BAR 忠 Chu — Restaurant in Zhongshan District

Was just at their 3 year anniversary. Bartender provided a nice complementary pomelo and yuzu cocktail. Tasty. However, what came next was quite shocking. We ordered a grape no ten gin cocktail, made with fresh grapes from Japan, not arguing about where it's from.

The drink came and it was nicely presented. But the drink itself was bland, lacked the fresh scent of sweet grape, it was neither sweet nor bitter (from the gin). But it had the bitter taste of tannins from the grape skin. In general, it was just bland.

The whisky sour which was a tea and grape blend was generally delicious, as such, I decided to simply order another in lieu of my original drink, mind you, I didn't ask for a switch, merely a second.

I asked the waitress for a second drink without finishing my bland gin and grape, without actually lodging a complaint at first. When she followed up to ask if I had taken issue, I expressed my opinion.

Only to have the owner, I presume, come over to take my drinks away, and tell me that the drinks were compensated, even though we had barely touched it, and asked us to leave.

I have no issue with the drink, it might just not be to my liking. What I take issue with is how he responded to the criticism, as if it was some insult to his craft. There are such things as taste and class, as a matter of fact, and he displayed neither in this circumstance.

I recommend any future patron to just shut up and finish the 600 nt drink even if you think poorly of it, instead of being shoved out the door as if we were begging for wine...

Me and my friend came here for drinks. It’s a very nice establishment where no more than two are allowed entry (which is understandable as it’s a small quiet bar). The coffee mojito was great. There’s an $800 per person minimum charge so it’s best to come if you’re looking for at least a couple of drinks or food as well.

One negative point was when we entered we were asked by the staff “What country are you from? How long have you been in Taiwan? Please no “trouble”.” but Taiwanese clients weren’t asked or told this when they entered. I just want to point out that not all foreigners go into bars with the intent on getting drunk and causing trouble and it’s a little unfair to assume that we would do that. Me and my friend just wanted to enjoy some quality cocktails. I hope the staff can take into consideration how those kind of comments can seem discriminatory and make us feel like we aren’t welcome.

All in all, besides this point I would definitely recommend the bar as the cocktails are great and it has a really great ambience. The alcohol is all of a fantastic quality and the cocktails are made with the utmost attention to detail. I’d...

this is another great Japanese-style bar with a Japanese proprietor. The decor is classy and quiet; party of more than 3 is not allowed. Both the Japanese-influenced classic cocktails, and seasonal fruit cocktails are excellent and well executed (passion fruit w/ Woodford Reserve whiskey...yum). In addition to the drinks, the food at Bar Chu is excellent and the menu changes from time to time. A few caveats: 1) there is a minimum table charge per person (usually 2 cocktails would about cover it); 2) the owner is mostly a solo act, makes both the cocktail and food, so if you're in a hurry, this is not a good place. 3) this establishment is a bar and not a restaurant, they do not take food-only guests; 4) the price tag can be above average compared to other bars in Taipei, obviously quality is not cheap, have proper respect for the ingredients and craftsmanship. Ultimately this is a classy joint with high-quality cocktails and delicious foods, and a great place to...