Normal Coffee

Normal Coffee belongs to a new breed of Taipei coffee shops that stands out by stripping everything else away. The name is wonderfully understated, and so is the room. Co-founded by Kai Hsiang Kuo — who also runs the better-known All Day Roasting Company — Normal is the coffee-purist arm of the group, with a smaller footprint, a streamlined experience, and a sharp focus on higher-end beans for the connoisseur.

The menu is built around a tight rotation of Ninety Plus offerings at a very competitive price point: Geshas around six dollars for a pour-over, Ethiopians for half of that. Alongside more typical origins, Normal sources Taiwan-grown coffee beans from the Alishan Mountain Range — not something you see in many Taipei specialty cafés due to cost and limited supply, and a clear signal that the room cares about local production.

The interior is mostly white, with a royal blue colour used strategically around the bar and on staff uniforms — a futuristic, monochrome mix of rugged lab coat and Japanese kimono. Four automatic Marco SP9 pour-over machines replace the gooseneck-toting barista, delivering consistency at scale. World-class coffee without the usual rituals — pop in for a quick stay-or-takeaway cup, then move on with your day.