Taipei

Chefs met to celebrate their peers at the first in-person Awards in Asia since 2019. T+L was there live in Bangkok.

Personal pampering knows no bounds at the most indulgent spas in Asia.

Kavalan Distillery made Taiwanese whisky a thing, and now their new gin is raking in the awards, too.

For every frenetic and high-speed thoroughfare, there’s a narrow, hidden bylane.

What are you looking for in the top cities in the world? A distinctive sense of place, history, culture and crave-worthy food.

Even time-honored family-travel mainstays can lose their shine—in which case, get inspired by these up-and-coming kid-friendly destinations.

Perched on Nan Shan’s 48th floor is Cé La Vi, a ritzy rooftop lounge attracting the city’s young, hip and well-heeled like bees to a nine-meter-long copper-clad bar.

Occupying the 12th floor of the recently opened Kimpton Da’an hotel, restaurant-slash-bar The Tavernist offers yet another reason to venture around this district after dark.

With a group of young, wildly creative chefs leading the way, the Taiwanese capital is emerging as Asia’s buzziest culinary destination.

Craft beer isn’t the sole domain of men anymore. Across Asia, trailblazing female brewers are transforming the industry.

Asia’s craft suds scene keeps getting better. We check in with six exciting breweries using local flavors and ingredients to push beer boundaries.

Taihu might be Asia’s most progressive brewery. The bathrooms are gender neutral, for starters, and when it comes to beer, head brewer Winnie Hsu is as relentless in her devotion to quality as she is in her rejection of traditional boundaries.

“We make cocktails for people who usually order beer,” says Angus Zou, the brains behind Draft Land. After building a name for himself at Alchemy, a trailblazer in Taipei’s speakeasy scene, he opened this taproom in 2018 to take the fuss out of ordering a mixed drink.

Like most speakeasies worth their salt, the first rule of Staff Only Club was, “do not tell anyone.” But good news travels fast, and soon after opening late last year, this members-only club became Taipei’s worst-kept secret.

This tiny cocktail kitchen in buzzy Da’an district actually serves up a full culinary experience. In his space of dimly lit booths around a stage-like bar, owner Seven Yi takes guests on a two-hour tasting journey.

Located in the heart of the city, Mandarin Oriental Taipei offers the perfect fusion of classically inspired design and contemporary luxury.

Built around a volcanic geothermal hot spring, Villa 32 draws heavily on its natural environment to create open, invigorating spaces in the busy northern district of Beitou.

The splashy W Taipei blends the feel of a relaxing resort with a smooth, urban vibe. In step with the W brand, whimsical art pieces punctuate the hotel, including flying metal shards in the lobby by Japanese artist Sawada.

Le Méridien Taipei, the hotel group’s first Taiwan property, stands out from Xinyi district’s crowd of business hotels with its arts-oriented approach.