Taipei’s Trending Hybrid Café-Bars Sling Brews and Booze Under One Roof
TEXT I HAN CHEUNG
PHOTOS | CHEN CHENG-KUO
The buzzing “C (coffee) by day, A (alcohol) by night” concept is reshaping Taipei’s dining scene. Many of the city’s cafés now offer extended hours, shifting from bright daytime hangouts and workspaces to relaxed, atmospheric bars at dusk. Some serve coffee and cocktails all day, even offering specialty drinks that creatively blend the two.
PPM Café & Bar
Blending industrial details with American retro-chic and Korean sensibilities, PPM (short for “Parking Personal Mood”) evokes the atmosphere of trendy cafés found in Seoul’s fashionable Hannam-dong district. Nestled in a quieter neighborhood just outside Taipei’s glamorous and ritzy East District, this stylish yet cozy spot draws daytime diners and coffee drinkers before transforming into a cocktail bar as the sun sets. Its name is a playful nod to the venture’s location next to a large parking lot.
The cafe’s minimalist concrete façade contrasts with the warm tones of its compact interior. Wooden accents, soft lighting, area rugs, vintage decorations, and eclectic furniture create a space that’s both nostalgic and modern at the same time. Every corner is thoughtfully arranged, offering plenty of photo opportunities.
Opened in December 2022 by the same team that is behind the successful American-style restaurant Double Single in Zhongshan District, PPM provides a laid-back, intimate experience. On the menu you’ll find a mix of small bites, pasta, grilled items, sandwiches, and desserts. The signature dish, the boneless fried chicken, received a 500 Dishes award in 2025 – an honor determined by noted Taiwanese professionals across various fields. Juicy with a light crunch, it comes with a refreshing yogurt sauce and is balanced with celery stalks and onion slices. Heartier options include the spicy clam and pepper pasta with tomatoes and grated parmesan.
Other highlights include Korean-style chicken wings with rice cakes, and brunch items such as French toast with pistachios, caramelized banana and ice cream, and an open-faced sandwich with avocado and bacon.
Drinks range from tea, cocoa, and coffee to cocktails, wine, and beer. The fruity drinks are especially popular, including the two-toned sour fruit Americano and the iced fruit tea, in which homemade pineapple sugar, passion fruit, kumquat, and Taiwanese tea are used. Among the alcoholic options, the watermelon cocktail topped with a layer of Yakult cream is a crowd favorite.
PPM Café & Bar
Tel: (02) 2778-0225
Add: No. 10, Ln. 97, Yanji St, Da’an District, Taipei City
(台北市大安區延吉街97巷10號)
Hours: 12pm-9:30pm
IG: www.instagram.com/ppm.taipei
Fake Sober
At 6pm sharp every day, Fake Sober stops serving coffee and lets the cocktails flow. The transition is almost ceremonial, marked by the rise of metal gates revealing the beer bar and drink lounge. The lights dim, and the music shifts from soft ambient tracks to a lively mix of familiar hip-hop and Taiwanese, Western, and Korean pop – sing-alongs are encouraged.
The expansive venue occupies two adjacent street-level storefronts in the heart of Xinyi District’s party zone. Closing at 2am, it positions itself as a warm-up spot for revelers, a place to get an early start before hitting the clubs. There is no minimum charge, and guests are invited to settle in and unwind in the relaxed, inclusive atmosphere.
Founder Roy, who runs several nightclubs and is a self-professed coffee addict, launched Fake Sober in 2022, combining the two interests. He came up with the curious name after noticing how people rely on coffee in the morning to feel awake, while folks tipsy and beyond often insist they’re sober – both attempts to appear clear-headed.
The interiors behind the two storefronts each offer a distinct vibe. The one on the left, with the sign “Fake Sober” on the exterior, features a cozy, wood-toned décor. The focus here is on classic café drinks such as flat whites, caramel macchiatos, and the signature “cloud” latte, topped with a pillow of creamy foam. Matcha, cocoa, and teas are also available.
The one on the right, the high-ceilinged, industrial-chic Sober Bakery, mainly serves pour-over coffee alongside salt bread – a buttery roll that originated in Japan and has recently surged in popularity in South Korea. It also sells coffee beans and merchandise branded with the slogan, “Being sober is boring.”
Baked fresh on site, the salt bread is soft and fluffy with a crisp bottom, and comes in more than ten flavors. Popular picks include adzuki bean with cream, garlic cream cheese, and bacon with cheese and mashed potatoes. After 6pm, both stores serve handmade pizza, with the double chili beef being the big crowd-pleaser.
Each store has its own mixed drinks on tap. Fake Sober’s star is the Strawberry No. 5, a berry-vodka concoction with a layer of milk cream on top. Over at Sober Bakery, the Basil Breeze – a mix of basil, Jinxuan tea, gin, and grapefruit – is a hit, as is the Sober Ice Tea, a cherry, rum, gin, and vodka mix that is the strongest option at 23 percent ABV.
