When I first arrived, I had to walk the whole way around the building to admire the cute building (and lovely lake views) from all angles.

The side of a Starbucks looking over a lake with walking path in front
Cottage Starbucks by the lake

Inside, the thoughtful design touches continue, such as a fireplace framed by jade-colored tiles and hexagonal floor tiles. The fine lake views from certain tables are the finishing touch.

It might seem like the middle of nowhere, but Starbucks Promiseland understandably attracts crowds of domestic and foreign tourists alike.

A 7-Eleven housed in a small white truck, with the back doors open and displaying the products inside
Mobile 7-Eleven parked outside Starbucks Promiseland

I even found a mobile 7-Eleven-in-a-truck selling snacks and drinks outside the Starbucks when I was there. Apparently there are enough visitors to this Starbucks to justify adding a small 7-Eleven!

Since this Starbucks is only about 15 minutes’ drive south of the Starbucks Shipping Contaner Store, it would make sense to visit both in one trip. Going with a private driver would be easiest.

Here are some more photos of this Starbucks. Note that as I write this in early 2025, this Starbucks is closed for renovations.

See other things that are currently closed in Taiwan here.

Starbucks Heping Xiulin

A Starbucks made of cement and wood, with green mountains behind, and a cement square in front which is wet from some fountains that just went off
Water fountain in front of this aboriginal themed Starbucks

There’s a third cool Starbucks in Taiwan, but it’s the most difficult to reach. This is the Heping Xiulin store (花蓮和平門市, here), and it is found on the coastal Highway 9 between Yilan and Hualian.

The only “Community” (社區共榮門市) Starbucks in Taiwan (there are 150 Community Starbucks around the world), the store supports aboriginal communities in Hualien through various projects and charities.

The store manager belongs to the local Truku (Taroko) tribe, which Taroko Gorge is named after.

Inside a Starbucks cafe with a large hanging woven artwork from the ceiling above a table
Aboriginal artwork inside (image from Starbucks Taiwan)

The store incorporates a lot of cement (it is right across from a cement factory) and has an aboriginal theme. There are various decorations made my local indigenous people, including one especially impressive hanging piece made from coconut fibers and woven materials.

Each staff member at this Starbucks wears an aboriginal woven band at the top of their green apron. Outside, there are water fountains for children (or adults!) to play in.

This Starbucks makes the perfect stop if you happen to be driving from Yilan to Hualien. By public transportation, you can also take a local train from Yilan or Hualien and get off at Heping station.

See more images of this Starbucks here. Here are some more authentic ways to experience aboriginal culture in Taiwan.

Lukang Store, Changhua

The front of a Starbucks with wall of glass windows and some plants in wine pots
Lantern-shaped Starbucks Lukang

Starbucks Lukang (鹿港門市, here) is, as the name suggest, in Lukang. This historic Chuanhua country town is known for its preservation of traditional Taiwanese crafts, architecture, and culture. Some consider it like a mini version of Tainan.

As a tribute to local Lukang culture, the Lukang Starbucks incorporates a variety of locals crafts and references to Lukang culture.

As I approached the Starbucks, which is about 15 minutes’ walk from the main attraction in town (Lukang Old Street), the first thing I noted was the building’s unusual shape, which is like a long, oval-shaped tube – supposedly mimicking a kind of tall lantern you can see in Lukang.

A row of four hanging bamboo lamps inside Starbucks Lukang
Traditional bamboo lamps inside (image from Starbucks Taiwan)

There are other symbols of Lukang throughout. The flowers outside are in large traditional wine vases. Inside, the hanging bamboo lamps (see photo above) are similar to those seen at temple fairs in Lukang.

The walls are decorated with molds used to make traditional cakes on Lukang Old Street. Look around and you should be able to find a deer or two, as the “lu” in Lukang means deer.

See more photos of Lukang Starbucks.

Huwei Shop, Yunlin

An old gray cement firehall with tall watchtower and housing a Starbucks inside
Starbucks in an old firehall

It’s unlikely you’ll make it to Huwei, or anywhere else in Yunlin country for that matter, on your trip. But if you do, take the chance to visit Starbucks Huwei Shop (虎尾門市, here).

I have in fact visited this Starbucks, and there was a reason. Several years ago I went there with a team from Travel in Taiwan magazine to cover traditional Taiwanese hand puppet culture.

Yunlin is a hot spot in the history of this tradition, and Starbucks Huwei shop is right across the street from the Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum.

Close up of a traditional Taiwanese hand puppet with bright pink hair and green and green costume
Traditional Taiwanese hand puppet in the museum across the street

The Starbucks Huwei shop is one-of-a-kind, though. It’s built in an old firehall! Originally a government administrative center (虎尾合同廳舍) dating to the Japanese period, the building later housed a police and fire station.

The most obvious (and bad-ass) reminder of this is the sliding pole from the second-floor seating area down to the ground floor. I was sad to learn that guests aren’t allowed to use it – there’s even a rail that stopped me from playing dumb foreigner and giving it a try.

Also, if you view the building from across the street, note the five-storey tower rising up. This was built for spotting fires back when telephones were not so reliable.

