The counters in Taipei worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Taipei worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Wu Pao Chun's Taipei store sits in the basement of Eslite Spectrum Songyan, baking the 2008 Coupe du Monde and 2010 Bakery Masters champion loaves daily.
Tip: Champion breads sell out by mid-afternoon; arrive by 14:00 for full selection.
Worth the queue: Lychee Rose Royale bread and Red Wine Longan bread
Chia Te Bakery has been baking pineapple cakes since 1975, winning the 2006 Taipei Pineapple Cake Festival's top prize and shipping global ever since.
Tip: Queue runs about 30 minutes. Pre-fill the order sheet in line. Cash and card.
Worth the queue: Original pineapple cake and cranberry pineapple cake
SunnyHills' Minsheng Park flagship greets every visitor with a complimentary pineapple cake and a cup of oolong tea, baked from Tu Feng native pineapple.
Tip: Free tasting on arrival. Open daily; pack the gift box at the counter for export-ready boxing.
Worth the queue: Tu Feng pineapple cake
Le Gout in Da'an is one of Taipei's serious French pastry counters, run by a Pierre Herme-trained chef. Laminated croissants, Paris-Brest, seasonal entremets.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Hot croissants from 11:00; the Paris-Brest sells out by 15:00.
Worth the queue: Croissant and Paris-Brest
Nozomi is the vegetarian bakery downstairs from Yang Shin Vegetarian, run by the same group. Egg-free milk bread, vegan croissants and pineapple cakes.
Tip: Open 09:00 to 21:30 daily. Cash and card; busy at lunch with Yang Shin overflow.
Worth the queue: Egg-free milk bread
Mr Mark Bakery is a Taiwanese bakery chain with a flagship on Nanjing East Road's pineapple-cake row, the corridor that runs from Chia Te to Sunmerry.
Tip: Open daily until 22:00. Boxed pineapple cakes well priced versus the marquee names.
Worth the queue: Original pineapple cake
Kuo Yuan Ye in Shilin has been baking Chinese traditional pastries and mooncakes since 1867. Five generations on, the brand runs the Shilin museum flagship.
Tip: Open daily 09:30 to 21:30. The museum upstairs explains the four-generation pastry tradition.
Worth the queue: Lemon and red bean mooncake
Yu Jan Shin in Taipei runs the salted-egg-yolk crisp cookie that lines Taipei airport gift counters, a Taichung brand with a Songshan flagship.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 20:00. Boxed gift packs travel well; salted-egg-crisp is the marquee item.
Worth the queue: Salted egg crisp
85C in Taipei is the local chain that exports Sea Salt Coffee globally. Taipei Main Station flagship runs hot bread schedules from 06:30 daily.
Tip: Sea Salt Coffee is the marquee; pair with garlic-pork floss bun for breakfast.
Worth the queue: Sea Salt Coffee and milk-bread loaf
PAN on Fujin Street is a small artisan sourdough bakery on the Songshan cafe corridor in Taipei, country loaves, laminated viennoiserie, cocoa-cherry babka.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Best selection on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
Worth the queue: Country sourdough and cocoa cherry babka