Tainan Night Markets

Crowded food stalls at Hua Yuan Night Market

Tainan Night Markets (Táinán Yèshì 台南夜市) Anyone will tell you that the essential Taiwanese cultural experience is a visit to any of the island’s numerous night markets. Pubs and night clubs are mere subcultures compared to the mass-assembly of nightlife in Taiwan’s night markets, and many Taiwanese never tire of braving the crowds. Tainan is … Continue reading

Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan Alley If you ever wanted to take advantage of the warm night air and sip your beer under the stars in the heart of the city, then Tin Pan Alley might be the bar for you. This unusual bar and eatery is built like a taco stand in the middle of a derelict … Continue reading

The Orient Pub (Night Club)

The Orient Pub (Táinán Dōngfāng 台南東方) An ever deceptive name, The Orient Pub is a night club and not a pub at all. Most people refer to it simply as The Orient, and often state those words with a modicum of guilt or derision. The nickname, The Dirty Orient, has also been muttered on more … Continue reading

Red Wolf Tavern

Red Wolf Tavern The location of this bar within walking distance of the Armory has definitely helped its success. Many people hit both places on a Friday or Saturday night. While the Armory remains the mainstay of the expat community, the Red Wolf compliments it as a music venue and sports bar combined. The Red … Continue reading

Willy’s Second Base Bar and Grill

Willy’s Second Base Bar & Grill One of the longstanding expat bars in Tainan, Willy’s Bar & Grill brings in customers for both eating and drinking. This establishment was started by former LA Dodger pitcher Steve Wilson, but he has since moved on to other venues and it’s under new management (two foreigners named Andy … Continue reading

The Armory

The Armory (Bīng Gōng Chǎng 兵工廠) Every Asian city of a certain size has an expat bar. In fact, Tainan has a few places well-populated by foreigners, but The Armory has the distinction of being Tainan’s expat institution. I’ve overheard many people ask why everyone goes to The Armory and the invariable answer is “because … Continue reading

The Underbridge

The Underbridge (Qiáo Xià 橋下) There’s a line in the movie Swingers in which they ask why all the cool bars in LA are difficult to find and never have a sign. The first part of the equation – difficult to find – seems true for Tainan as well. It also seems to help if the place … Continue reading

Shennong Street (Beishi St.)

Shennong Street (Shénnóng Jiē 神農街) Shennong Street is the often considered the best preserved street in Tainan. It is the keystone of the Old Five Channels Cultural Zone and is among one of the must see areas of Tainan in my opinion. The street is named after Shennong, an ancient Chinese ruler who is considered … Continue reading

Taikoo – Retro Bar and Furniture

Taikoo (Tài Gǔ Bǎihuòdiàn 太古百貨店) Retro bars are becoming a popular trend in Tainan. This one falls on Shennong Street, an arts street where many of Tainan’s oldest surviving houses have been re-ferbished. This bar is built into one of them near the intersection of Kang-le Street. Subtitling itself Mid Century, this bar aims at reviving the 50s … Continue reading

Haian Road

Haian Road (Hǎi ān Lù 海安路) If you want to enjoy some local street nightlife, there’s no better place in Tainan than Haian Road. This is the one place in town where the sidewalks are wide enough to support seating, and several blocks of bars and restaurants are exploiting this. Here you can enjoy your barbecue and … Continue reading