Heritage Cafe, Taipei TW

One random afternoon walking around Taipei brought us to this charming and beautifully-designed spot in Zhonzheng District called Heritage Cafe because honestly, who could pass up for some delicious sweets and cold drinks on a hot day? Definitely not me!

Heritage Cafe has two floors with brick walls and modern industrial interiors. Just my type.

What we ordered

Apple Earl Grey Iced Tea

Seasonal Fruit Tea

Blueberry Cheese Tart

Everything tasted great plus the presentation were visually stimulating so dining here was a win-win! Both iced teas were sweetened perfectly and the addition of fresh fruits made it even more refreshing. The cakes were equally delicious but the star of the day really was the cafe's bestselling cake - the Guava Delight. Taste and texture were exemplary, not to mention that the guava flavor was a delightful treat from the usual cakes you can find anywhere. 

Guava Delight

Finding spots like Heritage Cafe is one the reasons why I love traveling with minimal (or zero) planned itinerary nowadays especially if I've been to a place once. I just love discovering hole-in-the-wall restaurants and secret spots where most locals hang out and keep for themselves.

~o~o~o~

Heritage Cafe
No. 73 Section 1, Hankou St.
Zhongzheng District
Taipei, Taiwan
Tel.: (8862) 2311-1079

Itoya: Japan's Oldest Stationery Store

Ginza Itoya was founded in 1904 and has since held the tradition of offering quality, innovative, and unique office and school supplies available in the market. With its re-opening back in 2015 after a major renovation, this massive shop now introduces new features and interactive fun activities that will surely make your visit worthwhile. High-class Itoya stationery is also being enjoyed worldwide to as far as the United States and Canada.

Itoya is a well-curated shop with each of its 12 floors opening up to a stylish and highly-organized offerings. Trust me when I tell you that time stops here and you'll feel like being happily lost in stationery paradise the minute you step foot in the building. In fact, I barely even remember to take photos anymore as we were so engrossed with all the unique and cool finds here.

One of my fondest memories of visiting Itoya was finding the craft space intended for visitors who wish to try making paper flowers (materials are complimentary) which, for a non artsy-craftsy person like myself, was a delightful and fulfilling experience!

Up in the 12th floor is Cafe Stylo where you can try the fluffiest Japanese pancakes you can find and other Western-inspired dishes to satisfy your hunger after hours spent going through racks and aisles of wrapping papers, all occasion cards, functional travel items, postcards, various types of papers for crafting, fancy pens and pencils, and so many cool souvenirs.

A floor down below Cafe Stylo is a green farm where they plant and produce their own vegetables used for the salads and other dishes offered at the cafe. How cool is that, right?