Lutetia Taipei — Restaurant in Shilin District

I am a longtime customer of the old Lutetia and was a big fan of their food. At one point I would go there daily before work to buy a sandwich for lunch. One of my go-to sandwiches was the Classic. I would also occasionally go there for brunch on the weekends.

Having heard the word of mouth, I wanted to see the new place for myself. I was greeted by a person that I assume was the owner who enthusiastically described the ingredients of the sandwiches and took my order. I ordered the sandwich approximating the Classic, a chocolate banana croissant, and a cappuccino. The food was all pretty great. The sandwich was better than the classic with the ham and Swiss cheese sliced more thinly. The coffee was great too.

The main issues with the new place are the price increase, the reduced hours, and the change in serving style. Overall the renovations offer more seating with less wasted space and, apart from the back corner, it gets a lot of natural light. However, my meal would have cost 240 NT previously but today was 430NT. They no longer have the raspberry croissant which was one of my favorites, and the hours now mean that I can’t grab a sandwich before work. Also, I know this was a popular meet point for cyclists before rides and I think that is lost now. I also preferred being able to grab my own food and line up. I can see how the new service style would be super annoying when they are busy and the people in front of you don’t know what they want. These are my reasons for four stars instead of five.

Other issues that were mentioned in other reviews that were cleared up: the service was fine. The presence of the owner (and perhaps a talking to) has improved the service. The chair blocking the staff entrance has been replaced by a sign, which is an aesthetic improvement. This seemed annoying for staff that have to squeeze past it, but for me categorized as “not my problem.”

The owner was passionate about the quality of the ingredients and having them locally sourced. I really appreciated that. Overall I would categorize the changes as fancier and more expensive with not as convenient hours. I’ll continue to go, just...

First visit post renovation. Food was good, we spent over $700 on dine in and take out. However, we felt bad for the owner as the staff were inattentive and standing around chatting louder than the customers.

It was a slow day with over 5 staff. Before ordering, I learned only the drinks had a printed menu and the staff did not explain the food options well. I had to follow up to understand what a combo set would include or cost.

Mid ordering, the staff asked us to stop as the previous customer apparently was still being helped with. Except said customer was standing away from the counter and not speaking to anyone. While we tried to order for the second time, the same staff realized the previous customer left without her food and we were interrupted again. The ordering flow was more chaotic than it really should have been with only two groups of customers at counter.

The tables weren’t cleared after customers left, when the staff finally got to clearing the tables, they weren’t cleaned. I asked for my table to be wiped so it’d be clean before my order was ready, when a staff finally came over to help, he proceeded to wipe the table with the same tablecloth he wiped the seats with. I decided to clean the table myself with paper towels instead.

Not sure why our coffee was made in a to go cup when other customers had their drinks in cups.

We decided to order extra baked goods and mentioned we’d like to eat some on the spot, the staff seemed to have misheard and packed them all up.

I normally don’t leave a lengthy review but I decided to share my experience for the new owner to have visibility. We are long time customers of your ZX location and still enjoyed the food at cafe location. Sad to see the dine in experience impacted by staff when the potential is there. Hope we see improvement in the future...

Every time I pass by here, I’m reminded of my teenage years sitting at the corner café. It didn’t have a glass door, just a semi-outdoor space where I’d sit on a high stool, ordering a little corner with a NT$50 cup of fruit tea (I was too young to understand coffee) and a savory quiche. Of course, it wasn’t a refined experience, although the food was never sloppy, but I loved the sense of ease it gave me. After living abroad and in Taipei city center for many years, I’ve been able to witness the transformation of this little shop each time I return. Whether it was expanding the store, renovating the space, or diversifying the menu, what has never changed is the quality of the bread. It has remained consistently excellent through it all. This is my first time dining here since the renovation. Some people say the prices have gone up, but honestly, by Taipei standards, it’s still incredibly fair. It’s hard to find a latte under NT$150 these days, and the bread, needless to say, is just as delicious as ever. I’m glad the new interior doesn’t try too hard to sell a French vibe. With its slightly Nordic wooden tones, a touch of American retro from the red bricks, and soft Japanese paper lanterns, it feels simple, unpretentious, and full of thoughtful details. It’s comfortable in a way that reminds me of Tianmu itself. There’s no need to care about the newest Instagrammable cafés downtown or the latest sourdough trend. Just quietly doing what they truly care about, with consistency, is what makes this place so special. I’m really happy that Taipei still has this kind of...