The 5 Best Night Markets in Taipei (+ 12 Smaller Ones!)

Taipei’s night markets offer the quintessential eating experience in Taiwan and are one of the best things to do in Taipei at night. In many ways, they are the embodiment of Taiwanese popular culture. Snacking and walking is truly a national pastime in this food-obsessed country!

What mostly started as small collections of food stalls in front of temples or at street corners around 100 years ago have slowly expanded into some of the largest and most talked about night markets in all of Asia. By visitor numbers, Taipei’s night markets collectively are the country’s most popular tourist attraction, and they feature prominently on my list of the best night markets in Taiwan.

To give you an idea of the sheer variety of foods you will encounter in Taiwan’s night markets, here are some recommended Taiwanese street foods to watch out for. In many ways, street food is the best way to experience Taiwanese cuisine.

In this article I’m going to introduce the best Taipei night markets. I’ll start with the “Big 5” in Taipei City (Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia, Tonghua, and Nanjichang). Then I’ll cover some more local and off-the-beaten-path night markets in Taipei before moving out into New Taipei City, the large city that surrounds Taipei City. And finally, one special night market in Keelung, a port city on the northeast coast.

For each one, I’ll tell you what dishes the night market is famous for, where to find the Michelin food stalls, and how to get to each night market. At the end, I’ll share some more general information about Taiwan night markets, their history, and more.

For vegetarians and vegans, see my recommended vegetarian stalls at every night market in Taipei.

If you’re interested in Taipei’s restaurant scene, here’s a list of the best restaurants in Taipei.

Finally, for packaged snacks to take home, here are the best food souvenirs from Taiwan!

“The Big 5” Taipei Night Markets

To begin, here are the five most famous night markets in Taipei City than everyone always talks about. This list begins with Shilin Night Market, which used to be the largest and most famous, but has declined in recent years.

Then we stop in at Raohe, which is everyone’s favorite nowadays, plus Ningxia, Tonghua, and one of my personal favorites, Nanjichang.

Also read about the big 5 night markets in Tainan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung!

Shilin Night Market: The Big Daddy

With origins as early as 1909, Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) is Taiwan’s most famous night market. It is the largest and also most touristy night market in Taipei. Shaped liked an upside down triangle between Jihe and Wenling roads, at its peak there are 500+ food vendors here!

Shilin Night Market used to be known for being innovative. Several Taiwanese street foods were born here (including the infamous penis cakes, see below pic) and it used to be a popular hangout for local teens, before it became super touristy.

Shilin Night Market was badly impacted by COVID. Many of its vendors closed and just never came back. Anyone who visited in the 2000s or 2010s and came back today will be shocked at how much smaller it is now.

One interesting feature is the Shilin Night Market Food Court, an air-conditioned underground food court that provides an ideal escape in summer. See my Shilin Night Market guide (linked to above) to find it the map I made.

Unfortunately, the underground food court closed for renovations a few years ago and hasn’t reopened since. This has been another blow to the night market. I’ll update this space as soon as it does.

A newer and even cooler feature of Shilin Night Market is the giant 3D Baby Tiger cub. The cute little guy sticks out from the screen, snacks on Taiwanese fried corn, and even throws his poop at the crowd. Again, see my Shilin Night Market guide to find the location.

Another plus of Shilin Night Market is that it has by far the best area of children’s games of any night market in Taipei. There are dozens of them in a covered plaza with lots of space. This, along with the tiger, makes it the best night market for visitors to Taipei with kids.

Finally, one of only two remaining branches of Modern Toilet restaurant, Taiwan’s weird toilet-themed restaurant, is in Shilin (the other is in Ximending). The Shilin one is the better one to visit with kids. See my Modern Toilet guide.

Even though it’s no longer considered the best one, I still think Shilin is worth visiting. There are still some excellent foods to be enjoyed there (again, see my guide), including several Michelin-rated ones, plus it’s the best one for kids.

Getting to Shilin Night Market: Get off at Jiantan MRT station (exit 1), not Shilin station. Cross the road and enter the beast.

