Wistaria Tea House

Converting old houses to restaurants seemed to be a trend here for some time... I've been to several tea houses and cafes like this. My local friends said this one is likely one of the original, if not the first. It does have that yesteryear charm. There are several rooms some with hardwood floors and some with tatamis. There's also a gallery displaying modern art when I visited. The art of tea making is followed here with an old fashion stove, iron tea pot, and traditional rituals. The selection of teas was excellent and the quality was excellent. We came for their afternoon tea. There is a minimum spending level per person so in addition to teas we must order snacks. Though the teas were good, I felt the snacks were a bit disappointing- a few of them were nice but most seemed store-bought and overpriced. There's also a time limit on how long you can stay. I'd say it's one of those places that you may want to go once for the experiment but I wouldn't return again.

Incredible atmosphere and scrumptious food! Service was exceptionally attentive to all my needs!

Beautiful historical teahouse from the Japanese colonial era in the 1920s. I wanted to visit Wistaria Teahouse since it is famous for its historical and cultural significance, and is a famed meeting spot for Taipei literati, artists, and academics. I walked from the TaiDianDaLou train station, which took about 20 minutes, and was a nice scenic walk through the city. When I arrived, they were prompt to seat me, and asked me if I wanted to sit in the tatami room, or sit at a table. I wanted a more Japanese experience, so I opted to sit on the floor in the tatami room. They have you take off your shoes before you enter the room, and it feels so homey and lovely in here. I feel as though I've been transported into a romanticized world of the Japanese colonial era (which wasn't a very nice time in Taiwanese history, depending on who you're talking to). My mom and relatives say this is a tourist trap and an overrated ripoff. There were plenty of Japanese and Western patrons here. As a plebian American, I enjoyed soaking in a part of Taiwanese history. A server walked me through the process of gong fu cha (Chinese tea ceremony). In addition to hot tea, I also ordered mochi and mung bean cake, which were cut into clean slices for me. They were very delicious, and it was so nice to spend an afternoon relaxing on a cushion on a tatami mat in a traditional Japanese room.

Elegant Japanese tea house that's reserved way in advance. Good quality Taiwan teas as Japan was a conqueror in Taiwan for decades. Menu however is in Traditional Chinese. Each member however must drink tea to have a seat at the table or tatami. Love the personal demonstration and care in the tea traditions that is very labor intensive and small portions. About 360 TWD for 1 person serving.

I'm a huge fan of traditional Asian architecture and having lunch here with friends made our afternoon perfect. We made a reservation for 13:00 and the ladies had the table ready for us right away. They have a Japanese tatami section and standard dining section, be sure to make a reservation to review the different options they have for you! Their lunch menu is simple with just around 5 options to choose from. We came in one hour before lunch time ended so only the chicken and fish option were left. Which we were fine with! The meals came elegantly presented with pu'er tea on the side. Service was extremely hospitable and kind. I only wish they were a little quicker in delivering our meals as there was a long time before all of us had our meals. They seemed short staffed so my friends and I just used the extra time to catch up with each other. We didn't stay to try more of their tea options but I would definitely like to explore the various option they have next time!

We ate here for dinner one night at the suggestion of a local. When we arrived, we saw the koi pond and the garden area outside which were very nice. When we went inside, we were seated in our own room at a very low table, so low that we all sat on mats on the floor. This is a Japanese restaurant and through the way the place is decorated, it makes you feel like you are in Japan. They brought out appetizers which were quite good. My favorite were the mung bean cakes, which had fancy designs on them and tasted like Scottish shortbread. The menu was rather small; I had a choice of maybe 5 main dishes. For my entree I received a tray with several small dishes around a plate of chicken. The small dishes included ones of rice, soup, vegetables, a sauce and an unidentifiable fruit. The food was quite good. Overall I had a good experience here. The food was good and I liked both the environment and the small dishes of appetizers we could try. At some point someone said the restaurant is historic, but I'm not sure how; I think maybe some of the country's leaders met here when they were in college. Regardless, coming here was a great experience and I would come here again.

