Searching for the top bubble tea in Taipei? Look no further. As the unofficial national drink of Taiwan, bubble tea (or boba tea) happens to be one of my favourite drinks. And with a bubble tea shop on nearly every corner of Taipei, you can guess that I consumed a lot of bubble tea on my recent trip. I’m not proud of this, but there were some days that I found myself indulging in multiple cups of bubble tea a day. The affordability of bubble tea in Taipei – often cheaper than water – only fuelled my unhealthy diet.
After trying so many different bubble tea chains in Taipei, I’ve compiled a list of the best boba stores in the city so you know exactly which ones to try on your next trip to Taiwan. Not a fan of bubble tea? Scroll down to find some other must try Taiwanese drinks.
Here’s my list of top bubble tea in Taipei and my recommended drink orders:
50嵐 / 50 Lan / FIFTYLAN
50 Lan, though not the very best bubble tea in Taipei, is iconic and one of the longest standing bubble tea chains in Taiwan. I had to start my list of top bubble tea in Taipei with 50 Lan, because I still have fond memories drinking 50 Lan when I visited Taiwan back in high school. We would get group orders delivered at lunch and I remember being so surprised at how big their standard bubble tea cups were compared to Canada! My go-to drink order at 50 Lan will forever be the Yakult Green Tea.
MACU Tea
Macu Tea is best known for their fruit tea. I enjoyed Macu and found that their tea was of higher quality and stronger than other bubble tea shops. We ordered an Orange Green Tea from Macu and Jon said it was the best bubble tea he had while we were in Taipei, or in his words “it’s crack!” – so definitely worth a try.
KEBUKE Tea Co.
I’m a sucker for good packaging and Kebuke Tea Co. never misses. I’m so sad I missed their Pokemon collab where they creatively incorporated Pokemon into classic blue-and-white porcelain designs. And if Pokemon isn’t your thing, look at their beautiful Disney collaborative promotion.
Unfortunately during our trip to Taipei, they didn’t have any special packaging. But the best thing about Kebuke is that its drinks are just as good as their collabs! Black tea drinks are their specialty. For a milky drink, I recommend their Signature Black Tea with Milk or Bubble Milk Tea. For something fruity, Peach Black Tea. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a White Gourd drink.
TRUEDAN 珍煮丹
Trudan is another popular bubble tea chain in Taipei best known for its brown sugar drinks. Truthfully, we ordered the wrong drink when we got the chance to try Truedan – I think we were quite full at the time so I had avoided any drinks that sounded filling. So don’t make the same mistake we did: order a brown sugar bubble tea from Truedan.
Guiji
Guiji came highly recommended to us by Taiwanese friends. Though we didn’t get the chance to try it during our short trip to Taipei, I couldn’t gatekeep a good bubble tea shop. Guiji also seems to be a fruit tea brand so next time I’m back in Taipei, I want to try their Grapefruit Tea.
Honourable Mentions
aka other must try Taiwanese drinks
Alishan or High Mountain Oolong Tea
A tea drinker who doesn’t enjoy bubble tea? Taipei is still the place for you. For traditional tea lovers, I highly recommend trying Alishan or High Mountain Oolong Tea. Though a bit touristy, we took the gondola up to Maokong, the biggest tea growing area of Taipei. Before our hike, we visited a traditional teahouse and enjoyed a tea experience with a view overlooking the area. They also served unique tea-infused food dishes. We were taught how to brew the High Mountain Oolong Tea, which we could then keep brewing and sip at our own pace. Tea prices are generally a bit higher in Maokong, but we thought it was worth it.
Papaya Milk
Papaya milk is another classic Taiwanese drink and it’s apparently a night market invention from the 1970s. The running joke was that papaya naturally makes your boobs bigger. Upon fact checking while writing this, it seems that papaya actually just increases breast milk production of nursing mothers. Regardless, it’s always exciting to see how quickly the pros prep the papayas at the night market. Personally, I really like drinking fresh papaya milk.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is also a unique must try drink in Taipei. Savoury soy milk is traditionally consumed during Taiwanese breakfast with fried dough. On especially hot days, I enjoyed getting cold sweet soy milk and sesame milk on the go!
Best Bubble Tea Beyond Taipei
Sun Moon Lake Assam Black Tea
I’m cheating here since this isn’t exactly “bubble tea in Taipei”, but I had to include it in my list of top boba recommendations. My best bubble tea experience on my last trip to Taiwan was actually during my day trip to Sun Moon Lake, the largest natural lake in Taiwan. Picture this: you’re at the busy night market, you see a long queue for Sun Moon Lake Assam Milk Tea with tapioca pearls, and the wait only makes it sweeter. The Assam Black Tea, locally grown at Sun Moon Lake, had such a rich flavour that stands strong even mixed with milk – the balanced flavour and perfectly chewy tapioca pearls made it the best bubble tea I had. If you’re at Sun Moon Lake, don’t miss the chance to try Sun Moon Lake Assam Bubble Tea and maybe even buy some tea leaves to bring home!
So there you have it – my list of top bubble tea in Taipei! After countless orders and probably way too many tapioca pearls, I hope this bubble tea guide can help you enjoy the best boba in the city. Whether you’re Team Milk Tea vs. Team Fruit Tea or Team Black Tea vs. Team Green Tea, there’s something here for every bubble tea lover. So if you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, make sure to leave space (in your schedule and stomachs) for bubble tea and let me know if you agree with my top bubble tea recommendations when you’re back!
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Stone & Fern is a travel and lifestyle blog started by friends who have a passion for exploring cities, capturing moments, and trying new food. To see more of Asia, click here.