Raohe Night Market: The New King

In recent years, Raohe Night Market (饒河夜市) has taken over as the top night market in Taipei. Even though it tends to get packed, it’s just one main street, approximately 600 meters from east to west, so you can’t get lost at this one (unlike Shilin).

Nowadays, most serious foodies agree that Raohe Night Market simply has the best array of awesome foods of any night market in Taipei. From the moment you enter, the most famous one (Fuzhou Black Pepper Buns) greets you, but there are countless more gems inside.

Besides the usual assortment of great foods, I like Raohe because it’s close to a few other interesting sights.

This includes the impressive Songshan Ciyou Temple, devoted to Matsu, goddess of the sea, just outside the main entrance of the night market. Don’t miss it; it’s one of Taipei’s prettiest temples, and make sure you go up the six floors at the back!

Pro tip: the temple also has toilets!

Another cool thing to see nearby is Rainbow Bridge and the LOVE sign. To find them, you just have to walk a block north of the night market and climb the stairs over a river flood wall. This is a good spot to take a little breather walk from your night market feasting.

The riverside here is also a great point for starting or ending a YouBike ride (see my YouBike renting guide) ride to other parts of the city. A great, easy run I’d recommend is from here to Yuanshan, which takes about 45 minutes, mostly along the riverside paths.

Another attraction near the night market is Wufenpu Clothing Market, the best place to buy discount/wholesale clothing in the city. See my Taipei shopping guide for more info on it.

Getting to Raohe Night Market: Take exit 1 or 3 of Songshan MRT station. The YouBike station is just behind exit 3. It’s also near Songshan train station, if you happen to be coming into the city by train.

Ningxia Night Market: Big Crowds and Oyster Omelets

Ningxia Night Market (寧夏夜市) is proof of my theory that Taiwanese actually like crowds. Here, two rows of stalls running up wide Ningxia road are unnecessarily pushed close together to create a super narrow and always crowded walkway between them.

A major plus of Ningxia Night Market is that it is the closest night market to Taipei Main Station, and not far from Ximending, too, where many travelers stay. You can walk from Taipei Main to Ningxi is only 10-15 minutes.

Ningxia may be packed, but for good reason: it has some really good foods. Chief among these is Liu Yu Zai’s taro and egg yolk balls, but the line for this incredible famous stall often takes up to an hour.

Since all the pedestrians are crammed into the narrow aisle between the food stalls, there’s no room for lines. So you’ll find the lines for popular stalls like this on the back side of the stalls. Often there are several long lines side-by-side, so make sure you get in the right one!

To avoid the worst lines, try to come to Ningxia early, like 5 PM. From 7 PM onwards, it is silly packed. Also avoid Friday and Saturday nights if possible.

This night market also has some of the best oyster omelets in Taipei. These are sold from brick and mortar shops on the side of the street, not from stalls in the middle (see my Ningxia guide to find them).

Again, you’ll need to line up for these, no matter how early you come.

Ningxia is conveniently located near historic Dihua Street, one of the most interesting neighborhoods for wandering and street photography in Taipei.

Since Dihua is mainly a daytime thing, I suggest visiting there first, then stuff yourself at Ningxia. After, you can walk to Dadaocheng Pier (Dadaocheng Container Market), a nice spot to take a walk or get a riverside drink at night.

Finally, for beer lovers, there are three excellent craft beer bars all on the same street very close to the southern entrance to Ningxia Night Market.

They are Jim & Dad’s, Mikkeller Bar, and Floating Taipei. Learn more about these in my guide to the best places to find craft beer in Taipei.

Getting to Ningxia Night Market: Ningxia Night Market is 10-15 minutes’ walk from Taipei Main Station (it’s closest to the Airport MRT station but further from the train or MRT station.

From Ximending, ride the Green Line to Beimen and walk (10) from there)

Coming from the Red Line, it’s a 5-10 minute walk from Zhongshan MRT station to the southern end of Ningxia, or from Shuanglian MRT station to the northern end. If you happen to be coming in on the yellow MRT line like I always do, then you can also walk from Daqiaotou Station in 10-15 minutes.

