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Best Restaurants and Cafes in Kenting

Looking for the best restaurants and cafes in Kenting National Park? You’ve come to the right place! I love food, I live here (in Manzhou), and I’ve tried most of the eateries and coffee shops in the national park, multiple times.

Pizza Rock 南灣墾丁披薩
Feel like eating thin-crust pizza or real Italian baked pasta? Check out Pizza Rock in Nanwan!

Finding really good restaurants in this part of Taiwan is not so easy. It’s no secret that there is quite a few tourist traps out there where food is just horrible and overpriced, or where service is at best “just ok“. On this page, I’ll help you to avoid those traps and show you the real gems. Read on!

hoo trip town restaurant in kenting
Delicious cake and coffee at Hoo Trip Town (in Hengchun)

So here is a list of the best Kenting restaurants and cafes where my wife and I, my friends, (and locals) keep going back to again and again. The highest concentration of good local restaurants is in Hengchun, and I have a page dedicated to that town.


Table of Contents

  • Restaurants in Kenting Village
    • Alex Reggae Bar
    • Bai Sha Tan (Thai Food)
  • Eastern Hengchun Peninsula
    • Fatchun Cafe 肥春號
    • Sea Turtle Cafe
    • Shan Nan Cafe 山男
    • Ali Seafood Restaurant
    • Houbihu Fishing Harbor
    • Qiu’s Sashimi (seafood) 邱家生魚片
    • Hengchaikeng Harbor 橫柴坑漁港
  • Restaurants in Nanwan
    • Pizza Rock
    • Piccolo Polpo Bistro
  • Jialeshui / Tip of Taiwan
    • Under Star Lab Cafe
    • LUMI Cafe
    • Summer Point Cafe
    • Food Corner

Restaurants in Kenting Village

Kenting Village is the area around Kenting Street 大街 (which turns into a busy night market every night) and it’s got the highest concentration of places to eat in the national park. Quite a few restaurants are shameless tourist traps with unreasonable prices, small portions, or downright bad food. Still, there are some good options. Here they are:

Alex Reggae Bar

My favorite BBQ place in all of Kenting National Park. Located at the southern end of night market street 大街, across from Little Bay, this food stand / booze truck serves finger-licking, affordable meat on skewers, beer on tap, and cocktails that will make you wish you had left your car or scooter at the hotel.

Alex Reggae Bar Kenting
Alex – the BBQ Master of Kenting!

Everything is always cooked to absolute perfection, over a coal fired grill. Alex is a cool dude and his playlist matches his Rastafari dreads. 

alex bbq restaurant kenting
5-star street food experience – the Kenting way @ Alex Reggae Bar and BBQ

My advice: get the beef, and try it with his homemade hot sauce – DA BOMB!! Be ready to wait for a while if all the tables are taken, but it’s a 100% worth it!

alex reggae bar kenting
Beer night with friends at Alex’s food truck bar and grill

Bai Sha Tan (Thai Food)

(Somewhat) authentic Thai dishes, outside seating area with good view of Kenting Street (good for people watching), fast service, cold Taiwan beer on tap, decent portions.

Bai Sha Tan Thai restaurant kenting
Bai Sha Tan Thai Restaurant

Recommended dishes:

  • Thai Green Papaya Salad, 160$
  • Chicken Green Curry, 260$
  • Spicy Fried Pad Thai, 180$
  • Spicy Beef Salad, 250$

Address: No. 58, Kending Road, Hengchun Township
Phone: 088861689


Eastern Hengchun Peninsula

This area is packed with seafood restaurants and has three of my favorite cafes. The Eastern Hengchun Peninsula includes Baisha, Houbihu, Daguang, Hongchaikeng, Wanlitong, Houwan.

Fatchun Cafe 肥春號

One of my favorite cafes in the Hengchun area, Fatchun occupies an old and refurbished countryside house on a beautiful, small piece of land covered by the kind of green lawn you’d expect to see in North America. Super popular 

Fatchun Cafe
Fatchun Cafe Interior

The outside sitting area is really nice to chill and sip endlessly on a frothy cappuccino, read an inspirational book, or chat with friends. The owners are young, friendly, professional, and obviously take huge pride in their craft – brewing and making outstanding coffee! The chicken wrap is good, but the beef one has peanut butter in it and it’s just super weird. Go for the chicken one!

肥春號咖啡 fatchun cafe hengchun
Chicken wrap with french fries @ Fatchun Cafe
Fatchun Cafe hengchun
The backyard seating area at Fatchun.

