While Taipei’s nightlife scene has long been eclectic, private members’ clubs have always been absent from its after-hours map. Times are changing, however, with the opening of Staff Only, the first of its kind in Taiwan.
This low-key haunt is hidden within a former soy sauce factory on an unassuming street corner. Local interior and architecture firm ECRU Design Studio converted the industrial space into a mid-century-inspired hangout, layered with bold tones and textures.
Internationally sourced vintage furnishings are paired with Taiwanese home-grown design, including low-glow lighting and copperware by Tainan-based metalwork brand Undercurrent Objects. The indisputable highlight is however the central serving space, boasting a grand terrazzo burgundy bar crafted through a rarely employed grindstone technique.
With good design at the crux of its ethos, Staff Only’s team is equally on the pulse, featuring the best and brightest from Taiwan’s art, design and culinary scenes. Connor Lin heads the bar, calling on his background in science and engineering to boost traditional classics with Asian twists. In the kitchen, meanwhile, chef Theo Hsiao – formerly of Michelin-starred Taipei restaurant Mume – kicks bar snacks up a notch with the Mexican-inspired scallop aguachile and Asian-style beef tartare. §
