Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan
Book this if you want one meal that travels.
ZEA holds a 2024 Michelin star for Chef Joaquin Elizondo's Latin American tasting menu built around Taiwanese local produce — a combination that has no direct competition in Taipei. Open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner only; book three to four weeks ahead. At $$$$, it is the right choice if the Latin American–Taiwanese crossover is what you are after, not just a fine dining night out.
ZEA earns its 2024 Michelin star by doing something genuinely rare in Taipei: running a Latin American tasting menu that draws as much from Taiwan's produce as it does from Argentina. Chef Joaquin Elizondo's cooking sits at a crossroads that few restaurants in the world occupy, and for first-timers deciding whether to commit to a $$$$ dinner in Da'an District, the short answer is yes — book it, book it early, and treat it as the main event of your Taipei trip rather than a side option.
ZEA is open five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday, with seatings from 6:30 PM. Monday and Tuesday are dark. There is no lunch service, which collapses the question of lunch versus dinner entirely: this is a dinner-only destination, and the editorial angle of comparing daytime and evening value simply doesn't apply here the way it does at, say, Le Palais, where a weekday dim sum lunch offers a meaningful price-entry alternative to evening banquets. At ZEA, you're choosing between dinner and not going.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. The restaurant is tucked into Alley 20 off Lane 300, Section 4 of Ren'ai Road — a residential address that rewards those who have done their homework and punishes walk-in optimism. Plan to book at least three to four weeks ahead for a weekend table; weeknight availability in the Wednesday–Thursday window can open up closer to your travel dates, but do not count on it during peak periods. There is no website listed, and no phone number in our database, which means securing a reservation likely runs through a third-party booking platform or direct social media inquiry. Confirm your method before you travel.
The address in Da'an District places ZEA in one of Taipei's most polished residential neighbourhoods, a quieter setting than the Xinyi high-rise dining corridor. For a first-timer, the visual experience begins before you sit down: a lane-side address means arrival itself is intentional, not accidental. Inside, the tasting menu format sets a clear visual rhythm , each course is composed and deliberate, reflecting the dual culinary heritage Elizondo brings to the table. Dishes documented in the awards record include short-neck clams in a sauce built from chilli, parsley, coriander and pepper; salad greens dressed in wasabi leaf oil; and guava dusted with plum powder. These combinations are not decorative fusion , they reflect a specific logic of contrast, using Taiwanese local sourcing as both ingredient strategy and cultural statement.
The Michelin citation frames this as haute cuisine finesse applied to Latin American memory, filtered through Taiwanese terroir. That framing is accurate enough to be useful: if you are coming from a background in European fine dining or Japanese omakase, the technical register here will feel familiar even as the flavour references are distinctly different.
Book ZEA if you are a first-timer to Taipei's fine dining scene who wants one meal that is genuinely hard to replicate elsewhere in the world. The Latin American and Taiwanese crossover is not a marketing angle , it is the actual content of the cooking, and it is specific enough that no other $$$$ tasting menu in Taipei occupies the same territory. If you are primarily interested in Chinese fine dining, Le Palais (three Michelin stars) is the stronger choice. If French-Taiwanese fusion is your frame, Taïrroir competes directly on creative ambition and is easier to book. But if the specific combination of Latin American culinary tradition and Taiwanese ingredients is what interests you, ZEA has no direct competition in the city.
For travellers already holding a reservation at logy , another Michelin-starred tasting menu with a strong local-ingredient philosophy , consider whether your itinerary supports two tasting-menu dinners. The experiences are complementary in format but distinct in flavour direction: logy runs modern European–Asian contemporary; ZEA runs Latin American–Taiwanese. If you can do both, do both. If you have to choose, your preference in cuisine tradition is the deciding factor, not quality.
| Detail | ZEA | logy | Taïrroir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | Latin American / Taiwanese | Modern European / Asian Contemporary | Taiwanese / French |
| Price Range | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ |
| Michelin Stars | 1 (2024) | 1 | 1 |
| Lunch Available | No | Check directly | Check directly |
| Dinner Hours | 6:30 PM–10:30 PM | Check directly | Check directly |
| Days Open | Wed–Sun | Check directly | Check directly |
| Booking Difficulty | Hard | Hard | Moderate–Hard |
| Google Rating | 4.7 (212 reviews) | , | , |
ZEA is one of a small number of restaurants in Taiwan where a chef's non-Taiwanese background is the creative engine rather than the backdrop. Comparable ambition in a different format appears at JL Studio in Taichung, where Southeast Asian heritage meets fine dining structure. For a broader read on where ZEA sits in Taipei's dining picture, our full Taipei restaurants guide covers the full range of price points and cuisine types. If you are building a multi-city Taiwan itinerary that includes Kaohsiung or Tainan, see GEN in Kaohsiung and A Cun Beef Soup in Tainan for strong regional options at very different price points.
