Cheap Coffee, On-Site Repairs, and Retro Apple Products at the Apple Museum Cafe
We’re back introducing yet another great cafe near Taipower Building: the Apple Museum Cafe. There are so many great cafes in Taipei that it can be hard to decide where to go next, but we were glad we chose this one for its unique appeal.
The cafe itself is pretty unobtrusive despite its unique concept — the exterior is quite plain, and tucked away in a quiet alley near Taipower Building not too far from Sababa Pita Bar. We had actually walked past it on a number of occasions, each time taken by surprise at what we were seeing. An Apple Museum Cafe? Really? Why hadn’t we heard of this before?
The interior of the cafe is warm and inviting, with high ceilings and lots of exposed wood. It wasn’t what we had pictured, but in a way it was better: there was a cozy, lived-in atmosphere that felt very relaxing. And although we wouldn’t call it a museum per se, there is a large collection of old Apple products and posters (curated by the owner, who has been an Apple user for over 30 years) on display around the cafe. This retro collection adds an interesting twist to an otherwise normal cafe.
One thing we immediately noticed and appreciated was the fact that there were plenty of seats and power sockets. There’s also no time limit, meaning you can bring your laptop and park yourself there for an entire afternoon — which it looked like many people were doing. In fact, most customers were either chatting in (relatively) hushed tones or putting in some weekend work/study time. Upon further research on Facebook and Google reviews, we discovered that this is the typical atmosphere. Unsurprisngly, it comes highly recommended as a work or study space.
Easily one of the coolest features of the cafe is this shelf area featuring a bunch of early Apple computers. It’s hard not to stare at them and marvel at how far technology has come in our lifetime.
And it’s not just computers — the owner’s collection may seem random, but it really is impressive, and sure to take you on a trip down memory lane. Remember iPods? Remember them?
We also loved this little living room area that reminded us of an IKEA catalogue, complete with old-school Apple posters. This room is somewhat cut off from the rest of the cafe by the shelf of computers, giving it an illusion of privacy. This would be a great spot for groups!
All orders for food and drinks are automated, taken on an iPad next to the kitchen. The staff were incredibly sweet and helpful, and walked us through the process despite it being pretty easy to understand. The menu is in both English and Chinese, with handy photos for reference. They have a solid range of coffees and teas — nothing too crazy — as well as a couple of food options. We decided to stick to drinks, and immediately regretted it: whatever was cooking in the kitchen smelled divine.
Our first order was the iced drip coffee, $149. The coffee was good, and we loved that it wasn’t watered down by the ice: check out that neat carafe!
We also liked our cocoa au lait, which was served in an old-school Apple mug. It was a good, standard hot chocolate that wasn’t sickly sweet, and didn’t leave us feeling gross. The best part was the price — only $99. Bargain.
In addition to food, drinks, and a hearty dose of nostalgia, the Apple Museum Cafe actually has an engineer on-site that will take a look at any of your Apple products. We didn’t need anything fixed, but read online from multiple sources that the repairs were fast and reasonably-priced. Click here for further information.
All in all, we were very impressed with the Apple Museum Cafe. The atmosphere was great, the staff were kind, the drinks were cheap, and the old Apple products added a cool touch that helped to distinguish it from other cafes. While it wouldn’t be the cafe to take someone we were trying to impress, it’s exactly the kind of place we would want to settle down with a book, or get some studying done.
What’s the vibe?
Warm, cozy cafe with a well-designed interior and a unique concept — even non-Apple fans will appreciate the retro computers and iPods on display. Great coffee, and the food smelled wonderful. Reasonable prices. The crowd is mixed — lots of students and young professionals, mainly chatting quietly or working on their laptops. Staff are very friendly and welcoming.
Worth it?
For sure! We only went for the novelty aspect, and were pleasantly surprised by the great coffee and atmosphere.
Would you go back?
Yes. It’s a great place to hide during the colder months.
| Apple Museum Cafe |
| Hours: 12pm - 9pm Closed Sunday |
| Phone: 02 2363 6262 |
| English Address: No. 5, Alley 3, Lane 74, Wenzhou Street, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106 |
| Chinese Address: 106台北市大安區溫州街74巷3弄5號 |
