Closet — Restaurant in Da'an District

Everyone says that Taipei is a "Foodie" city, however I beg to disagree. Taipei is a great place for fleeting travelers to find a snack and try cheap (inexpensive) street food. The "sit down restaurant" scene is a sad joke. Littered with overpriced sub-standard and poorly done food with little to no refinement, terrible service, although to be fair the decor in Taipei for many places is lovely; unfortunately the food is not.

Closet on the other hand, is one of only (3) restaurants I have found in my 2-years living here (and trust me- I have tried to seek these gems out) that serves food that is- refined, beautifully plated, uses fresh ingredients, and layered and delicious. It would seem as though they are consciously trying to do something properly culinary here and it shows. Great effort and great food, service was quite good for Taipei as well. If I have one complaint, it would be that the smokers who hang out around the door ruin how good the food is because of the cigarette smoke that come wafting in. If you don't believe that has an impact, consider that 80% of taste is smell.

Decor: 7.5/10- For the most part the decor has a modern gothic (if there is such a thing) feeling to me. Noise: 8/10- No overly loud or terrible music but not silent. Ambiance: 8/10- Pretty chilled out atmosphere, mid-level lighting- great for a romantic date or group of friends to share some good conversation. Food: 8.5/10- This is amazing for Taipei, but to be fair, if I found this food in Los Angeles, I'd be impressed as well. It's just that there we expect to find a place like this on a regular basis. Drinks ?/10- We only drank water on my visit Price: 8/10- For a place like this, which is incredibly rare, I'm happy to say that the prices are more than reasonable for the level of food. Unlike countless places I have dined at in the Zhongxiao Dunhua area where the food was terrible and offensively expensive, CLoset is an incredible value. I'm happy to spend...

This is my rating for my Closet experience two weeks ago. Our purpose was to have dinner, and the outcome reflects my satisfaction of the entire meal. The decor and service aren't the issue. Drinks are pretty good, innovative and well presented. But when you are bored and wishing you ordered something else halfway through the meal, that's the problem! It took me so long to decide on something to eat because nothing seemed appealing. Some of the main dishes were not available. We ordered the risotto, chicken wings to start, and some "BBQ" skewers. The chicken wings were good, but the so called skewers were braised meat with no flavor. It didn't resemble barbecue at all. Yes there was accompanying sauce but it was lifeless. The risotto, was not risotto. First off even though Spain is close to Italy, anyone mimicing European food should know the difference between risotto and paella. It came out in scoops on top of scallop shells and was dried out. The scallops included the foot area, which I don't usually eat. The flavor was singular and I got bored 1/3 of the way through, wishing they didn't recommend me the more expensive items on the menu. Flavor wise it was not appealing. My popcorn flavored drink was a bit much to take, and I started to get sick of the taste after a few sips. It tasted too much like clarified butter. Everything was paired awkwardly and in the end the experience was just bizarre. I hope you don't make the same food and drink choices I do. There's not a lot of probability you'll choose a good drink and food pairing without getting the server to guide you. And you'll end up with a huge bill too. We paid 2400nt for two people, two cocktails and one beer in addition to the food....

Walking in from the busy main street of Dunhua, you almost miss the entrance which is tucked away in an open corner. The rustic blue door opens up to a candle-lit entryway, decorated with a metal gate, chandelier and a grey brick wall. There's several tables on the first floor, as well as a elongated bar that I really recommend sitting on.

Behind the bar you'll find professional mixologists, shelves lined with bottles, and lots of different glasses and equipment. If you're not sitting at the bar you're missing the show. Each cocktail is prepared in it's own distinctive way using different equipments and mixing techniques so being able to watch them create their craft is enchanting.

Their menu has several different drinks that cost 300 - 400ntd using a mix of different liquors, as well as a seasonal menu that pulls inspiration from Taiwan's culture. One of my favorite drinks on their regular menu is the Bad-ass Penicillin which they hand to you in a smoked medicinal jar, glass, and beaker with two pills inside. Open up the pills to find crushed Chilli pepper and crushed Sichuan pepper which you can add to your already spicy drink to make even hotter.

Every drink is like this, interactive, creative, delicious, and sometimes adventurous. It's a great place to go with friends that might have differing preferences since their menu has a range of drinks from sweet, bitter, spicy, and strong.

Closet is my favorite bar in Taipei hands down and I recommend going with a small group for the bar-side, or if you've got a larger party there's another floor of the bar that is spacious and decorated beautifully with several seating arrangements and...