Salt & Stone: Italian Food in Taipei 101

The area surrounding Taipei 101 in Xinyi district is known for being upscale, and it’s a neighbourhood we tend to avoid (most of the time) for that very reason. That being said, it’s nice to take a peek at restaurant options for those special occasions that allow for a splurge on a nicer dinner. One place that kept jumping out at us was Salt & Stone, an Italian restaurant located inside Taipei 101 shopping mall. The photos online had us drooling, reviews were typically positive, and most appealing of all were the prices, which seemed very reasonable considering the restaurant’s location. We decided to give it a try on a weekday night to see if it lived up to the hype.

Salt & Stone is located on the 4th floor of the Taipei 101 shopping mall, between the Louis Vuitton and Bulgari stores. We had no trouble finding it — you can’t miss its bold sign just behind the escalators.

It’s clear that a lot of effort was put into Salt & Stone’s interior design to achieve a minimalist, modern style. There is an abundance of potted plants, assorted hanging lightbulbs, and a bright, open dining space that is perhaps too bright, with harsh overhead lighting that gives off slight cafeteria vibes. Honestly, we appreciate the attempt but feel like they missed the mark a little bit, with forced style and not enough care for function. The line of tables through the middle of the restaurant is so cramped (tables are literally spaced an inch apart) that you feel like you’re dining with your neighbours — yet there are big empty spaces through the middle of the restaurant. It’s a bit puzzling and we found ourselves questioning both the layout and glitzy design.

The food menu consists of a single page, which is divided into tartines and salads, pastas, pizzas, a few mains, and dessert. This was a plus for us, as a limited selection usually indicates better quality and definitely made choosing what to eat much easier. We decided to start with a couple signature cocktails, an appetizer, a pasta, and a pizza. Here’s what we got:

Afterglow ($300) and Tinder in Taipei ($350)

Salt & Stone has some creative staple and designer cocktails in addition to the basics. We were most excited to try the Thai Mei (vanilla, banana, cashew, and thai tea) but it wasn’t available the night we visited (boo). Instead, we tried the Afterglow, made with tequila, chamomile, grapefruit, and honey, plus the Tinder in Taipei, made with pisco, aperol, lime, passionfruit, egg white, and aphrodite bitters. These drinks were both pretty good, but nothing to write home about when compared to the countless other great cocktails in the city. We enjoyed them fine, but probably wouldn’t sink $350 on them again.

Grilled Sourdough Toast ($80) + Bordier Butter ($80)

This starter actually ended up being the most memorable order of the night despite how basic it was. There was a variety of sliced bread, toasted to perfection and served warm (though they quickly cooled off without a basket or napkin to retain heat — this lack of attention to detail that you’d expect from a higher-end restaurant would become a theme of the night).

We added Bordier butter (named the world’s best) for an additional $80, which seems like a rip-off at the time but it was totally worth it. The butter was salty, creamy, and absolutely delicious after melting into the toast. We’ve never been so impressed by butter, and probably never will be as impressed again.

Pappardelle Pasta ($360)

This broad-noodled pasta included bolognese, ricotta, and olive oil. We had high expectations from the pasta after seeing several orders go by, but unfortunately, we weren’t super impressed. We will say that the pasta was cooked well, the sauce was creamy, and the flavours were great, but it just wasn’t complex or special enough that we’d particularly recommend it to anyone.

Killa Bees Pizza ($420)

We assume this pizza’s name comes from the hot honey that’s drizzled on top, which added a slight amount of sweetness but didn’t stand out from the mozzarella, chorizo, and parmesan that made up the rest of the pizza. The thin crust was great, and though it was slightly burnt in spots, it was mostly fresh and chewy. Overall, we liked the pizza; it was definitely tasty (and thankfully much higher quality than you’d find at a place like Dominos) but it was still quite simple since the element we were most excited for — the honey — didn’t really shine like we were hoping.

Pecan Pie ($200)

The pecan pie with whipped cream and cocoa was the biggest disappointment of the night. It tasted like it had been in the fridge for too long and just came out. The slice was rock solid, to the point that we had to jab our forks through it to break off chunks. It tasted alright with a moderate level of sweetness but was nowhere close to the calibre of pies we’re used to. We probably would have enjoyed this much more if it had been left at room temperature to soften, and felt rather disgruntled that such a nice restaurant would make such a rookie mistake.

We didn’t notice until we were leaving, but there’s actually a counter with a selection of bread, pastries, and desserts that you can buy to go. They had pizza slices for only $55, garlic brioche for $70, various muffins, buns, and croissants for less than $100, a variety of jams for around $280 – $350, some baguettes for $100, and a few loaves of sourdough for between $100 – $300. Overall these looked fresh and authentic, with very reasonable prices (especially for Taipei 101). We can’t vouch for the quality because we were too full to try anything else, but this to-go counter seems like a great option if you find yourself hungry in Taipei 101. We’ll have to go back to try it.

Check out Salt & Stone’s full menu below:

Overall, we had a decent experience at Salt & Stone. The food was satisfying, but the only order that really impressed us was the bread and butter. We expected more attention to detail from a restaurant in Taipei 101, especially one as nice-looking as Salt & Stone. Some of the choices made by management were slightly off, and the service was also lacking — we had to flag down servers repeatedly, and getting the bill at the end took forever. Most of the negative reviews we read on Google mentioned bad service, so that’s definitely something they could work on for a better customer experience. We don’t want to completely denounce this restaurant because we still enjoyed our meal, but we most likely won’t be returning — it’s not ridiculously pricey, especially considering its location, but it’s just expensive enough that we’d expect a slightly better meal and dining experience. We probably won’t be returning for a sit-down meal again, though we’re very curious to try some things from their take-out counter.

What’s the vibe?

Bright, glitzy Italian restaurant in the Taipei 101 shopping mall. Diners are mostly younger Taiwanese couples.

Worth it?

We expected to pay as much as we did in Taipei 101 and the food wasn’t bad, but we weren’t exactly impressed. The restaurant favoured style over function and management was not detail-oriented.

Would you go back?

We’d be willing to try their take-out counter because the selection and prices look great, but we won’t likely return for a sit-down meal with so many other Italian restaurants to try.

Last updated March 2020