Lavie Hotel & Matin Restaurant

71 & 73, YuCai N Rd, North Dist
(04) 2229-8555 (hotel), (04) 2221-7888 (restaurant)
Restaurant hours: 9 am-10 pm, weekends 10 am-10 pm

This attractive boutique hotel and western restaurant share the same brand-new, modern-looking building behind Chung Yo Department Store. The first-floor Matin catches the eye with its yellow shipping container kitchen area, high ceiling and a pink-purple wall of flowers. Six a la carte brunch entrees (NT$248-298; add NT$50 for set with potato wedges, soup, dessert, smoothie) are served till 2 p.m. and there are also five big salads (NT$258-268). Tea time (2-5:30 p.m.) waffles (from NT$180) come with a handmade coffee with free coffee-machine refills. Risotto and pasta dinner options include a starter, soup and drink and are priced by number of people (NT$280/individual, NT$560 for two, NT$1880 for 7-8 people). There are also coffees, teas, carbonated drinks and on-tap beer (after 6 p.m.). The upstairs hotel has 22 cozy, stylish rooms, from a two-person (NT$1880, NT$2880 holidays/weekends) to four-person room. Guests also enjoy a B1-level 24-hour lounge with free drinks/snacks and foozball table, plus a sixth-floor open-air children's playground. --By Douglas Habecker, translated by Anna Yang