Fake Sober also produces its own line of canned cocktails, currently with two flavors: osmanthus apple black tea with vodka, and roselle oolong honey gin. With multiple pickup points at night, even from a cart outside the bar, they are ideal for avoiding long lines at the taps on busy evenings.
The beer is from local craft brewery Ugly Half Beer, known for its use of locally sourced ingredients and quirky cultural references. The Guava Gose is made with local wheat, fruit, and coral reef salt, and comes with plum powder as traditionally served at street markets. Another standout option is TOASTea, an amber lager with black tea and cut-off crusts from breakfast shops that would otherwise go to waste. Unlike the cocktails, the beers are available all day, catering to those who prefer to get tipsy in the afternoon.
Just a few steps south of Fake Sober, the company recently opened a third shop, Sober & Burger, which sells burgers.
Fake Sober
Tel: (02) 2722-0723
Add: No. 20, Songshou Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City
(台北市信義區松壽路20號)
Hours: 8am-6pm coffee, 6pm-2am cocktails
IG: www.instagram.com/fakesobertaipei
FB: www.facebook.com/fakesobertaipei
SunDay Café
At SunDay Café, customers are welcomed to kick off their afternoon with an espresso martini. Specializing in coffee-infused cocktails, the café aims to transcend the trending “coffee by day, alcohol by night” model, offering a space where both can be enjoyed from 1pm to 1am.
“Some people can’t drink alcohol in the morning, and some can’t have coffee at night. We want everyone to be able to try these coffee cocktails regardless of the time,” owner Arthur Huang says. As the store’s slogan goes, “Life is what happens between coffee and cocktails.”
The store’s Chinese name – 酉日 – is a clever wordplay. The character 酉 is associated with both “awake” and “tipsy,” and when combined with 日, the characters can form 晒, which means “to dry in the sun.” “We want to give customers a feeling of warmth,” Huang says.
Originally, SunDay operated as two separate businesses – a café and a bar – sharing the same space, with a clear division between morning coffee and evening drinks. About four years ago, they began combining their expertise and experimenting with new creations. Today, the menu features an extensive selection, and guests can personalize their experience by choosing from three types of beans: fruity and sweet Ethiopian, a rotating light roast, and low-caffeine Caturra from Colombia. The menu also includes pure coffee and alcohol options, mocktails, and a selection of small bites and desserts.
Located in a busy alley in Xinyi District, SunDay welcomes visitors with an outdoor seating area of white gravel, acrylic tables, and wooden-board seats set atop stacked hollow concrete bricks. Potted plants add a touch of greenery, creating a relaxed yet stylish garden-style setting, great for people-watching. At night, a large circular light is projected onto the wall, symbolizing the sun.
The softly-lit interior is cozy and inviting, featuring an eclectic selection of furniture and decorations. Window-side seating built on wooden pallets requires people to take off their shoes, adding a homey touch. The atmosphere is suitable for both work sessions and casual gatherings.
By mixing and matching carefully selected beans and coffee styles, the café harnesses diverse and complex flavor profiles. In addition to espresso shots, cold brew, ice drip, and other coffee preparations are used, adjusted for each drink’s flavor and alcohol content. Typical coffee cocktails incorporate nutty, cocoa, or caramel flavors, but Huang favors specialty coffees with fruity and floral tones.
“Quality beans are naturally multifaceted in flavor,” Huang explains. “We don’t need to rely on liqueurs or fruit juices, as the beans themselves bring the fruity notes.”
The alcohol menu features classic coffee cocktails such as Irish Coffee and White Russian, alongside SunDay’s signature creations, caffeinated twists on familiar favorites, as well as coffee-free options, including craft beer. A standout item is the Coffee Bee’s Knee, made with Hayman’s gin, espresso, honey, and lemon. The Irish Coffee is warming in the winter, a medley of Bushmills 12-year whiskey, long black, and fresh cream.
Beans are not used in all the coffee-theme drinks – some are made with coffee leaves, dried coffee cherries, or coffee flowers procured from the Alishan area in southern Taiwan, offering another low-caffeine alternative. Alcoholic desserts are also on the menu, such as the sake-soaked grape caramel pudding and “adult” tiramisu.
SunDay also offers seasonal cocktail flights. The current selection pairs coffee with dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and cream. One creation features an ice-drip with berry tones reminiscent of red wine, aptly topped with soft cheese.
The non-alcoholic options are just as varied, ranging from single-origin espressos to flavored coffees, including a coffee-matcha-shiso concoction. Teas and mocktails round out the menu, ensuring there’s something for each customer.
SunDay | 酉日咖啡吧
Tel: (02) 8786-7652
Add: No. 143, Hulin St., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City
(台北市信義區虎林街143號)
Hours: Mon-Sat 1pm-1am, Sun 1pm-7pm
FB: www.facebook.com/SunDay.Cafe.Bar
IG: www.instagram.com/sunday_cafe_bar
