Prices in Taiwan are usually very cheap and reasonable, but that wasn’t quite the case at Succulent Cafe & Food Lab. Maybe since they have a very Western aesthetic and English transliteration, their price point was also… Western-like. Either way, expect to pay about the same as you would in the USA here.

Having said that, this café, with a plentiful amount of vegan options, definitely impressed me. I love the aesthetic (very Hampton housewife) and the quality of their ingredients. It looks like the perfect place to have a girly teatime or indulge in a random slice of cake and a steamy latte.

There is something for everyone here, since they have flourless, ketogenic, plant-based, and traditional recipes for their desserts, which are all freshly made. I found it to be one of the most accommodating cafés in Taipei for people with special diets. 

Winter orange cocoa cake

I am a total sucker for anything that combines chocolate and orange, so it was a no-brainer for me to choose this cake flavor. I love the frosting, which was light and creamy, not like the buttercream frosting prevalent in the USA. it also had perfectly spongy cake layers, and an abundance of fresh fruit which I loved. The only off thing was your choice to use grapes in the cake, a bit weird and texture-wise since I usually don’t like grapes in my cakes.

Açai bowl

Nothing like a freshly made açai bowl to both hit the spot and refresh your palate! Açai bowls aren’t widely available in Taiwan, so this was a nice surprise.

Mocha pecan latte

Like a delicious nutty, rich, slurpable confection, this cuppa coffee, (well, technically latte) really paired excellently with my slice of cake and sent me on a much-needed caffeine trip parentheses got to fight the jet lag!). They have oat and almond milk on hand and you can customize the temperature as well as sweetener type.

Piña colada frappe

Another refreshing treat down the hatch! My libation of choice when I am forced to engage in drinking rituals is most certainly the piña colada. I love coconuts, so it suits me perfectly. Succulent cafés take on it as a smoothie. It was a great pick me up, especially in humidity of Taiwan. Creamy and fruity, it can easily sub as a dessert of sorts if you prefer something light and sweet.