Address: 15, Kanglin South Road, Hengchun Township
Hours: 11am-18:30pm


Sea Turtle Cafe

Sea Turtle Cafe has a location to envy. It’s right by the sea, in Wanlitong, a small fishing community along country road 153. Lately, it’s been super (almost too) popular with influencers, Youtubers, and “Instagram queens” 網美. The coffee is really good, and strong. Not many seats, so you might have to stand or drink outside by the sea, which is perfect, unless it’s 36 degrees, or pouring cats and dogs.

sea turtle cafe kenting
Sea Turtle Cafe

Address: 18-3 Wanli Road, Hengchun Township
Phone: 08-886-6566


Shan Nan Cafe 山男

Shan Nan Cafe has a superb location on top of the mountain behind Shan Hai 山海. The ocean view you get here are unparalleled and that’s why this place gets ultra-busy around sunset. For sundown pics, it’s hard to beat. 

山男咖啡
Interior at Shan Nan

The inside seating area is large, colorful, and sleak. The outside part has a couple of chairs, hammocks, and structures that are obviously appealing to Instagramers.

shan nan cafe kenting
Shan Nan Cafe 山男咖啡

Address: No. 2-9號, Hongchai Road, Hengchun Township
Phone: 0905 938 900


Ali Seafood Restaurant

Ali Seafood Restaurant is the most popular Chinese / Taiwanese seafood restaurant in the whole Kenting area even with locals – which is a telling sign. My wife and I have been there at least 50 times over the years and we’ve never seen this place quiet, its always packed, because the food is consistently good and fresh.

ali restaurant kenting
You pick your fresh fish (on ice or in a tank) and choose your veggies at the entrance. Note: You get your rice by yourself in the middle of the dining room area. It’s all-you-can-eat rice, so, as they say in Chinese: “Don’t be polite, eat more!”
lobster ali
Monster lobster! Yum!

Bring a thick sweater, and maybe a tuque, as the place is freezer-like freezing cold (to keep the customers fresh?) Ali Seafood Restaurant is a bit outside of town, on the way to Baishawan (Baisha Beach) so you’ll need wheels to get there. Take a taxi, or be ready to walk a very long way!

Address: 20 Shawei Rd, Hengchun Township
Phone: 08-8866479
Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm

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Houbihu Fishing Harbor

Houbihu Marina is the biggest fishing harbor in Kenting National Park. That’s where most locals and restaurants buy their seafood. There’s a couple of very traditional restaurants in the main building. It’s always packed and you might have to wait 5 to 10 minutes to be seated. Or more. If you have to wait that long, walk to a fridge and grab a cold beer. That’s what I always do anyway. I find it makes waiting time pass faster. Cheers!

sashimi at houbihu kenting taiwan
Fresh sashimi at Houbihu Harbor

Houbihu harbor is where the boats come to unload their catch, so it doesn’t get any fresher than that. Prices are a bit high, but the plates are gigantic. The boxes of freshly-cut sashimi are the exception to this rule – they are very cheap and it’s as fresh as it gets. As of November 2022, you could get a very generous plate of salmon and tuna sashimi for 250NT$. More than enough to feed 3 middle-sized men, or 4 small people. Or 2 big guys.

There’s also a couple of seafood restaurants across the road from the port, and my favorite is Qiu’s Sashimi Restaurant (listed below).

One of the seafood restaurants at Houbihu

Qiu’s Sashimi (seafood) 邱家生魚片

Qiu’s Sashimi used to be in the main building at Houbihu Harbor, but now they are located across the road on the hill, next to a diving shop. The menu is extensive and good across the board. Seafood is what you’re here for, and you’ll want to consider the three-cup squid 三杯中卷, the fresh fish on display in the ugly tanks at the front, sashimi, their selection of mountain vegetables, or fried rice. Qiu’s get ridiculously busy on weekends, so you might want to follow my previous advice and grab a beer from the fridge as you wait, in order to not lose your sanity.

Address: 79-51, Daguang Road, Hengchun Township
Hours: 11:00am to 19:30

sashimi kenting
Salmon sashimi at Qiu’s
 

Hengchaikeng Harbor 橫柴坑漁港

Hengchaikeng is a little, remote harbor that’s just a few minutes drive north of Baisha Beach. This little, peaceful village is famous for its fresh and delectable seafood. There’s about five very traditional restaurants that overlook the harbor. I’ve eaten at all of them and can’t recommend one over the others – they’re all good! 

I’d like to mention that food here is prepared the traditional Taiwanese way. There is no bling-bling sauce, or fla-fla presentation. The items are cooked very honestly, and humbly, without sauces or sprinkles. Salt, garlic, maybe a side of soy sauce is all you will get. The result? Unaltered (raw) taste of the sea – priceless!

hengchaikeng harbor kenting taiwan
Hengchaikeng Harbor has 5 good seafood restaurants

It’s a little out of the way to get here, about 25 minutes from Kenting, but the trip is totally worth it! Most of the customers are locals, I’ve never seen westerners or backpackers, so the place provides a more authentic Taiwanese experience than eating at a made-for-tourists eatery on Kenting night market street.

fresh fish taiwan
Catch of the day on ice at Hengchaikeng.

