Besides Taipei, Tainan is Taiwan's other prime battleground for cocktail bars. Bar Alter only opened at the end of 2022, and this year's cocktail menu, "A Point To," is built around the concept of a travel brochure. Drawing inspiration from everyday life, every drink on the menu is presented as a dish — a wonderfully unique and fun idea.
📜 Information
- Address: No. 22, Sec. 1, Dongmen Rd., East District, Tainan City 701002
- Phone: 062150502
- Opening hours: 19:00 - 02:00
- Official page: https://www.instagram.com/alter_tainan/
- Reservations: via their Instagram page or by phone
🏢 The Space
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| The outdoor garden landscaping |
After passing through the outermost iron gate, you arrive at Bar Alter's garden — a little weathered, a little old-house, a little industrial. At night the whole garden has a wonderful atmosphere.
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| Area One - the bar counter |
Bar Alter is divided into two areas. The first is the bar counter with about 8 seats, where all the cocktails are made. The restrooms are in the garden in between, and beyond that you reach the second seating area.
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| The bar counter in Area One |
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| The seating area in Area Two |
🍸 Cocktails
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| The beautifully designed drink and food menus |
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| Alter's Margarita Green Pepper/ Pink Guava/ Hazelnut |
This one is a holdover from last season's menu. There's a very distinct green pepper aroma on the nose, yet none of the raw, grassy bitterness on the palate — it's fresh and easy-drinking, with a hazelnut note on the finish. Paired with the baked cheese crisp on the rim, the overall flavor is both interesting and quite tasty.
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| First Beer On The Table Fried fish with peanut/ Plum wine/ Sparkling tea/ Beer |
This one is really fun — it recreates the experience of drinking beer at a Taiwanese stir-fry joint alongside a plate of dried anchovies and peanuts. The flavor is fascinating: the foam on top is made from beer, and the liquid is crisp yet carries the savory note of dried anchovies with a faint touch of heat. I asked about it, and both the spiciness and the anchovy flavor come from infusions — very clever.
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| Sweet Bean Salad Sweet bean/ Peach/ Jasmine/ CO2 |
This Sweet Bean Salad is as refreshing as eating an actual salad, with bright fruit and floral notes — a smooth, easy-drinking choice that works perfectly as a first drink.
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| Dongmen Club Blood Orange/ Earl grey tea/ Raspberry/ Apple |
A berry-flavored foam over an Earl Grey and apple base — a crowd-pleasing combination of tea and fruit.
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| Berry Fizz Shiraz gin Four Pillars/ Palm sugar/ Soda |
A berry-driven fizz — fruity, crisp and light.
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| Espresso Martini 2024 Brie cheese/ Grape/ Espresso/ Noix de la St Jean |
This is a twist on the Espresso Martini — beyond the coffee aroma there's an extra touch of fruitiness. Interesting and delicious overall.
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| Carrot Cake Honey black tea/ Carrot/ Palm dated/ Cumin |
This was my favorite of the night, and unanimously the favorite among my friends too. Made in a style similar to a ramos, it has a silky, creamy texture alongside the fragrance of honey black tea, plus a gentle carrot aroma with absolutely none of the raw vegetal edge — that was the most impressive part and earned this drink a lot of extra points. The sweet-tart balance is spot on and it goes down easily. Unless you really dislike the taste of carrot, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try.
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| 20th century (twist) |
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| Mai Tai (twist) |
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| Bar Alter's owner - Bo-Xian |
Overall the flavors here are consistently interesting, the indoor space is comfortable, and the bartenders are friendly and chatty, making for a relaxed and easygoing experience. Every cocktail we had that night was fun, and you can really sense the concept behind each creation. If you find yourself in Tainan, drop by Bar Alter for a drink and give their cocktails a try.
More bar records from around the world:
Bar List | Bar surfing around the world | A Record of Bars Around the Globe
More Taiwan accommodation and attraction guides
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