Banbo

Where do I begin? This restaurant absolutely blew me away. Truly exceptional, and fully deserving of its two Michelin stars - honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if a third star is in its future. We stepped out of our Uber and started walking toward the entrance when the hostess suddenly came outside to greet us. How did they know we were their guests?? No idea...but it set the tone immediately. We were seated on a bench to wait for our server, and while we waited they handed us hot tea. I won't spoil all the details of how they transition you upstairs, but let's just say the whole process was seamless and well done. We chose the set menu with wine pairing, and every course from start to finish was spot on - beautiful flavors, great pacing, nothing out of place. At one point, I accidentally swallowed something wrong and started coughing, and within 30 seconds my server appeared with a warm cup of water! Who even notices that fast?? Later, hubby dropped the menu and without missing a beat, a server swooped in, picked it up, and brought us a new one. It's small details like that that elevate the entire dining experience. Our server also explained the inspiration behind each dish, tying everything back to Taiwan's culture and ingredients, The wine pairings were fantastic, and the butter...oh my. I won't give it away, but it was such a fun, thoughtful touch. And the bread... perfection! I'm genuinely thrilled to see Taiwan's Michelin scene step up its standards. In the past, it felt like the ratings were a bit soft - like some restaurants were getting graded on a curve. Not anymore. Taiwan is absolutely earning these stars now. With wine pairing and a bottle of water, the bill came to about US$450 - steep for Taiwan, but for this level of cuisine and service, absolutely worth every penny. A truly memorable meal.

An exceptional dining experience at Banbo - from start to finish, everything was beautifully executed. The food, service, and storytelling were all top-tier, making it one of the most memorable meals I’ve had in Taipei. Banbo is an intimate restaurant with very limited seating, so securing a reservation can be quite a challenge, but it’s absolutely worth the effort (or fingers crossed for a table from last minute cancellation like how I was able to secure mine). Each dish was introduced with care and depth, highlighting this beautiful island’s local ingredients in creative and thoughtful ways. The flavors were refined yet comforting, and the wine pairing elevated every course perfectly. A standout detail for me was the utensil holder!!! It’s the most elegant and unique piece I’ve ever seen. It perfectly reflected Banbo’s aesthetic: understated, beautiful, and purposeful. I was so impressed and asked the server where it came from because I wanted one for myself! The only minor downside is the acoustics — the space is cozy, and it’s easy to overhear nearby tables. Still, that hardly detracts from the overall experience. Banbo is a rare gem that captures the essence of Taiwan’s terroir with grace and creativity. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates thoughtful, ingredient-driven fine dining.

I believe the experience is once in a lifetime, a dinner based on stories with theme on taiwan culture! The meal was crafted to highlight taiwan local ingredients and cultures! The chef had clear intent on what he wish to show to his ‘guests’. The staff was exceptional and had great attention to details such as spotting my friend who is left handed and immediately making the relevant arrangements. They were able react many situations and clear explanation for our meal. I think the mocktail pairing is very unique and thoughtful and brings a different flavour. My wine pairing was well done and elevated my meals. I would say this is restuarant which enlighten me on taiwan contemporary food and would highly recommend when coming to taiwan or in taiwan.

This place was a real treat and one of the more memorable dinners I’ve had. This place curates a tour through the culinary culture of Taipei, and they pull off the artistic elements of the meal quite well. The food is also top notch, both in terms of quantity and quality, and they pull off flavor combinations I never even thought of quite well. While at 4500 twd per person it’s by no means cheap, I’m used to Michelin starred restaurants in the US costing substantially more and delivering far, far less, so I found this places pricing point more than reasonable. Needless to say, the service was nothing short of impeccable (there were probably as many staff as there were diners). Highly recommended!

We had the most amazing experience dining here at Banbo on the last night of our trip. From the moment we entered until the end of our dinner, the service and experience was impeccable. The whole course and explanation of each dish were carefully thought of, everything was linked back to Taiwanese culture and traditions. I especially loved the salted egg squid with uni, quail with mushrooms, duck main course, and the desserts! We also got cocktail pairing with our course and no regrets. Drinks were very unique and paired well with the dishes. Glad we got to make a reservation here and that we got to try this place during our trip. Would love to visit them again!

One of the few restaurants I've been to that truly felt like a dining experience. Alongside intricate dishes with traditional Chinese flavors, the storytelling and presentation of each dish was fantastic. The mocktail pairing was also one of the only non-alcoholic drink pairings that you could tell had a lot of thought and effort put into them. They were as visually stunning as the dishes, and complimented the flavors beautifully. For me, this set a new bar for fine dining, all whilst being at a fairly reasonable price. Highly recommend.

This was an amazing experience, amazing food, a journey... I've been to a good amount of michelin restaurants and this was one of the top ones. The only thing I think is that one star is not enough to represent this restaurant. And being really honest here.

Dining here was such a great experience— I love the unique concept, the storytelling of each dish, and the excellent service! We even got a short tour on some of the architecture and interior design of the restaurant— everything is so intentionally designed, it’s easy to admire the heart that went into it all. While I did enjoy the overall experience, I would say that the dishes were good, but didn’t quite live up to our expectations.