Restaurant review: Al Cicchetto

If you're in the mood for tasty Italian food and a trendy atmosphere, Al Cicchetto in the Huashan 1914 Creative Park is a fun option!

Location: in the center of Huashan Park which is only a 5 minute walk from the Zhongxiao Xinsheng stop on the blue line. 

Reservations recommended: 02 2395 7117

We went at 8:30 pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant was still packed and had more people waiting outside. The vibe is very hipster with low lighting, repurposed furniture, and exposed concrete walls. The space is small, so the tables are close together but this didn't bother our group of four as there was enough space on both sides of the table. 

Front of the restaurant where everyone was waiting for a table.

Cool lamps over the tables and exposed walls. Very trendy interior decorating!

The bar area was well stocked with wine and spirits.

I'll come right out and say that the service wasn't great - a bit slow and the main course dishes came before the appetizers - but we weren't in a hurry so it wasn't too bothersome. We brought our own bottles of wine, and they only charged us one corkage fee, which was nice. There is also an extensive drink and wine menu to choose from. When I glanced around at the other tables, people had fun martini glasses - def want to try a cocktail next time!

The food had some hit or miss dishes, but overall things were yummy. There is a page of "a la carte" options, cheese and meat platters, and then main dishes and pastas. We ordered some small dishes to share and then each got a different pasta. I found the small dishes to be very flavorful with a wide variety of options. We also ordered a meat and cheese platter and were disappointed when the waiter told us near the end of our meal that they had run out. We opted for just the cheese platter instead, and that ended up being a nice way to finish the meal. 

The "a la carte" options on the menu.

I forgot to snap a pic before we all started munching on these little fishes with roasted garlic - oops! They were really yummy!

Spicy shrimps that had a super serious kick!

I ordered the pasta carbonara and it was probably our least favorite - way too saucy, but the soft boiled egg was delicious.

Pasta with beef and mushrooms. I liked this pasta dish the best as it had a simple olive oil base.

Seafood risotto that had excellent clams.

Cheese platter at the end of the meal.

Overall, we all felt satisfied and would definitely return, though next time I think I would order more small dishes rather than a pasta. I enjoyed the atmosphere as that area feels unique in Taipei. There is also a yakatori restaurant next door that looks fun. We will be back to try that, too!

Me and my trusty food companion :)

Visit to Huashan 1914 Creative Park

This post is about 2 weeks overdue, but I thought it would still be worth writing since the current main exhibition at Huashan is still there! On the last rainy/typhoony Saturday, Jordan and I decided to do something a little more cultural than just sitting on the sofa avoiding the windy rain (which is usually what a typhoon makes one do). I've been trying to read up on the blogs to see if any cool new events are happening in Taipei, and I stumbled across a post about National Geographic's 125th Anniversary Exhibition at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park [here's a link to the Taipei Trends post about it]. I had always wanted to stop there, but never had the chance...so here was the perfect opportunity!

Because of the rain, Jordan and I took a taxi but it's also easy to get there on the metro [Zhongxiao Xinsheng on the blue line]. Huashan Park is actually an old wine factory, so the whole complex has a cool "industrial" feel. We decided to save our explorations for later and made a beeline for the National Geographic show. 

What a great experience!! The exhibition was divided into 8 different themes, full of fantastic photographs dating all the way back to the late 1800s when National Geographic was founded. It took about an hour or so to get through. I would highly recommend going especially if you want inspiration for where to travel next!

Snapping a pic at the entrance!

Cool set up at the entrance. They had every cover from all of the Nat Geos since like 1896!

Checking out the Taiwan photos.

One of my favorite pics from the whole exhibition.

Another one of my favorite pictures - and we just finished the Maya Unit at school!

One of the most famous of all Nat Geo covers. Gorgeous!

Selfie out front! :)

After we finished the Nat Geo exhibit, we wandered around the rest of the Park and discovered lots of cool little shops. There are restaurants, a wine shop, a gelato place, a coffee shop, and lots of little cute shops - all worth checking out. 

I can never resist gelato! Although it did make me miss the gelato in Rome...

How hilarious are these postcards?? A perfect representation of Taiwan night markets!

So if you're looking for something to do in the next few weeks, this is a perfect afternoon excursion. The Nat Geo exhibit is around through the middle of November! Enjoy!