Tonghua Night Market: Traditional foods near Taipei 101

Tonghua Night Market (通化夜市, also called Linjiang Street Night Market or 臨江街夜市) is known for being a very authentic night market, despite how close it is to Taipei 101 and the highly glamorous shopping ditrict.

Here you can find classic Taiwanese dishes with recipes that haven’t changed in decades, the way older Taiwanese remember and love them.

By classic dishes, we are talking about the likes of stinky tofu, cuttlefish stew, Taiwanese hamburgers (gua bao), braised pork rice (lu rou fan), and braised foods (lu wei).

In fact, two of my personal favorite stinky tofu stalls in the city are in this night market (see my Tonghua guide to find them). One of them is Michelin rated and has a vegetarian version (yes, stinky tofu is not always vegetarian).

Another plus of this night market is that it seldom gets really crowded. This makes it a good choice for families or anyone who doesn’t like thick crowds.

Thanks to its proximity to Taipei 101, this is the perfect night market to visit after you watch sunset from Taipei 101 Observatory or Elephant Mountain (see my guide to hiking Elephant Mountain).

After, some of Taipei’s best speakeasy-style cocktail bars are near.

Getting to Tonghua Night Market: From Xinhe Anhe MRT exit 3 (escalator) or 4 (a hint closer but no escalator), head east then turn right at the Watsons (Tonghua Rd.) Follow the stream of people to the market entrance on Linjiang street (pictured above).

Nanjichang: Taipei’s most local night market

Nanjichang Night Market (南機場夜市, literally “South Airport Night Market”, as there used to be an airport here) is what I often describe as “Taipei’s most local major night market”.

In terms of size and sheer variety, it can certain match the other big ones. However, very few tourists ever seem to make it here. As a result, prices are lower and foreign faces are few and far between.

Nanjichang also specializes at stinky tofu, but here you will mainly find the spicy stewed kind (mala or 麻辣). Smelly Boss (臭老闆) makes it so well that they even got Michelin Bib Gourmand status. There are two branches of it in the night market, as well as some copycats, and they are all vegetarian.

Other specialties in Nanjichang Night Market include amazing dumplings, fried oyster balls (see pic below), popiah rolls, and medicinal pork rib soup (the latter two also also Michelin rated!

If you need something more familiar (but still distinctly Taiwanese), one vendor does a tiramisu version of the Taiwanese ice cream wraps with peanut brittle and cilantro.

One reason Nanjichang probably hasn’t caught on among tourists is that it isn’t super close to any MRT station. It is deep within Wanhua district (the old city of Taipei), but quite a ways from popular Ximending neighborhood.

Ironically, all the stalls at Nanjichang are numbered and have their main specialty written in English. However, since fewer English speakers make it here, many of the vendors speak little or no English. Just be vigilant, and point or use a translator if you have to!

Getting to Nanjichang Night Market: The nearest MRT, Xiaonanmen, is a 15-minute walk via the Taipei Botanical Garden. You can also walk from Longshan Temple MRT in about 20 minutes or from Ximending in about 30 minutes.

Other Taipei Night Markets

If you’d like to get even more local or off the tourist track in Taipei, then the following Taipei night markets may appeal more to you.

Huaxi Night Market : Taipei’s Most Infamous Night Market

No other night market in Taiwan has a reputation like Huaxi Night Market (華西夜市) does. Just around the corner from Longshan Temple, the most famous temple in Taipei, in Wanhua District (Old Taipei), lies what is probably Taipei’s seediest area.

Huaxi street is right at the center of this seedy area –  essentially a red light district but for elderly people. It’s still perfectly safe to visit, but just a heads up that you might see a bit of that, especially if you wander into the small streets around the night market.

30 years ago, Huaxi street was a red light district and adult video shopping street. It was the first night market to cater to tourists, and later gained a reputation for its restaurants specializing in snake meat, lending it the nickname “Snake Alley.”

Bus loads of tourists from China and Japan would pile in to take photos of vendors handling and killing the snakes to make stews or draining their blood to prepare alcohol shots. Chinese and Taiwanese believe snake has health benefits, is good for the skin, and enhances male virility.