Restaurants in Nanwan

Pizza Rock

In January 2019, my wife Ruby and I finally opened a Pizza Rock branch in Nanwan, right in front of the sea. This was our 21st restaurant in Taiwan, and it’s also our smallest. Space is limited inside, so call in advance if you want to try one of our delicious and Taiwan-famous thin-crust, stone-baked pizzas. We also serve Italian baked pasta, Greek and Caesar salad, imported beer, wine, coffee, and creme brûlée.

Our top-seller: Chicken Pizza topped with coriander, love at first bite GUARANTEED!

If you like to have a cold beer in the sun, you’ll fall in love with our outdoor patio where we have 6 big wooden picnic tables, and a solid sound system where we play rock music all day long. Welcome to visit Ruby and I at Pizza Rock Nanwan!

Address: 100 Nanwan Road, Nanwan, Hengchun Township
Phone Number: (08) 888-1535
Business Hours: Every day from 12pm to 9pm. Last call is at 8:30pm.

pizza rock kenting nanwan may 2019
Two of our regular fans!! Cindy, the girl on the right, is the owner of Wild East guesthouse, in Manzhou. Stella, hailing from the Netherlands, has Lumi Cafe.

Piccolo Polpo Bistro

Located right across the road from Nanwan Beach, Piccolo Polpo Bistro serves very decent (and expensive) French/Italian meals . On the menu you’ll find risotto, seafood, pasta, salads, good wine, and a small selection of authentic and mouth-watering Italian appetizers. They also (oddly) have Japanese beer on tap, and I highly recommend it!

piccolo polpo kenting

Get there early on weekends as it tends to fill up quickly. It’s popular with both locals and travelers. Call in advance to reserve a table.

piccolo polpo italian restaurant kenting taiwan
Beef dish at Piccolo

Address: 60 Nanwan Road, Nanwan, Hengchun Township
Phone: 8888-2822


Jialeshui / Tip of Taiwan

Under Star Lab Cafe

Under Star Lab is a super nice cafe / bistro that’s facing the Pacific Ocean, just south of Jialeshui. It’s in the same building as Hotel De Plus. The place is popular with tourists who use the front lawn as “studio” to take selfies. Their latte is really delicious!

Address: No. 33, Xinghai Road, Manzhou Township

Under Star Lab
Under Star Lab
under star lab interior
The interior of Under Star Lab
under star cafe kenting
The view is very hard to beat!
under star lab latte
The latte is super delicious!

LUMI Cafe

LUMI is the southernmost cafe in Taiwan! It’s actually the ONLY cafe in the vicinity. And it’s operated by one of the friendliest Dutch you’ll ever meet – Stella, who’s been living in the area for quite a while.

Avocado Toast on Hummus @ LUMI

Lumi is located between Eluanbi and Longpan Park, along what I believe is the most scenic road on the whole island. Driving (or riding) around the southern tip is an absolute must thing to do while in Kenting National Park, and LUMI Cafe is one of those small and special places that you remember long after your trip is over.

lumi cafe stella kenting
My friend Stella – your host at LUMI Cafe!

Address: 39, Kengnei Road, Hengchun Township
Phone: 0905 196 590


Summer Point Cafe

Summer Point is a warm little cafe in Jialeshui, just across the road from the beach. It’s kind of a laid-back surfers’ hangout where you can grab a beer after hitting the waves. Summer Point’s coffee is fresh and the burgers are authentic American-style. French fries are also quite decent. Staff is friendly and can give you local travel info.

Address: 252 Chashan Road, Gangkou Village, Manzhou Township
(滿洲鄉港口村茶山路252號)

summer point jialeshui kenting

Food Corner

Also in Jialeshui, Food Corner is a tiny outdoor cafe which serves an OK cup of black coffee for just 50NT$. Also on the menu are burgers, sandwiches, fresh juices, and tea. Be ready for some serious heat in the summer, you are sitting next to the road, there is no AC, no fan either, but it shouldn’t stop you from giving it a try. I love this place, the vibe is laidback to the max, and Doris the owner can give you information about surfing at Jialeshui and she can even organize surfing lessons or rent you a surfboard.

Address: 390 Chashan Rd, Pingtung County, Manzhou Township
Hours: 10am to 6pm (they close earlier if the waves are good for surfing at sunset)

food corner jialeshui
Food Corner jialeshui

Go back from Restaurants in Kenting to my main Kenting Travel Info page

Read information about Hengchun

Filed Under: South Taiwan Tagged With: Cafe, Kenting, Restaurant

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ugo taiwanese secrets websiteI’m the weirdo behind this site. I’ve been living in Taiwan since 2000, so basically I’ve spent half my life here. I have a big passion for everything Formosa and I’ve been working on this website since 2008 to share the beauty of Taiwan with the world! Read more about me.

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