Mayor’s Residence Arts Salon

The Mayor's Residence Arts Salon offers something rare in central Taipei: the chance to sit down for a drink or a meal inside a historic official residence. The house was completed in 1940, during the Japanese era, and served as the home of Taipei's mayors until 1994. In 1999 the city's Department of Cultural Affairs handed its operation to an outside organisation and turned it into an arts and culture centre, and it is now open to the public.

The building itself is the main attraction. It blends Japanese and Western architecture, with tatami rooms alongside Western-style furniture, and it gives a sense of how officials lived in the city in the mid-twentieth century. Compared with the large public monuments of the Zhongzheng District, it feels domestic and intimate, which is why it makes such a pleasant place to pause.

Today the salon focuses on literature, history and philosophy. It hosts small art and literary exhibitions, runs arts and literature courses for the public, and has a bookshop as well as a restaurant. That combination makes it more than a cafe stop: you can look round an exhibition, browse books and then settle in for something to eat or drink. Menus and opening times are set by the operator and change from time to time, so check the official website or call ahead before making a special trip, particularly if you want a full meal rather than a drink.

The salon suits travellers interested in architecture and history, readers and anyone looking for a quieter alternative to the busy coffee chains. It is a good place to sit out a hot afternoon or a rain shower between nearby sights, and couples and solo travellers will appreciate the calm atmosphere. Families with young children may find the setting a little formal. Allow an hour if you plan to eat and look around the house and any current exhibition. As in any traditional house with tatami rooms, be ready to take off your shoes where asked.

The salon is at No. 46 Xuzhou Road in the Zhongzheng District. The tourism office suggests taking the MRT Bannan Line to Shandao Temple Station, leaving by Exit 5 and walking along Shaoxing South Street for about ten minutes. The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the National Taiwan Museum are both in the same district, so the salon fits neatly into a day of sightseeing in central Taipei.