With growing awareness of animal rights, Snake Alley has lost its appeal to most tourists and even locals. But as of most recent visits, I sadly noted that a few shops in the night market do still sell snake.

Huaxi actually consists of four night markets that are interconnected or close to each other, each quite different and interesting in its on way. These are:

1. Xichang Street Night Market: running north to south just east of Longshan Temple. Take a quick look at Herb Alley, which is part of it, but the rest isn’t very special.
2. Guangzhou Street Night Market: running west from Longshan Temple down Guangzhou Street. You’ll need to walk down it to get to Huaxi Night Market.
3. Huaxi Street Night Market: The most famous one, with several long blocks of covered arcades.
4. Wuzhou Street Night Market: Another one parallel to Huaxi Night Market and just one block past it.

So should you still visit this night market? There are a few reasons you might want to.

First, it gives you a taste of old-time Taipei. Second, it’s convenient located next to Longshan Temple, which looks cool when lit up in the evening and has fewer tourists than in daytime.

Third, there are some delicious and very traditional foods in the night market, especially if you like Chinese herbal flavors. Wang’s Broth is Michelin rated and even has a branch at Taoyuan International Airport.

How to get to Huaxi Night Market: Longshan Temple MRT exit 1 is the most convenient for Longshan Temple and all four night markets. To get to Huaxi, walk west down Guangzhou Street and watch for the unmissable entrance.

Gongguan Night Market

The smaller Gongguan Night Market (公館夜市) is popular among students who attend National Taiwan University (the country’s top university) nearby. In recent years, more and more travelers have been discovering it, especially after a few of its stalls got Michelin recognition.

The night market consists of two relatively short lanes on either side of Shuiyuan Market (水源市場), a traditional daytime fruit and vegetable market.

Because of the young / international crowd, this night market has a lot of vegan and vegetarian foods stalls.

If you’re looking for a smaller and more manageable night market, this one may be for you. It also has lots of fashionable clothing shops around it.

Shida Night Market

When I first came to Taiwan in 2008, Shida Night Market (師大夜市) was one of the city’s hottest night markets. It was always packed. Not far from Gongguan, it also attracts many students.

However, a few years later, after many complaints from local residents, the government mostly shut it down.

Today, Shida Night Market has gone back to its roots as a place for students to find high value but delicious foods. There aren’t tons of stalls left, but some of the originals going back decades are still there.

Like Gongguan, it’s also a good place to go shopping for trendy attire and accessories.

Getting to Shida Night Market: Access the north end of it from Guting exit 4 or the south end of it from Taipower exit 3. It’s about 10 minutes walk from either.

Liaoning Night Market

Liaoning Night Market (遼寧夜市) just barely makes my list. The last time I visited (and I admit, it was years ago), I found that it is hardly a night market. It looks like a pretty normal street, with a row of very local food vendors on one side and regular restaurants on the other.

One reason to visit, though, is to see and take a photo of the highly Instagrammable “Goose Meat City” (鵝肉城), a quick fry-style restaurant with a cool storefront (see photo above).

Otherwise, you can probably give this night market a miss, unless you like going very local and off the beaten track.

Getting to Liaoning Night Market: Follow the signs from Nanjing Fuxing MRT station exit 3. You’ll pass a Japanese style cocktail bar that could be worth investigating.

Jingmei Night Market

At the southern end of Taipei City near the Jingmei river, which separates Taipei City from New Taipei City to the south, Jingmei Night Market (景美夜市) is a popular local daytime and night market, and a good choice if you want a busy, authentic night market with no tourists.

It’s a little out of the way, but that may be part of the appeal. Popular stalls include stinky tofu, herbal teas, chilled balls (涼圓), and tofu pudding (豆花).

Getting to Jingmei Night Market: Exit 2 of Jingmei MRT station.

Ximending Night Market

This entry may seem a little odd, because Ximending is not really a night market like the others. This pedestrian district is more of a shopping neighborhood, not a night market.

However, GoogleMaps and many blogs call this “Ximending Night Market”, and it is very busy in the evening. Just don’t expect a typical Taipei night market with dozens of food stalls in a row. You can find some food stalls throughout the neighborhood, but they are more spread out.

