For the best brews with views, be sure to visit one of Jiufen’s cafes and teahouses, many of which offer incredible coastal views and panoramic lookouts.
From the well known A Mei Teahouse and Instagrammable Hima coffee shop to hidden gems like ‘Henry Cats＆Friends’ or Samba, Jiufen’s cafe scene is magical (just like the setting itself).
We spent several days hanging out in Jiufen coffee shops and teahouses, some of which are a great way to escape the Jiufen Old Street tourist masses (although some are admittedly very popular with likely long lines) – we even include a gorgeous gelato stop, Lickato.
Here is our guide to the best Jiufen cafes and Juifen teahouses.
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Best Jiufen cafes and teahouses
Hima
Likely the most famous cafe in Jiufen, Hima 暇珈琲 is a must visit if you are into coffee culture – you can see why it is so popular as soon as you walk through the door, the views at heavenly at Hima.
Derived from the Japanese term for ‘free-time’, Hima is a spectacular space boasting huge floor to ceiling windows looking out over Jiufen’s green landscapes and coasts.
There are several levels at Hima but for the best views, head straight up to the top floor (on this floor you will need to take off your shoes, so make sure you wear nice socks!).
Order at the counter downstairs and then opt to sit in the upstairs viewing area on a straw cushion or at one of the tables at the back of the cafe.
We opted for an americano coffee (NT$160) and an elderflower cream coffee (NT$240) – the latter looked like a cocktail and tasted really good, especially with the matcha powder. Decadent desserts and sweet treats are also available to purchase.
Check out these Jiufen experiences with Klook including Jiufen Old Street Taiwan Tea Experience and the Skyline teahouse
A Mei Tea House
The 100-year old A-Mei Tea House 阿妹茶楼 (map) in Jiufen is likely Taiwan’s most famous teahouse and the centre of the tourist universe here.
A Mei Tea House is also said to be most associated with being the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli / Spirited Away connection (although many debunk this – so believe what you want as it is still pretty either way!).
One of the most Instagrammable places in Taiwan and also featured on the Taipei episode of Somebody Feed Phil, A Mei Tea House boasts stunning views over Taiwan’s north shores and the surrounding mountains.
We’ve been visiting Taiwan for over 10 years and yet it wasn’t until our most recent 2026 trip to Jiufen that we finally visited here.
We stayed in the Sunny Room guest house so we arrived at A Mei teahouse a few minutes before they opened at 9am. There was no queue and they let us come in despite arriving early – we were shown to a seat on the first floor balcony (they didn’t give us an option to sit on the higher floors which have better views).
Undoubtedly touristy, A-Mei Teahouse in Jiufen is still worth a visit but it is quite expensive so you are paying for the experience and setting.
We opted for the tea set which was NT$350 per person (prices correct as of February 2026) and this consisted of lots of hot tea, sesame crackers, sweet plum, green bean cake and moji (all traditional Taiwanese snacks).
One of the tea house ladies explained how to make our tea using local tea leaves and run through the cup warming process – she made our first batch of tea and we were then left to make subsequent pots.
On a sunny day, this is a perfect place for a panoramic Juifen view served with some Taiwanese tea.
Lickato貓十五
A few short steps from A-Mei tea-house, this is one cute Juifen cafe and a n-’ice’ place to enjoy desserts with an amazing view.
Head up a few steps to Lickato貓十五, open the door and you’ll be amazed at what you find inside – part Jiufen gelato shop, part vintage store, there are so many cute souvenirs to buy as well as retro theming.
We would have happily drank inside but the view from Lickato’s terrace is absolutely incredible.
We opted for the famous Lickato affogato (NT$190), which is vanilla ice-cream served with a shot of super strong espresso – we sat out enjoying our dessert looking towards the ocean.
Gelato flavors available at Lickato Jiufen include vanilla, strawberry, sea salt caramel, hazelnut and blueberry – all cost NT$160 a serving, or they have local tea or coffee.
Lickato is open Wednesday to Monday from noon until 8pm (so maybe save this for a Jiufen sunset session).
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CHLIV Jiufen
A cool Jiufen coffee shop, award winning CHLIV was founded by Chris Lin, a latte art lover who won the World Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship 10 years ago in Tokyo.
