PURE LOVE

Pure Love Diner Bar - Gastro Obscura

"This eclectic 80s erotica-themed bar fronted by a bright and loud neon sign is a celebration of vices. Inside: a cheeky diner awash in red lighting, analog phones, floral print diner chairs, plush banquettes, and a working disco ball in the corner. Keeping with the theme, the shelves are stocked with magazines crammed with centerfolds of busty, scantily clad women. The aesthetic of Pure Love is a nod to the “grandpa shops” of Taipei—old-school karaoke rooms where older men are known to seek the company and services of flirtatious waitresses. Big in the ‘60s and up to the ‘80s, they have since waned considerably in popularity after a crackdown in prostitution in the ‘90s. Pure Love Snack Bar is a modern revival of the grandpa shop, but without any of the shady or illegal dealings. The food is unpretentious and rooted in Taiwanese classics like braised pork over rice, oyster soup, fried chicken, and deep-fried noodles smothered in an earthy satay sauce. The drinks are more elevated and utilize locally available flavors like guava, tieguanyin tea, and mulberry. Know Before You Go For dinner and a show, hit up the bar on Wednesday when they have pole dancers on rotation." - clarissawei