Learn more about what kind of food is on offer there (both in the daytime and at night) in my Ximending Food Guide, and learn more about the quirkiness of the area in my list of weird things to do in Ximending, including the infamous Modern Toilet Restaurant.

It’s also worth noting that Ximending is Taipei’s best LGBTQ+ district, and has the best collection of outdoor bar patios in Taipei. Head to the backside of Red Theater in Ximending to find it.

Yansan Night Market

I must admit I’d never even heard of Yansan Night Market (延三夜市) until I read one of the first Michelin Taipei guides. So I was quite surprised to find that it got not one but three entries!

After visiting, I would say that Yansan also barely counts as a night market. It’s more of a regular street with several hole-in-the-wall restaurants along it, some with tables out on the street. And the one I went for (pictured above) is actually open in the daytime, not at night. I would say check out this “night market” in the daytime if you’re looking for very traditional foods and an off-the-beaten-track snacking experience.

The three Michelin-recommended shops are Cabbage Rice and Pork Rib Soup (高麗菜飯 原汁排骨湯), Shi Chia Big Rice Ball (施家鮮肉湯圓), and Daqiaotou Rice Cakes (大橋頭老牌筒仔米糕).

Getting to Yansan Night Market: Take the MRT yellow line to Daqiaotou station then use GoogleMaps to find these restaurants.

Night Markets in New Taipei City and Keelung

To finish this article, I’ve got five more recommendations for night markets you may want to consider visiting in New Taipei City. This is actually the largest city in all of Taiwan, and it physically surrounds Taipei City. You can still take the Taipei MRT to reach most of these.

And to begin this section, we’ve got the famous harbor-side night market in Keelung, the largest port city in Northern Taiwan (see my Keelung city guide and list of other fun things to do in Keelung). It is my favorite night market in all of Taiwan!

Miaokou Night Market, Keelung

It only takes 40 minutes to an hour to get to Keelung, northern Taiwan’s largest port, and home to my favorite night market in Taiwan, Keelung Night Market (基隆夜市), also called Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市).

The market’s name literally translates as “temple entrance,” as it grew from the plaza in front of Dianji Temple.

As a pescatarian, I love all the fresh seafood on offer, the night market is visually striking with its rows of yellow lanterns, and a plus for foreign guests is that every stall’s specialty is indicated in English. Also, Anthony Bourdain ate here when he came to Taiwan!  

For visitors with kids, there is more seating here than at most night markets; almost every stall has a few chairs. Fresh fruit juices are another specialty here, but you can find those at all night markets.

Keelung is one of the best day trips from Taipei, so you could easily plan to spend a whole day there!

Getting to Keelung Night Market: It’s about a 10-minute walk from the Keelung train station.

Sanhe Night Market, Sanchong

Many of the residents of Sanchong district of New Taipei City come from central of southern Taiwan, so some people say that Sanhe Night Market (三和夜市) has a different feel to it.

According to a recent visitor in my Taiwan Travel Planning group on Facebook, there are tons of capybara things in the night market now – capybara t-shirts, games with capybara prizes, and so on. Read my guide to meeting capybaras in Taiwan to find out why they are so popular.

Make the journey to this lesser known night market and you will almost certainly be the only foreign face there.

Getting to Sanhe Night Market: Take the MRT yellow line Taipei Bridge station.

Nanya Night Market, Banqiao

Nanya Night Market (南雅夜市) in Banqiao district of New Taipei City is another choice if you want a popular (among locals only, not tourists) night market. It has all the usual dishes you’d expect.

Banqiao is home to the new Taipei City government and is probably the most developed part of New Taipei City. I lived there for five years; it’s a great place to live if you are considering moving to Taiwan!

Banqiao is also home to the huge Christmasland event in November and December, so at that time, the night market is usually packed. See my guide to winter in Taiwan for more info about it.

Getting to Nanya Night Market: It’s a short walk from Fuzhong MRT station.

