Ziga Zaga (Grand Hyatt Hotel)


2, SongShou Road.
02) 2720-1200 for reservations
ours: Monday- Saturday
Sundays Closed
Lunch: 11:30 am-2:30 pm. Dinner: 6 pm-9:30 pm.
Snack menu available]: 9:30 pm- 1 am. (Thursday - Saturday9:30 pm-2 am)

Ziga Zaga Restaurant introduced its new menu recently, featuring some old favourites as well as new dishes presented with the characteristic flair of this favourite Taipei nightspot. We enjoyed items from the snack menu including Buffalo Mozzarella with Warm Smoked Tomatoes (NT$420), and Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes, Italian Pork Sausage and Artichokes (NT$420). The pizzas are reliably good, with a superb tomato base on a traditional thin crust. Our Seafood Pizza (NT$420) did not disappoint. The wine list features a solid selection of Italian wines and my companion and I found the Le Volte Cabernet a very pleasing choice at NT$2,000. If you are planning to have dinner, reservations are recommended. Those coming after 11 p.m. for a snack before hitting the dance-floor can be reasonably certain of finding a table. The live band plays a selection of covers to suit almost everyone's taste at a volume that doesn't preclude conversation if you feel like sitting out a few songs. --By Tracy Perkins, translated By Yvonne Chen

Toscana (The Sherwood Hotel)

111, Minsheng East Road,
Section 3
2) 2718-1818, ext.001
oursMonday - Friday: 7 am-10 am(reakfast); /Monday-Sunday: 11:30 am-2:30 pm (unch); 3 pm-5 pm(tea);6 pm-10:30 pm (inner)


Toscana Restaurant is a rare gem in Taipei, stylish and elegant but never pretentious. A large, airy room where one feels instantly at home, Toscana is as popular a venue for business lunches as it is for those special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries or an intimate dinner with friends. The Sicilian chef brings his influence to bear on a lively a la carte menu where seafood features strongly. In a city that suffers from an excess of badly-made patisserie, the dessert buffet is a lesson in how things ought to be done. The lemon tart is particularly recommended. The staff is at once attentive and unobtrusive, making for a truly pleasurable dining experience. Yet, for all that, Toscana is reasonably priced. A full set menu which includes the antipasti and dessert buffets, soup, tea or coffee and a main course from the a la carte menu, starts from as little as NT$950. For those a little less hungry, the antipasti and dessert buffet is NT$780. --By Tracy Perkins, translated by Yvonne Chen

Yi-Cafe (Far Eastern Plaza Hotel )


201, DunAua S. Road., Secretary 2, 6F.
(02) 2378-8888
ours¡G¶g¤@¦Ü¶g¤é/7 days a week
Breakfast6 am-10:30 am
Lunch 12 pm-2:30 pm (Weekdays NT$880, weekends½: NT$950)
High tea/: 3 pm-5 pm
Dinner: 6 pm-9:30 pm (Mon -Thu|: NT$950, Fri-SunNT$980)

Forget what you think you know about buffet restaurants. Gone forever are the days of those dreary Sunday lunches, where one queued up to do the old "co-op slop" from huge stainless steel bain maries. Once the container was emptied, there was little likelihood of it being refilled, and the chefs who had produced the meal were invisible. Woe-betide those who came late! Yi-Cafe embraces a modern concept which is less buffet and more food arena. The chefs are very visible, exercising their art as performance, producing bite-sized portions, artfully arranged on individual dishes. They interact with patrons, offering suggestions as to what condiments or side dishes will best complement an item. Instead of one long table, there are "food stations" each featuring a particular cuisine. Japanese, Italian and Indian dishes are well-represented. I found the Indian food excellent, living up to the claims that it is the best in Taipei. Service is slick and unobtrusive. --By Tracy Perkins, translated by Batty Liu

Sheraton Taipei Pizza Pub (Sheraton Taipei Hotel)

12, ZhongXiao East Rd. Sec.1, B1
(02) 2321-5511, ext.8905 or 8906
ours¡G11:30 am-2:30 pm, 6 pm-11 pm
dit cards accepted; 10% service charge

The famous pizza pub in The Sheraton Taipei Hotel, which had been famous for more than 20 years, was re-inaugurated days ago. With the warm pendants, modern iron-pearl curtains and brick-and-wood decor, the pizza pub exudes an old southern-Italian country atmosphere. In addition, diners can enjoy watching the chef work his magic in the new open kitchen. There is also the fragrant smell of various oven-fresh bread, such as the pain de campagne and baguettes. The well-known Chef Lee prepares crispy pizzas for diners and suggests they try the Italian antipasto--made with Parma ham, pepperoni, cheese and vegetables--and the delicious seafood salad. In addition, the new menu includes tasty items like Creative Pizza (NT$380-580) and Creative Lasagna (NT$350), which allows diners you to choose and customize their pizzas and pastas. At night, there are also live band performances to entertain the customers. --By Josie Wu, translated by Annabelle