Third Floor Coffee: A Chill, Gorgeous Cafe Hidden in a Sports Shop

We had been eyeing Third Floor Coffee for a long time on Instagram because of their epic cake photos, so it was a huge surprise when we accidentally discovered their location one day while eating dinner at Pokeholic. We immediately recognized their sign, but couldn’t figure out where the cafe was — the pin on Google Maps revealed nothing but a sports shop. After some pointless walking around and investigating on the internet, we realized that the cafe was actually located inside the sports shop, which owns and manages it. The more you know!

To find the cafe, head to the back of the sports shop and climb the stairs. On your right, you’ll find another set of stairs leading up to the third floor, where the cafe is located — hence its name.

Once you arrive on the third floor, you’ll be welcomed into an open, bright cafe with plenty of seats, plants, and ambient lighting. It has a calm and quiet atmosphere that makes the perfect setting for catching up with friends or relaxing with a coffee and a book. Find a nook that appeals to you and enjoy the great view of Fuxing North Road.

Third Floor Coffee is also a great place to get some work done — there’s plenty of light, many plug sockets, no time limit, and it mostly stays quiet enough to concentrate — but at times it can get pretty busy. Interestingly, there is a limit on the number of people you can bring: groups can be no bigger than four, and this does keep the volume down even when the entire cafe is full.

We started with drinks: a cinnamon cappuccino ($150) and masala chai ($200), both delicious. There’s a minimum spend of one drink that cannot be substituted for anything else.

In addition to drinks, Third Floor Cafe has a very basic food menu that consists of waffles, quiches, a few brunch plates, and an ever-changing display of freshly-baked cakes.

First, we ordered the pork and tomato quiche ($130) after it came recommended by the servers. It was served hot and was absolutely marvellous. Though quite thin and firm, the pork and tomato flavours really came through in a comforting but unique way. We felt that it was a little on the small side, but would be happy to order it again.

Next, we tried the oat bun plate ($210) with two oat buns, sun-dried tomato in olive oil, garlic and cashew spread, salad, and muesli with yogurt and maple syrup. This did not live up to our expectations, though we didn’t really know what to expect. The oat buns weren’t anything special, and one was still defrosting in the middle. They tasted like your average, run-of-the-mill brown buns. We had been intrigued by the garlic and cashew spread, but it was quite tasteless, and not improved much by the tomato and olive oil. The salad was pretty standard, but a nice addition to the bread, spread, and olive oil. The yogurt parfait was actually quite good. All in all, we wouldn’t order this again.

Mesmerized by the cakes from the beginning, we knew we had to try at least one. This time around we chose a warm caramel apple cake served with cream and caramel sauce. It was lighter than we had imagined but still delicious — the cake was moist and filled with stewed cinnamon apples, and the caramel sauce had a slightly burnt taste that complemented the cake exquisitely. It was definitely different than your typical Western cake, but it was still a great choice. The cakes are provided by a hand-made dessert studio called 小島甜點工作室.

Overall, Third Floor Coffee is a nice little spot with a laid-back atmosphere and great quiches and cakes. We actually love its random, hidden location, because it feels all the more special when you find it. It’s also a good spot to get work done, even if it can get a little busy at certain times.

What’s the vibe?

Laid-back, airy cafe hidden on the third floor of a sports shop in Zhongxiao Fuxing. Customers are mostly in their 20s and 30s and tend to bring their laptops or study materials.

Worth it?

We love the space and most of what we tried on the menu. Prices are comparable to other cafes in the area.

Would you go back?

Yes, though we probably wouldn’t cross the city for it. It’s a great option if you’re in the area!

Last updated: September 2018

Third Floor Coffee

Chinese Name: 在三樓

Hours: Mon-Fri 12:30pm - 7:30pm Sat & Sun 12:30pm - 8pm

Phone: 02 2776 9281

English Address: No. 330, Section 2, Bade Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 10491

Chinese Address: 10491台北市中山區八德路二段330號