Frank
Frank is the kind of bar that every neighborhood needs: unpretentious, affordable, and open late enough to catch the after-work crowd and the post-dinner wanderers alike. The space has pool tables, a long bar, dartboards, and TVs showing sports. The drink menu is straightforward: imported and domestic beers, standard cocktails, and a whisky shelf that's respectable without being intimidating. The crowd is a genuine mix of Taiwanese locals, Japanese expats (the Linsen area has a large Japanese community), and Western visitors who found the place through word of mouth or Tripadvisor. It functions as a common starting point for an evening that might end at the clubs or might end right here after one too many rounds of pool.
What to Expect
A laid-back sports bar atmosphere where you can show up alone and leave with new friends. The pool tables create natural icebreakers. The crowd is friendly and international. Don't expect craft cocktails or a curated ambiance. Do expect good times and cold beer.
Casual, friendly, and international. A genuine neighborhood bar in the middle of Taipei's entertainment district.
Jukebox-style playlist mixing classic rock, pop, and whatever the bartender feels like playing
Come as you are. Literally anything goes.
Solo travelers looking to socialize, groups wanting a casual warm-up spot, and anyone who misses the neighborhood pub.
Cash preferred, cards accepted
Price Range
Beer TWD 150-280, cocktails TWD 250-400, shots TWD 150-250
Beer: USD 5-9 / EUR 4-8. Cocktails: USD 8-12 / EUR 7-11
Hours
Daily 6 PM to 2 AM, weekends until 3 AM
Insider Tip
The pool tables get claimed early on weekends, so arrive before 9 PM if you want to play. Happy hour runs from 6 to 8 PM with buy-one-get-one beer. The back patio is good for smokers and conversation.
Full Review
Frank doesn't overthink things. The bar is a rectangular room with a long counter, two pool tables, a dartboard area, and enough seating to handle a crowd without feeling packed. The decor is minimal: some neon signs, sports memorabilia, and a wall of Polaroids from regulars. It looks like a bar and acts like one.
The drink menu matches the approach. Beers are properly cold and reasonably priced. The cocktails are standard recipes made correctly. The whisky shelf covers the basics from Jack Daniels to Jameson, with a few Japanese options that reflect the neighborhood's demographics. Nobody is muddling artisanal bitters here, and that's fine.
The pool tables are the social engine. They draw a rotating cast of players, and the unwritten rule is that the winner stays on. This creates introductions, conversations, and occasionally friendly competitions that last all evening. It's the most reliable way to meet strangers in the Linsen area outside of the hostess bar circuit.
Happy hour from 6 to 8 PM is genuine value, with buy-one-get-one on domestic beers. The bar fills up around 9 PM as the dinner crowd finishes eating and drifts in. By 11 PM, the split happens: some people head to the clubs, others settle in for the long haul at the bar.
Staff speak English, Mandarin, and some Japanese. Service is friendly and efficient. The atmosphere peaks around 10 PM when the room is full but not overwhelmed.
The Neighborhood
Frank sits on a street that connects the Linsen hostess bar zone with the newer cocktail bar scene. It draws from both crowds. Late-night food options nearby include Japanese ramen shops and Taiwanese beef noodle places open past midnight.
Getting There
An easy walk from Zhongshan MRT station (five minutes) or Shuanglian MRT station (eight minutes). Taxis from anywhere in central Taipei cost TWD 100-150.
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