Taipei Nightlife Without Clubs: A Low-Key Night Out

If you only have a week in Taiwan and want a taste of Taipei nightlife without clubs, you don't need to plan much. Pick one evening out of the week and take it slowly: eat first, walk around, then sit down somewhere. No crowd to push through, no shouting over music, no big bill.

A low-key night out in Taipei, step by step

Most of a one-week trip goes to daytime sightseeing, so one evening is plenty. A simple shape for it:

Early evening: a proper meal. A noodle shop or a small local eatery near where you're staying is fine.
After dark: a night market, or just a stroll through the side streets.
Later: somewhere you can sit, have a drink and talk. When you're tired, head back by MRT or taxi.

Skip any step you don't feel like. The night doesn't fall apart if you don't go to a night market.

Eat first, then a night market or a walk

Taipei has plenty of places to eat at dusk, so get dinner done first and you won't be hungry while you walk. A night market is the safest way to feel the city after dark: it's crowded, but lively rather than loud, and you can eat standing up as you go. For something quieter, wander the lanes. Side streets are calmer than the main roads. Hours vary by market and by shop, so check opening information before you head out. If it rains, our guide to indoor things to do in Taipei on a rainy day has backups.

Find one place to sit down at the end

By then your feet will be tired. What to look for in a last stop is simple: a seat, a volume where you can talk normally, prices that don't make you flinch, and ideally somewhere still open late. Below is the place we know best, offered as one option.

One option: AI DARTS in the East District

AI DARTS is at No.1, Aly. 15, Ln. 345, Sec. 4, Ren'ai Rd, Da'an District, Taipei 106, a short walk from the Bannan Line between Zhongxiao Dunhua and Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall stations. It's open 24 hours, every day of the year, with no minimum spend, and you can bring your own drinks, so dropping in late or for just an hour is fine.

Phoenix electronic dartboards lined up inside AI DARTS, with floor mats in front and a high table with stools on the left — Phoenix machines with a high table and stools beside them, so you can sit out a round.

Never played darts? Drinks, food and rough cost

The boards are a full set of Phoenix electronic dartboards. Never thrown a dart? That's fine, just ask the staff. With a bigger group, Cricket works well because everyone takes turns, and the wait between turns is when the talking happens.

For drinks and food, a bottle of beer is NT$100 (Taiwan Beer, Budweiser or Heineken), the signature seared cheese and meat sauce hot dog is also NT$100, and if you'd rather skip alcohol there are sparkling drinks at NT$65. There are cocktails too; what's on offer is set at the bar on the day. A beer plus the signature hot dog comes to NT$200, and board time is extra, so see how much darts costs here. The boards run 24 hours but the kitchen works on a schedule, so food service hours are posted at the venue or on LINE. Here is the full menu.

People chatting at the AI DARTS bar counter with beer bottles on it, dartboard machines and a wall TV behind them — Chat over a beer at the bar. The boards are right behind you when you feel like a game.

Before you go

Check opening information for night markets and any other place before you head out, and don't rely on old listings.
The MRT doesn't run all night, so look up the last train for your ride back and switch to a taxi if it's too late.
Want to wander nearby first? See our Taipei East District guide.

For the full list of what to do in Taipei after dark (night markets, views, late-night spots), see things to do in Taipei at night.

One evening out of a week is enough to get the feel of Taipei after dark. If you'd like to sit down for a while, the boards are running 24 hours.