Bar Mood

Bar Mood is one of the bars that has made Taipei a serious cocktail destination. It has appeared on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2019, and its owner and bartender, Nick Wu, has built its reputation on a simple idea: showing the world what Taiwan's own flowers, herbs and produce can do in a glass.

The most striking feature is the garden on the bar top, from which garnishes are picked as drinks are made. The menu draws on local ingredients that you would not usually expect in a cocktail, such as bitter melon, soy milk, peanuts, edamame and oolong tea, the last of them harvested by Wu's grandparents. Behind the bar the team uses techniques such as rotary distillation and low-temperature cooking to extract and refine flavours, but the results are meant to be approachable rather than academic. Alongside the cocktails, the bar offers Taiwanese and Japanese whisky and food.

The room feels personal. The furniture was handmade by Wu's parents, whose family business spans more than half a century, and the overall atmosphere is cosy and homely, like a friend's living room, while drinks guides describe the interior as dark and elegant. That balance makes it an easy place for a first visit even if you are not a cocktail expert: tell the bartenders which flavours you enjoy and let them suggest something built around local botanicals.

Bar Mood suits couples, small groups of friends and solo travellers who enjoy sitting at the bar and talking with the staff. It is not a venue for big, loud groups. Check the bar's social media for current opening hours before you go, and consider booking or arriving early in the evening at weekends, when seats fill quickly. Expect premium cocktail prices, and budget for two or three drinks if you want to work through the signature list.

The bar is on Lane 160 off Section 1 of Dunhua South Road in the Da'an District. It is easy to combine with dinner nearby, for example at Really Good Seafood on Fuxing South Road or Little Tree Food on Da'an Road, and with a second round at To Infinity and Beyond, another award-winning bar on the same lane. A taxi is the simplest way home late at night.