Dawn Surf & Co. Cafe

Dawn Surf & Co. Café is a surf-themed cafe hidden in one of the small lanes running off Guangfu South Road in Xinyi District. On the warmly colored wood-plank walls, surfboards and every kind of surfing related photo imaginable are hanging. If you carefully look at these wonderful photos, it is almost as though the very sound of the waves is whispering in your ears- it really makes you want to jump on a surfboard and get into the sea! There are many diverse cafes in the big city of Taipei, all with personalities of their own. Dawn Surf & Co. Café is much the same, in that you can feel the boss's enthusiasm and ingenuity just by being here. Even the name of the café referring to “dawn” gives you an impression of the lightness of the boss’s attitude to his café. Indeed, the space is bathed in a warm yellow light, with the wooden décor soaking up the warmth of the sun.

You are also bound to find delicious dishes here. The curry (咖哩飯) and ginger pork (薑汁燒肉) are both very popular set meals. As well as the normal offerings of coffee and cocktails, Dawn Surf & Co. Café also sells brown sugar latte (黑糖煎茶), which has got to be the most unusual beverage on the menu. With a sencha (Japanese green tea) and brown sugar mixed up together, and milk added at the end, the foam created means you could easily be forgiven for assuming it is a café latte. Because the café is located in a residential area, on weekdays there are not many customers. This, coupled with the free Wi-Fi and many electricity points, means that freelancers are very happy working here. Dawn Surf & Co. Café closes at three in the morning on the weekend, serving good coffee to the city that never sleeps.