Pingtung City Yamato Café

In a prominent three-story heritage building one block directly north and in view of the city’s railway station entrance, netizens have declared this the city’s loveliest café. It opened in 2020. This was originally the Japanese-built/ operated Yamato Hotel, inaugurated in 1939. Today’s café operator specializes in taking old run-down or abandoned county buildings, renovating them, and opening modern-style cafes while faithfully maintaining the integrity of the original architecture.

The building curves around a corner at a busy intersection. The façade primarily consists of the original flaxen-hue brick, with the original window frames on the second and third levels saved, and the roof is covered with Japanese-style black tiles. The entrance, right on the corner, is fronted by two Roman-style columns. An arcade runs along the full front. You’ll see “Yamato Hotel” in English posted directly above the entrance, and in Japanese above, just below the roof.

The café fills up the first floor. Today the two street-facing walls feature French-style floor-to-ceiling glass, the flooring is red-tint brick laid in European-plaza style, and the long counter is of Scandinavian-style blonde wood. Sections of original wall and ceiling concrete, ceiling beams, etc. have been left exposed, and the stairs to the second floor, made of terrazzo and brown/white tiling, have been left with their original appearance. Lights hang industrial-style at the end of long wires from the high ceiling. In a few spots concrete-color steel support beams have been put up where original interior-wall sections have been eliminated.

The menu (which has English) consists of premium international coffees and Taiwan teas. Two special creations are the Taiwan-theme carbonated fruity teas – pineapple with black tea and strawberry with oolong. Foods consist of such Western-style light baked goodies as quiches and cakes.

Note that because of its popularity a stay limit of two hours is imposed when the café is patron-packed.

YAMATO CAFÉ ( 驛前大和咖啡館 )

(08) 766-9777

No. 163, Minzu Rd., Pingtung City, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣屏東市民族路 163 號 )

9am ~ 6pm www.facebook.com/yamatocoffee