When someone mentions "buffet," your mind probably conjures up images of lukewarm, vaguely-Chinese food trays and a general sense of regret. But hold onto your chopsticks, because East Asia’s buffet game is a completely different. We’re talking next-level quality, and prices to match. This time, Honest Bao scaled the ultimate peak in Taipei to review what might be the city's highest and most expensive buffet... and I'm here to tell you if it's the absolute best.
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| Great view on Taipei city |
This place is seriously popular, so ditch your spontaneous dinner plans. You must book in advance, and here's a cheeky little catch for you international travellers: they tend to charge foreigners a tad more since you typically have to use a booking agent like Klook to snag a spot. Once you're in, though, prepare to be impressed. The restaurant sprawls across the entire floor, and the variety of food is absolutely monumental—it easily dwarfs any buffet spread I've encountered before. The staff are professional and genuinely friendly, especially the counter cooks who are more than happy to walk you through a dish. And the view? Spectacular. Munching on abalone while gazing over the entire Taipei night view is a proper wow moment. My only slight niggle? They were a bit relaxed on swapping out our dirty plates. For a high-end experience at this price point, I expect lightning-fast plate choreography.
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| Nice decor, there are free postcard service as well |
Now for the main event: the food. Look, by buffet standards, it's definitely good, no question. But being the brutally honest, I expected a touch more. Take the seafood, for example. It's fine, it’s fresh, but honestly, the crab legs I can pick up from my local Costco freezer aisle taste better. The pan-fried scallop and abalone smelled divine and were cooked perfectly, but they were weirdly lacking in flavour. The sashimi? Totally okay, perfectly mid-level. The presentation, however, is a massive win. The plating is gorgeous, and they have heaps of dishes cooked to order, which is a big tick for freshness. I'd confidently say about 90% of the food hits a solid middle-level restaurant standard, but disappointingly, there wasn't a single dish that truly sang or made me want to ignore my doctor’s advice and go for a fifth plate. Still, the sheer variety available while keeping that standard up deserves a round of applause.
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| Made to order sushi with good variety and quality |
For the desserts and drinks! They’ve got a special, and very cool, collaboration with Taiwan’s famous Simple Kaffa cafĂ©.
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| Decent seafood but no oyster |
If you’re after a high-quality meal with an almost overwhelming selection, or if you're hopelessly indecisive on a special occasion, and you want that breathtaking night view as a backdrop, this place is absolutely one to consider. Otherwise, you can definitely find a spot that offers a better flavour-to-value.
🥢 Verdict
A stunning, expansive, high-altitude dining experience with truly massive variety, but the food quality is good, not gourmet, for the astronomical cost.
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Rating
Food: 4.5/5 – Great for a buffet, but I was hoping for a few more show-stopping flavour
Decor: 5/5 – High-end dĂ©cor and that jaw-dropping, whole-city night view are unbeatable.
Service: 4/5 – Friendly and professional, but the plate-clearing pace needs to be dialled up
Value: 3.5/5 – Pay a premium for the view and the variety and location
Overall: 4/5 - Great buffet with good quality and huge variety in a premium price
Estimated Cost Per Person (Dinner)
$3880NTD. £95
📍 Restaurant Info (A Joy / 饗 A Joy)
Address: 86F, No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110 (Located in Taipei 101)
Website URL: https://www.ajoy.com.tw/
Fascinating read! I've never been to Taipei but the made-to-order sushi station at a buffet sounds incredible. It's so true that the best buffets aren't the ones with the most dishes but the ones that do each section really well. Adding this to my wishlist.
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