1789 Café by Cyrille Courant

French pastry made daily by Cyrille Courant

Tarte Tatin, Mont Blanc, Opéra cake, Caramel St. Honoré, the signature éclairs and handmade chocolate truffles: the case is classic French, made daily with traditional technique, and it is the reason to come. 1789 Café is a French pâtisserie and café in Taipei founded by pastry chef Cyrille Courant, whose career runs more than twenty years across Europe and Asia. It launched in December 2013 and takes its name from the year of the French Revolution, a nod to the craft he and his wife brought to Taiwan after working across Hong Kong, Japan and Southeast Asia. Courant was admitted to Relais Desserts International, the association of leading pastry chefs, which places the shop in a wider context than its two Taipei addresses suggest. By its tenth year in 2023 the house had stayed with classic French pastry, handmade chocolate and new dessert forms.

A quiet alley and a shared entrance

The Renai branch sits in a calm, tree-lined alley in the Daan District and feels like a step out of the city. Its entrance is shared with a hair salon, so you pass one before reaching the café on the right, which gives the room a hidden, intimate quality closer to a small pâtisserie refuge than a café built for long stays or groups. Inside, the counter is the centre: pastries eaten in with tea or coffee, or boxed and taken away for friends and family. The mood is distinct from the busier Zhongxiao branch near SOGO, quieter and more residential, shaped by the alley outside and the craftsmanship in the case.

Order hot chocolate or tea with the pastry

The drinks list is simple and supportive: coffee, tea and hot chocolate, all built to accompany pastry rather than lead. Anchor the visit on the pastry selection first, then match it. For a classic route, take tea or coffee with Mont Blanc, Opéra cake, Tarte Tatin, Caramel St. Honoré or an éclair. For something richer, hot chocolate suits the handmade chocolate truffles and the layered French cakes. The style is traditional throughout, with butter, cream, eggs, chocolate and technique at the centre, and the venue does not stretch to full meals or savoury dishes. The draw is narrow and clear: a calm Taipei room for daily handmade French pastry and a warm drink.