The classic warmth of a good old-fashioned izakaya beckons you in, all cozy nooks and dark wood finishes, as tables order a third round and waiters sling tapas-sized bites and assorted — sometimes unidentifiable — skewered meats.
But there’s a romantic hush about this Ximending (西門町) hotspot, with cocktails savored, plating elegant and never rushed and daters and diners lit by candlelight and chandelier.
Each chair is mismatched and the assorted tables appear to be the fanciest picks from a nearby flea market. A naked sewing mannequin stands in a dimly lit corner, adorned with antique mirrors and draped foliage and flowers.
Photo: Hollie Younger
It’s a Tokyo izakaya meets the Antiques Roadshow.
My visitors from London remark it’s the best meal they’ve had on their 10-day trip to Taiwan — and the best cocktails. High praise.
Cocktail specialists Old Town West (老城西酒食裝作所) have teamed up with Tokyo Skewer (東京串燒酒場) for this elevated take on a Japanese classic, offering an extensive cocktail menu from the former and an impressive food menu from the latter. Even weekday reservations here fill up quickly.
Photo: Hollie Younger
This isn’t your greasy after-work izakaya, but an anniversary night izakaya.
Before we even order any food, the drinks almost threaten to steal the show.
The glassy backlit bar lined with diners looks as swanky as any you’ll see in upscale Xinyi District (信義).
Photo: Hollie Younger
A fruit vendor in Raohe Night Market told me last week it was no longer mango season, but it seems the last of them have been snapped up by Old Town West.
A giant wedge is shoved into my “wow you guys have to try this” Mango Mojito (NT$380) and yet more is frozen into an ice lolly, popped into a Summer Cloud Mango Romance (NT$380), a mango-laced pina colada with hints of berry.
They also serve Harry Potter’s Magic Butter Honey Dark Draft (NT$180), surprisingly not just a butter beer-inspired gimmick but a smooth, creamy and easy-drinking stout.
Photo: Hollie Younger
As someone who eats at izakayas most weeks, the food here is above the grade — think classic menus elevated with decadent truffle, lashings of mentaiko cream and Western-inspired twists.
The standout was the grilled honey bacon Camembert cheese (NT$380).
Having sampled a few Camemberts recently, a mainstay of Taipei’s upscale izakayas, this one stood out for on-trend Western additions of hot honey, warm grapes and a balsamic drizzle. It wasn’t trying to force fish and seaweed to accompany cheese; it kept it honest and classic. And the fried bacon bits were decadently fatty.
Photo: Hollie Younger
A second order of toasted garlic bread mopped up the very last of its gooey indulgence.
We then tucked into a sampling platter of the namesake yakitori, the rich cumin pork skewers (NT$65) and the sumptuous green onion sirloin steak skewers (NT$250) claiming the top spot, though the honey mustard cheese chicken skewers (NT$70) and mentaiko chicken skewers (NT$70) didn’t scrimp on the toppings and went down a treat.
A bestseller here is the rich mentaiko cream chicken udon noodles (NT$320), a carbonara-esque izakaya staple that again was delicious and again was loaded with plenty of that rich sauce. The chicken wasn’t breast meat, yielding more flavor, but unfortunately, the odd bit of gristle.
Photo: Hollie Younger
We can also recommend the Japanese eggplant with miso meat sauce (NT$180) and french top truffle fries (NT$180) as crowd-pleasers for the table.
Finally, an “appetizing stir-fried white water snowflake” (NT$180) was indeed appetizing, as the crunchy greens cut through a heavy order of meat and cream-laden carbs.
Every glass and plate was clearly made with care and skill; sweet flowers adorning the truffle fries and mango mojitos read as classy and fitting for the overall setting and neither the outstanding cocktails nor the impressive menu overpowered the other.
Quirky, elegant and outrageously good mixology, Tokyo Skewer is one for design lovers, date-nighters and cocktail connoisseurs alike.
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