Bistro, Coffee store
Ailìse Bar & Bistro
Gin anchors this bar and bistro in OKU Hotel Taichung, where a three-storey liquor tower, billed as Taiwan's tallest indoor one, rises over plates built around seasonal ingredients and paired drinks.
The story
Ailìse was Taichung's first bar to make gin its central theme. Its bottle wall climbs three floors inside OKU Hotel, the boutique hotel converted from the old Sakurada department store in the city's old quarter, and mirrors and light turn the shelves into something like a display cabinet at centre stage. Jazz and amber lighting set the mood, and the bartenders mix both classics and their own creations. The bistro side is a joint effort between the hotel's chefs and bartenders, who pair seasonal ingredients with selected drinks so that food and glass move together through the evening. Recent menus have leaned Mediterranean, launched alongside a new cocktail list. The hotel also hosts occasional live jazz performances, and it has been listed in the MICHELIN Guide.