A table inside an old cafe, with a fireman's pole on the right side going down to the first floor
Fireman pole inside Starbucks Huwei

Today, an Eslite bookstore shares the same building. If you make it here, besides the hand puppet museum, also check out Yunlin Story House a few steps away.

I didn’t get many pictures (the photographer on our team was in charge of that!), so you can see more here.

Southern Taiwan and Offshore Islands

Finally, our Starbucks tour journeys south and to the offshore islands, where I’ve found a few more cool Starbucks.

Surprisingly, there are few Starbucks in heritage buildings in Tainan, which the original capital of Taiwan abounds in. There are actually several special Starbucks in Tainan in new buildings, but I didn’t include many here – I’ll add more once I manage to visit them someday!

Kaohsiung also surprisingly lacks any special Starbucks, but I’m sure that will change someday.

Minxiong Shop, Chiayi

A triangular Starbucks with parking space in front
Starbucks Minxiong is shaped like a church

One of the more uniquely shaped Starbucks in Taiwan is the Minxiong branch (嘉義民雄門市, here) in Minxiong district of Chiayi county – that’s one stop north of Chiayi station on the train line.

The shape of this Starbucks totally reminds me of an A-frame cabin. However, the triangular shape main building with attached rectangular structure is actually meant to mimic a European church.

Why did they go for a church shape in Chiayi county, Taiwan? Don’t ask me…But, inside, if you look up at the pointed “spire”, there are strips of teak meant to look like the pipes of an organ.

For what it’s worth, Chiayi also has a glass church shaped like a giant high heel.

The coffee bar inside Starbucks Minxiong Chiayi
Inside Starbucks Minxiong (image from Starbucks Taiwan)

In one online poll, Taiwanese even voted Minxiong Shop the prettiest Starbucks in Taiwan.

While it may seem a little out of the way, Starbucks Minxiong shop is just off Highway 1, for those driving south. It’s got a large (paid) parking lot beside it, plus one coveted spot right at the front (local photographers battle for it so they can shoot their car in front of the shop).

If you don’t want to pay for parking, there’s also a drive-thru.

See more photos of this Starbucks here.

Jiali Shop, Tainan

The exterior of a Starbucks, with large white metal decorative panels around it and the tip of a tree sticking out at the top
Starbucks built around a tree (image from Starbucks Taiwan)

Continuing south on Highway 1 from Chiayi to Tainan, there’s another cool Starbucks which only requires a short detour by car – Starbucks Tainan Jiali Shop (台南佳里, here). It is relatively new, having just opened in 2020.

For this special Starbucks, the entire shop has been built around a red sandalwood (檀樹木) tree. The store concept is “symbiosis with nature”.

From the outside, this coffee shop looks striking, with rows of vertical white steel panels surrounding the second floor. Inside on the second floor, the holes in those panels cast arrangements of shadows inside, plus provide views of the tree foliage.

Looking up at a tree enclosed by walls on each side, but open to the blue sky above, with the sun shining through from above it
The tree growing inside this Starbucks (image from Starbucks Taiwan)

The tree itself has a dedicated hole in the roof, and the top of it can be seen from the outside. You can also step outside to a platform where the tree is poking out. This should become even more impressive as the tree grows larger over the years.

It’s not so obvious, but on the first floor beside the coffee bar, some vertical panels on the wall are meant to look like Cigu Salt Mountain, a nearby attraction.

See more photos of the shop here.

Nangan Matsu Islands Shop

The side of a white Starbucks coffee shop facing a harbor with boats in it
Starbucks Matsu Islands faces Fu’ao Harbor

Hopping over to the offshore islands of Taiwan, there’s a cool Starbucks in Nangan (馬祖門市, here), the main island of the Matsu Islands.

The island chain, officially “Lienchiang County” is just off the coast of China. It is named after Matsu, the goddess of fishermen and the sea.

Therefore, Starbucks Matsu Islands is aptly located right next to the main harbor of Nangan Island, where many visitors first arrive at the island chain.

With views of many fishing boats docked in the harbor, the coffee shop itself is meant to look like a ship. The white building is long and low-lying, reminding me of a huge container ship.

A large harbor with many shops and a port building
Matsu’s Fu’ao Harbor

When I visited, I took the stairs up to the roof for even better views of the harbor and Chiang Kai-shek statue on top of a hill nearby. Inside, there are large windows facing the sea.

A tunnel in the middle of it allows visitors to walk right through it to the harbor without even stepping inside.

There several nods to Matsu Islands and the sea, such as images of mermaids and bamboo sieves used on the islands.

A rocky coast lit up with blue phosphorescence in the water
Matsu’s “Blue Tears”

Hanging from the ceiling, I saw tear-like ornaments, which represent Matsu’s signature “Blue Tears” (blue phosphorescence that can be seen in the sea around the islands).

A final fun fact I’ll share with you: this is actually the northernmost Starbucks location in Taiwan!

Here are some more images of this Starbucks Matsu Islands.

Note: I also visited the supposedly special Starbucks on Penghu Islands, but I didn’t find it special enough to write about here.

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