Lehua Night Market, Yonghe

Yet another popular local one is Le Hua Night Market (樂華夜市) in between Dingxi and Yongan Market MRT stations. Some locals claim this is hands down the best night market in the greater Taipei area, but we all have a different favorite, don’t we? There are currently rumors that Lehua might be shut down in the future like Shida was.

Le Hua is within walking distance of the fascinating and off-the-beaten-track Museum of World Religions Taipei.

Getting to Lehua Night Market: It’s a 5-10-minute walk from Dingxi MRT station exit 1.

Xinzhuang Temple Street

Welcome to my neighborhood!

The food at Xinzhuang Temple Street Night Market (新莊廟街) food is nothing special. But come before dark to enjoy the high concentration (at least five) of Qing dynasty-era temples on or around this street, and a couple ultra narrow alleyways that once led to the river when this area was a major river trading port, if you can find them.

I can pretty much guarantee you won’t see any foreign faces here…OK, except maybe mine!

You can also take a stroll across connecting, pedestrian-only New Moon Bridge (新月橋) also known as Crescent Bridge, and if you are feeling ambitious, you could even walk or ride a YouBike here from Banqiao 543, New Taipei’s answer to Taipei’s Huashan Creative Arts Park, or even the Lin Family Mansion, as an interesting half day venture.

Getting to Xinzhuang Temple Street Night Market: Go straight out Xinzhuang MRT exit 2, take your first right, and walk in a few blocks until you reach the front of the temple. Go right and you’ll see the start of it.

To reach New Moon Bridge, turn left at the big temple in the middle of the night market. There is also a YouBike rental station just before the pedestrian ramp up to the bridge.

What is the Best Night Market in Taipei?

One of the most common FAQs about Taiwan is: what is the best Taipei night market? This Wikipedia list of night markets in Taiwan mentions 30 in the greater Taipei area (Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Keelung), around 70 night markets in Taiwan, and there are actually many more that are not listed. So how can you choose which night market to visit on your Taiwan trip?

The short answer is: they are all amazing and similar in many ways, but each has its own unique features and dishes (as well as a lot of the same classics), and it really depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.

If you want the biggest, go to Shilin Night Market, but it’s also the most touristy one. Raohe is often chosen as the top night market in Taipei by serious foodies. Ningxia and Tonghua are also up there.

Nanjichang Night Market is the most local of Taipei’s main night markets and probably my personal favorite night market in Taipei.

In short, there’s no “best” night market in Taipei. Everyone has his or her personal favorite. If you’re still torn, spend some time going through my article below, and see if any of them jump out at you! You can also use the map below to find out which Taipei night market is closest to where you’ll be.

Michelin-Recognized Taipei Night Market Stalls

In the inaugural Michelin Food Guide put out in 2018, 10 Taipei night markets made the Bib Gourmand selection, a list of restaurants and eateries that didn’t quite get a star, but deserve recognition for the high quality of their food. You’ll find three of them at Raohe, two at Tonghua, Ningxia, and Nanjichang, and one at Shilin Night Market.

In 2019, the list expanded to include 24 stalls, with a total of four at Nanjichang, Raohe, and Tonghua, and three at Ningxia and Shilin. Stalls at two more smaller night markets that I didn’t cover in the original version of this market were also added: two at Gongguan Night Market and three at Yansan Night Market. I have since visited those and will add information about them below as well. The list underwent further changes in 2020, with 23 remaining entries.

I’ve mentioned all of the Michelin stalls under each night market’s section. You can also see the most recent Bib Gourmad section here (it’s easy to see which ones are food stalls). You can also see a picture of each of the Michelin rated Taipei night market foods (from a part year, but many remain the same).

Here’s a Ningxia Night Market food tour that includes some of these Michelin-recognized food stalls.

Why Does Taiwan Have So Many Night Markets?

Night markets go back over 1000 years to the Tang Dynasty in ancient China. The ones in Taipei mostly date back to the 1950s, with many of the original stalls still kicking and proudly displaying their starting dates. Some, such as Shilin Night Market, have origins going back as long as 100 years.

These night markets developed gradually, starting out as collections of food stalls at street corners or in front of temples, then slowly growing and spreading to take up entire blocks or neighborhoods.

