In all honestly, the coffee menu at Cafe Dog and Cats is rather standard. It’s mostly composed of lattes, and though the cafe does a pretty good job with them, what makes this Shilin District caffeine stop worth the visit is its history. Opened in 1998, it is the first cat cafe in the world. There’s a $4 minimum order fee (no doubt to prevent loiters), and the interior has a bevy of cats and a couple of dogs. The dogs are tied up; the cats, all adorably tame, roam around freely and sip from unsuspecting customers’ cups. It’s a unique way to spend a day and a noncommittal way to be in the company of dozens of cats.

Tucked behind a small park, Coffee Sweet does not encourage customers to linger. The 25-seat cafe does not have Wi-Fi, but it does have an impressive turnover rate. The menu is fixated on bean quality, and Coffee Sweet is known for having the best siphon coffee in town. Management meticulously selects its beans (mostly from Panama and Ethiopia), listing origins for savvy customers. Skip the lattes and cappuccinos here—the coffee is best when appreciated in its barest form.

Fika is a Swedish term that means "coffee break," and this award-winning cafe (Fika represented Taiwan in the Nordic Roaster competition in 2013 and took home first place) offers just that. Fika specializes in AeroPress-brewed, Nordic-style coffee. But the shop—whose stunning white interior looks straight out of an IKEA catalogue—also offers sparkling espresso, rosetta-laced lattes, and freshly baked goods to pair with all the caffeine.

Gabee means coffee in Taiwanese, and owner Van Lin is well-decorated and well-known in national barista circles. He opened Gabee in 2004, and a month later he won the Taiwan Latte Art Championship. Lin has collected a total of seven awards and placed 14th in the World Barista Championship. Compared to other coffee shops, Gabee's menu is rather extensive. There’s carbonated coffee and a rather fascinating repertoire of concoctions that take advantage of Taiwan’s seasonal gourds and vegetables. There’s a sweet potato coffee that is, in short, Taiwan’s answer to pumpkin spice latte. It’s hearty, sweet, and topped with a slice of caramelized potato. There’s also a white gourd coffee, and watermelon coffee topped with cubes of fresh melon. “I like playing around with different combinations,” says Lin.

Rufous specializes in single origin coffees and offers fantastic pour-overs. The rustic, 35-seat eatery has been a local favorite for eight years now, and is defined by an interior decked out in dark mahogany wood. Rufous roasts all of its beans in house. The Panama La Esmeralda Geisha blend is a lovely place to start. It’s remarkably smooth, with a subtle sour aftertaste. Latte lovers can delight in wonderful almond and hazelnut concoctions, and those who want a little bit more than just a standard pick-me-up can indulge in rum-drenched coffee with a dollop of ice cream.

Nido is a hushed coffee shop decorated in origami flower lights. It offers a purposeful, minimalistic menu with a no question policy. Seriously—the menu literally says “No more question. Just wait for coffee.” Options are laid out like a flowchart, and customers must decide between coffee black or with milk, hot or cold. The barista asks a simple question—whether or not you want your coffee strong or light and then he/she takes it from there. Nido expects patrons to trust the process and allow baristas to concoct a beverage that appropriately highlights the coffee beans' natural flavor. “If the menu is too complicated, people don’t know what they want,” says owner Bruce Yang. Coffee is brewed via hand press or French drip, and Yang makes all the desserts (he makes a great cheesecake) himself.

Lakulaku is great for groups who have diverse tastes. Located in the bustling heart of Taipei, Lakulaku offers an extensive list of 10 alcoholic coffee beverages. Start off with an iced Baileys latte with a shot of cocoa or a cup of Cognac coffee. The cafe also prepares a wonderful latte spiked with ginger—which is known for its warming properties. Of course, Lakulaku also caters to minimalists who just want their coffee black. Quality is superb. Beans come from Kenya, Costa Rica, Panama and Ethiopia.

Picnic is located in Taipei's bustling Da’an District, right next to National Taiwan University, where one will find a high concentration of quaint cafes that exist to service the student population. It’s dense there; every block has at least one or two coffee shops. Picnic stands out for its marvelous scones and solid cup of joe, in addition its unique design, reminiscent of a warm, impeccably clean cottage. Order a full-bodied cappuccino and supplement with a strawberry-decorated scone plus homemade jam and mascarpone.