The Who Cafe: Taipei Travel Guide

How this guide was made: Editor-reviewed, AI-assisted. Facts are pulled from live Google Places data; images are licensed or public domain. See our editorial policy.

Why go

You almost walk past it. The entrance is a narrow stairwell squeezed between shopfronts on Lishui Street, marked by little more than a small sign and a cluster of potted plants leaning toward the light. Climb to the second floor and the room opens up — exposed concrete, timber shelving, mismatched vintage chairs, and enough greenery trailing from the windowsills that the street noise outside seems to fade a notch. This is The Who Cafe, a Da’an District fixture that’s built its reputation less on a single showstopper dish than on the whole package: good coffee, a kitchen that takes brunch seriously, and a room that makes you want to linger past your first cup.

Getting there

The cafe sits at 2-1號2樓, Lishui St, in Da’an District — one of Taipei’s leafier, more residential central neighborhoods, known for its tree-lined lanes and proximity to Da’an Forest Park. The closest MRT stop is Dongmen Station on the Zhonghe–Xinlu (Orange, Line 6) and Xindian (Green, Line 3) lines; take Exit 5 and it’s roughly a five-to-eight-minute walk through quiet side streets. If you’re coming from Yongkang Street’s food stalls or the Shida night market area, it’s an easy 15-minute stroll, making it a natural stop to fold into a morning of wandering Da’an’s back lanes rather than a destination you plan your whole day around.

What to see and eat

The draw here is the format as much as any single item: all-day brunch plates, good espresso-based drinks, and a menu that leans into hearty, photogenic comfort food — think thick toast, egg dishes, and pasta alongside the coffee list. Portions are generous enough that a single dish plus a drink is a real meal, not a snack. The second-floor seating is the real reason people come back — light pours in through the windows in the late morning, plants are stacked on shelves and windowsills, and the mix of wooden tables and soft seating gives it the feel of someone’s well-curated living room rather than a formula cafe. It’s a place built for sitting with a laptop or a book for an hour, not for a rushed coffee to go.

When to go

With a 4.7 rating across more than 1,400 reviews, The Who Cafe is firmly on Taipei’s radar rather than a secret spot — but that doesn’t mean every hour is packed. Weekday mornings, particularly before noon, tend to be the calmest stretch, with tables turning over easily and staff able to chat rather than rush. Weekend afternoons are the pinch point: brunch crowds build after 12pm and stay heavy through mid-afternoon, so if you’re set on a weekend visit, aim for the cafe’s opening hour instead. Because it’s a walk-up second-floor space rather than a huge venue, seating fills fast once a crowd settles in, and there’s no guarantee of a table if you arrive at peak.

How to visit like a local

Treat it as a sit-down stop, not a grab-and-go — the narrow stairwell entrance and small footprint mean this isn’t a place to squeeze in five minutes before a train. Go on a weekday between opening and late morning if you want a window seat without waiting; if weekend is your only option, arrive right at opening rather than rolling in at brunch peak. Payment is straightforward — cards are widely accepted across Taipei cafes now, though carrying some cash (NT$) is still a sensible habit generally, since not every small business processes foreign cards smoothly. Tipping isn’t expected in Taiwan, cafes included, so don’t feel obligated to add anything beyond the bill. The most common misstep visitors make is judging the place by its street-level entrance and walking on — look for the stairwell and the small sign rather than expecting a storefront window. Since it’s genuinely well-known rather than an undiscovered spot, don’t expect to have the room to yourself, but a quiet weekday morning here still feels unhurried, plant-filled, and worth the climb up the stairs.

Nearby to pair it with

Since you’re already in Da’an, extend the visit: Da’an Forest Park is a short walk away for a post-brunch stroll, and Yongkang Street’s cluster of beef noodle shops and dessert stalls makes a natural second stop if you’re still hungry a few hours later. Treat The Who Cafe as the calm anchor of a slower, neighborhood-paced morning rather than a quick photo-stop between bigger sights.