The major night markets in Taipei once sold all kinds of everyday items, but in modern times the focus has shifted almost entirely to xiao chi (literally “small eats”, or snacks). If you’ve been to or live in Taipei, you know that grabbing (insanely cheap, always delicious) take-away food is a way of life in modern-day Taiwan.

Taipei night markets showcase the best of these foods all in one place, with many unique dishes that you can’t find anywhere else, and are understandably hugely popular among locals and tourists alike.

In a country where many youths aren’t into drinking, restaurants can be quite pricey compared to what young workers make, and everyone and his/her dog is a foodie, night markets make the perfect hangout for a Friday or Saturday night with friends.

Taiwan is also famous for its “Old Streets”, which are like night markets but operate in the daytime, usually on historical blocks with beautifully restored old shops and residences. Some of the best are Nanzhuang Old Street, Shenkeng Stinky Tofu Street, and Anping Old Street.

What is a Taipei Night Market Like?

In one word: crowded. But Taiwanese people seem to tolerate crowds just as much as they don’t mind waiting in lines at certain stalls made “famous” through reputation and reviews from local food bloggers.

The Mandarin expression used to describe a night market is re nao, which translates as “hot and noisy,” but meant in a good way. Night markets are where all the action (and good food) is at, and the sights, smells, and sounds blasting you from all angles are an integral aspect of the experience.

My first Taipei night market experience actually wasn’t a good one. It was my first night in Taiwan and it was the middle of summer. My friend and I wandered from our hostel to find Shi Da Night Market (see below), which used to be one of Taipei’s most popular night markets. We got sucked into the stream of people, so thick we were pressed up against strangers, sweating from head to toe. We barely tried any foods because we didn’t have the patience to wait in long lines next to hot grills.

See the next section to avoid some of our mistakes!

Tips for visiting a Taipei Night Market

• Avoid the peak times of 7-10 PM if you don’t like crowds, especially on Saturday nights. Weekdays are better, but on Mondays some stalls don’t open.
• Most stalls start setting up around 4 and the markets get going around 5. This is the best time to visit. You could also go later, from 10 PM to closing time, around midnight, but food may not be at its freshest.
• Dress light (short shorts, skirts, tank tops, etc. are fine in Taiwan!), wear good walking shoes, and try not to bring a large backpack.
• Have you money ready in a safe, easy-to-reach spot.
• Use the toilet before you leave the MRT; most night markets don’t have any.
• Avoid summer if possible if you’re like me and can’t handle intense heat and humidity.
• If you visit Taipei during Chinese New Year, most major night markets remain open, but you may find that many of the stalls are closed during the holiday.
• Don’t haggle; prices are mostly set in Taiwan. If you are buying clothing or other goods, you might be able to ask for a little discount, especially if you buy multiple items, but do so politely rather than forcefully, and don’t push it if they say no. This is not China or Southeast Asia, and it’s very rare to be ripped off here. For night market food, never haggle.
• Research the specialty of each market (see below!), but be aware that “famous” stalls will probably have long lines, and don’t be afraid to try anything that looks good.
• Is street food safe to eat in Taiwan? Yes! I’ve never heard of anybody getting sick from street food in Taiwan, but anything is possible. The food does tend to be greasy, and MSG is used a lot in Taiwan. Be very careful and specific if you have allergies or particular eating restrictions.
• If a “famous” stall has a long line, there’s often a similar one nearby that’s just about as good, or sometimes even better, with no line. I’ll give some examples below.

Useful links:

• After the night markets are closed, try these 24-hour Taipei restaurants.
• Learn about Taiwanese food in this excellent history of Taiwanese cuisine.
• Learn how to cook local dishes in this Taiwanese recipe book.
• Read my Taiwan travel guide, Taipei itinerary, Taipei daily life guide, and 5o things to do in Taipei.
• Don’t forget that tipping in Taipei is not normal, so don’t do it when visiting night markets.

Thanks for reading! For a completely different eating experience in Taipei, check out my Food Tour of Little Burma in Zhonghe, New Taipei City, and my guide to Addiction Aquatic Development for the freshest seafood in Taipei!