Kaohsiung old-building coffee houses

Artsy coffee shops in renovated old buildings have gone main stream in Taiwan. These spaces provides a nostalgic atmosphere and warm memories that allow guests to relax and hang out. Below is a list of unique old-building coffee houses hiding in the small lanes of Kaohsiung. Compared to the cafes in the capital Taipei, the prices on the menus are a bit cheaper in Kaohsiung. On top of that, some of the Kaohsiung coffee houses don’t even require customers to make a minimum purchase and don’t limit their time inside.

1. Bog Teashop (Mandarin name: Er Xiong, Japanese name: Jio, 二雄）

Good value meals, excellent drink selection, fine tea set presentation, and delicious tiramisu that comes in big portions. The shop is named after famous Japanese cartoonist “Fujiko Fukui” who created “ Doraemon”. Here, the Kanji characters for “Jio” is pronounced as “Er Xiong” in Mandarin Chinese. There are quirky Doraemon toys, decorations and artwork dotted in the coffee house, as well as Japanese style printmaking featuring cat pictures(Doraemon is a cat). The shop is located near the Hanshin Department store and the Love River.

2. Auntie Cafe

Located in Xinkujiang area, the coffee house is decorated with graceful K-pop elements. Guests have to take their shoes off and sit on the wooden floors while enjoying their drinks and desserts.

3. Fish & Hangi (Mandarin name: Yu & Ji)

Located near Xinyi Elementary School Metro Station, the cafe has a variety of soufflé pancakes to choose from. Right next to the cafe is a newly renovated old Japanese building with exhibitions.

4. Hui Hotel

Located in Houyi area. Even though “hotel” is in its name, it is a cozy small eatery with delicious Japanese curry and fried chicken.

5. Hifumi Cafe (Mandarin name: Book shop, drink tea)

Located around Sizihean Metro Station, it was originally a Japanese bistro built in 1941. Now it serves as a bookstore and a coffee house, with Japanese style soufflé pancakes on the menu. Nearby there’s another multi-story old building built as a “Sanwa Bank” between 1908 and 1912 during the Japanese era, it was renovated and reopened to the public in 2020, and houses a coffee shop and several designer souvenir shops. 

A few blocks away from these two old-building cafes is the Hamasen Railway Cultural Park which includes a large green space, perfect for picnicing and hanging out.

6. Cafe Strada (Mandarin name: Budapest Cafe)

Located right next to Cultural Center Metro Station, the old building is carefully decorated with European influenced vintage furniture. After running the business for 25 years, the cafe sadly had to move out from the old building in 2023 due to a new construction plan to tear down the whole block.