Astoria Cafe & Bakery — Restaurant in Zhongzheng District

The Astoria is a special place that needs a deep understanding to enjoy it. The food itself is special and has a lineage from the Russian royal family over 70 years ago. The decoration inside might look old, but the paintings on the wall are actually by a special customer, while each book sold in the shop are by the people who wrote the books, having spent time there. The ornaments are special and have a story, while even shining your phone on the picture of the coffee package links to a 3D image - very interesting. The food is actually tasty and the brolsche takes about 2-3 days to prepare. It is tasty and I strongly recommend it. As for the staff, they have been badly reviewed and I found on my visit that the staff were all kind, not overly, but helpful and explained the menu and actually seemed like a family. Some of the older staff in the bakery have been there for over 40 years, so how can there be so much criticism? The actual boss, the lady, is very passionate about what she does. If you get to see her, let know your thoughts. Overall, I understand that in general observation, the place seems like a normal old coffee shop, but it is, except that it’s not normal if you understand what it’s about and the type of experiences and stories that created this place. If you can read Mandarin, they have a book explaining it... I recommend going there and have someone read the book and translate it for the experience. If you are a writer/philosopher, I am not sure this is the place for you because it can be so busy and I don’t think they can cater to your needs. So, the food, the experience of knowing what this place means, the dessert and their special egg coffee makes this place very interesting and a must for those who...

I wasn't planning on going here, but the other coffee shops nearby were busy. I initially looked at this place as a cafe, but really it is more like fine-dining (western food), and of course the prices appeared a bit much for a mere cafe.

However, as a limited-service fine dining restaurant (it does not have an extensive menu - some entrées as part of a set meal), it was excellent. The food was impressively prepared and generally tasted great. Definitely worth every dollar spent, and I would go back.

BUT it definitely isn't a café (ie. not a coffee shop). Also, the service could be better. The restaurant was very busy and clearly understaffed. The waiters behaved with intense energy, and it was not so pleasant.

As for ambiance, the restaurant is in an older part of Taipei, and has some interesting history. However, it has clearly been renovated, and has lost some of that historical feel. Also, because they are understaffed, they try to cram everyone on the 2nd floor (first floor is the bakery), even though there is a third floor open. Also, the bathrooms, though nicely renovated, need a bit...

Came here for dinner after visiting the museums nearby. This restaurant offers an insight of the olden days vibe. From the time you step in, you feel like you are taken back to the past between 70s to 80s. This place serves traditional Russian food from beef goulash to coffee with sweet desserts. Salad is served first and next up is the soup. The beef goulash is nice and goes well with the bread, jam and cream. The main dish is traditional pork schnitzel and some side dishes of potatoes and vegetables with tartar and barbecue sauce. Lastly, comes the traditional russian sweets, cake and coffee to end the meal. The sweets are not overly sweet and compliments well with not so acidic russian coffee served. Overall, this place offers nice vibes and course meals. But the price might be a bit pricey. Other than the restaurant at level 2, they have a bakery store at level 1 where you can buy the sweets served and other...