We’ve been to their CHLIV Taipei branch in Huashan 1914 Creative Park previously so now it was time to visit their original Jiufen stall which opened in 2019.
Of all the coffee shops in Juifen we went to, CHLIV definitely serves up the best Americano in Jiufen but we also found the interior a little weird.
It is very stylish and modern but they’ve intentionally made it so you can’t sit in there or get too comfortable – there is literally one tiny standing table in there.
So maybe just grab a coffee to go from CHLIV Jiufen and enjoy it on the benches on the nearby terrace looking out across the ocean – we had an Americano and Mocha, both of which were excellent.
You can also buy CHLIV coffee beans and equipment inside plus branded merchandise.
Youshi Twilight Cafe
We loved this Jiufen cafe, as it had a nice atmosphere, was very chilled and best of all, cute cats who seem to come and go freely – one of the cats even went to sleep on the shelf right next to us.
Located away from the usual hustle and bustle of Juifen’s Old Street, it is also just a couple of doors down from CHLIV Jiufen so you could make this a cafe crawl.
We fittingly visited Youshi Twilight Cafe at sunset and managed to get the last available seats in the window. This Jiufen cafe had 3 cats lazing around when we visited plus we believe there might be a dog too on some days (they must have been on holiday when we visited).
The interior is cute with Japanese styling and this was a really popular place with lots of international travellers and a clean bathroom – highly recommended.
Jioufen Teahouse
Whilst possibly not as famous as ‘A Mei’ next door, Jioufen Teahouse is the area’s oldest teahouse now owned by artist Hung Chi-Sheng.
Located across several stories, you can enjoy traditional Taiwanese tea looking out over Jiufen, visit the artists’ workshops and pottery kiln downstairs or simply have a taste for free.
This is one of our favourite things to do in Jiufen and much much quieter than nearby A Mei teahouse.
The downstairs area has an exquisite ‘showroom’ of tea from all over Taiwan; the packaged tea would make a great Taiwan souvenir to take home.
Henry Cats ＆Friends
We stumbled upon this cute Jiufen cat-themed cafe quite by chance – 九份石頭貓創始店 Henry Cats ＆Friends has to be one of our favourite stores and coffee shop in the whole of Taiwan, not just Jiufen.
The owner Henry Lee is a renowned artist who has worked on many exhibits and even Disney projects like The Little Mermaid TV series – this gallery, gift shop and cafe (also known as Henry House) opened in Jiufen in 2003.
We spent a magical hour at Henry Cats ＆ Friends drinking coffee and watching Henry and his partner handpaint gorgeous cat souvenirs like bags and t-shirts. They were both incredibly friendly and smiley and this was one of our favourite experiences in Jiufen.
As we drank our coffee, we browsed the store and bought several animal themed souvenirs including the cutest underwater dog coaster ever! Please do visit Henry Cat & Friends 九份石頭貓創始店 if you are ‘feline’ like a unique Jiufen cafe experience.
You might like – Our guide to staying at Adagio Jinguashi near Jiufen, one of Taiwan’s most unique hotels >
Samba Cafe
A little walk out of town and away from all the tourist hordes, Jiufen’s Samba Cafe 山巴咖啡 is well worth a visit – it has a huge terrace outside overlooking the coast plus you have to walk through a very short tunnel to get here from Jiufen Old Street.
We visited Samba Cafe 山巴咖啡 early one weekday morning and we were the only customers – although given the amazing views, we expect it is a very different story during weekends and peak season in Jiufen.
Half the fun here is walking to Samba Cafe – you stroll through a quiet residential area and look out towards Keelung Mountain in the distance.
Located in an old house, Samba Cafe is gorgeous inside and out – there are a couple of beautifully decorated rooms inside but we chose to sit outside on the terrace as it was a sublimely sunny day.
We had a couple of drinks (including an iced lemon coffee) plus treated ourselves to the most amazing apple pie – the lovely staff also let us try a strawberry cream cake they were working on to add to the menu.
For a joyful Jiufen experience away from the crazy busy Jiufen Old Street, be sure to sit and sip at Samba Cafe 山巴咖啡.
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