Delicious tea and excellent atmosphere. The staff is friendly and willing to give a primer on how best to enjoy your tea experience. Great for an afternoon of tea drinking with friends. Be sure to make a reservation.

I came from NTU with a group for lunch -- six at one large table. (We were in the main dining room, not a tatami room.) Three or four of us ordered the "set menu": the rest of us had the daily special. I went for the set menu, selecting the "drunken chicken" as my main dish. Everything on my tray (a sort of bento box) was A-OK, but most of the components were pretty bland. The price -- NT$380 -- was fair. On the plus side: (1) the historic nature of the place, which has been pointed out in other reviews; (2) the tea that was served with lunch, which was noticeably better than generic restaurant tea. Our service was delivered with a smile, but the kitchen is small enough that there was no way for the six of us to be served at once. The staff came out three times, bringing out two trays on each trip. There was quite a long delay between the first pair and the third pair of trays. I was one of the first to be served and sat without eating for a long time while the other lunches were being prepared and brought out. My companions said that they come to this Tea House quite regularly. It's a very comfortable place to relax, chat and eat a leisurely meal. I'm sure that this is true, but I can't view the Tea House as a culinary destination.

Had 3 teas here and all were top notch. The aroma and flavor of each were stunning. Each tea cost about $12, which, considering how cheap food is in Taipei, feels ridiculously expensive, but it really isn't considering how good the teas were! We had to wait quite a long time even though there was obviously several open tables. Not sure why. I did not try any of the sweets.

This is a historial landmark where you are encouraged to eat. How rare is that? So what or why was this is Wistaria Tea House important? Because it survived the Japanese Occupation. So that aside, the tea and food were fantastic. They recommend that you eat first, so tea is to be appreciated fully. I ordered the fish dish and it was pretty tasty. There were alot of bones, but you do get served the whole fish. The shallot soup was my favourite food item. On to the tea. I had the Sunrise Oolong and it was as perfect as its description. When your tea comes one staff member will demonstrate the proper way to make tea. There is ceremony in this process. Also you are told how long tea leaves will last. This was the best tea I have ever drank. This was a once in a life time experience. The only thing that would have made it better was to have my loved ones there. Notes: there is WiFi! There is a/c. This is a very quiet place and is to be tranquil. Using a cell phone to make calls is heavily frowned upon. Bringing unruly, loud, or small children will have people glaring at you. Please, please, please don't ruin someone else's quiet experience. Get a sitter. Someone can in with their kids and ALL the old people glared at them. It is a little pricey. Each entree is 350 NTD or more. Mine was 380. Most tea is above three hundred per type. Also the more people you bring thr more it will cost you in service fees. All in all if you come to Taipei and don't come here you are crazy.

My friend found this unique restaurant cuz there's stuff to see after meal. I felt that I was in SoCal enjoying a meal in Pasadena CA.

This place is historic and worth visiting just to check out for that reason alone. Add in the tea and the place is epic... They had experienced servers who gave us a clearly described demo and then followed it up with frequent check-ins (without being a bother). We tried the Dong-ding oolong and another one that skips my mind and both were top notch. A tad expensive (especially if you want to buy the teas after) but a true experience. We got some nibbles but I suggest you stick to the tea since that should be the focus. Everything else just gets in the way.

An elegant and relaxing spot with close to 90 years of history. Wistaria is well known among intellectual circles for hosting meetings of dissidents during the years of the White Terror, and although it serves more commercial purposes nowadays, it conserves the atmosphere, traditions, and passion for tea that it has fostered throughout many generations.

We had Afternoon Tea for 4. The location is a bit strange, in the back of an appliance store high up in the mall over the bus station. But they have a very large selection of teas and menus in English. This was a nice place to waste a few hours before getting on the bus.

Highly recommend to try their tea and ask the waitress to teach u how to prep the tea! I wanted to try their food but i missed the time!

I think this place is only for those that really appreciate tea. Its costs about 8 USD for a cup of tea. Would not go back. I think this place is historic, but I really did not care.