Internationally, the closest conceptual parallels to what ZEA is doing are restaurants like Mono in Hong Kong , Latin American fine dining outside Latin America , and Imperfecto: The Chef's Table in Washington, D.C., where Latin American identity shapes a tasting-menu format in a non-native context. ZEA's Taiwanese sourcing layer adds a dimension neither of those venues has.
For accommodation and evening planning around your ZEA reservation, our Taipei hotels guide and Taipei bars guide cover the Da'an and surrounding districts. If you want to extend your stay beyond the city, our Taipei experiences guide includes day-trip options.
ZEA runs a tasting menu format only , there is no à la carte option. Dinner service runs Wednesday through Sunday from 6:30 PM; the restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday. The address is a residential lane in Da'an District, so confirm your route before arriving. Given the booking difficulty, a first-timer should reserve three to four weeks out at minimum, and should treat this as a primary dinner commitment rather than a backup option. The $$$$ price point is consistent with Taipei's other Michelin-starred tasting menus, so arrive with that expectation set.
For Michelin-starred tasting menus at the same price tier, logy (modern European, Asian Contemporary) and Taïrroir (Taiwanese-French) are the most direct comparisons in format and ambition. For a French fine dining alternative, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Taipei offers strong technical execution. For Chinese fine dining at a higher Michelin tier, Le Palais (three stars) is the reference point. No other venue in Taipei directly replicates ZEA's Latin American–Taiwanese combination.
ZEA operates a tasting menu, so ordering is not a decision you make course by course. The menu is composed by Chef Elizondo and reflects both his Argentinian background and his use of Taiwanese local produce. Documented dishes in the Michelin record include short-neck clams with a chilli, parsley, coriander and pepper sauce; salad greens in wasabi leaf oil; and guava with plum powder. These give a reliable signal of the flavour register , acidic, herbal, and ingredient-led rather than sauce-heavy. Communicate any dietary restrictions at booking.
There is no confirmed bar-seating or counter format in our current data for ZEA. The tasting menu structure suggests a dining-room format rather than a bar programme. If bar seating or a more casual entry point is your priority, ZEA is likely not the right venue , consider Taipei's dedicated cocktail bar scene via our Taipei bars guide for pre- or post-dinner options in Da'an and nearby districts.
At the $$$$ tier, ZEA delivers a Michelin-starred tasting menu with a cuisine profile that has no direct competition in Taipei. The 4.7 Google rating across 212 reviews supports consistency. Compared to logy or Taïrroir, the value case rests on specificity: you are paying for a combination of Latin American technique and Taiwanese sourcing that you cannot replicate at another restaurant in the city. If that crossover is genuinely interesting to you, yes, it is worth it. If you are indifferent to the cuisine tradition and primarily want the leading technical fine dining experience for the price, Le Palais at three Michelin stars may offer a stronger return on a single high-commitment dinner.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZEA | Latin American | $$$$ | Chef: Joaquin Elizondo document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; The Argentinian owner-chef reimagines Latam cuisine through a distinctly Taiwanese lens. His tasting menu pays tribute to his cultural and culinary heritage, layering contrasts and flavours with all the finesse of haute cuisine. Locally sourced produce plays a pivotal role in dishes from short-neck clams in a tangy sauce made with chilli, parsley, coriander and pepper to salad greens dressed in wasabi leaf oil, or guava dusted with plum powder.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| logy | Modern European, Asian Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Palais | Cantonese | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Taïrroir | Taiwanese/French, Taiwanese contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Mudan Tempura | Tempura | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| de nuit | French Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Taipei for this tier.
ZEA is open only Wednesday through Sunday, dinner only from 6:30 PM, so plan accordingly. Chef Joaquin Elizondo runs a tasting menu format — there is no à la carte option — and the kitchen is built around a Latin American framework reinterpreted through locally sourced Taiwanese produce. It earned a Michelin star in 2024, which means demand is high and advance booking is likely necessary. If you want a single meal in Taipei that you cannot replicate in any other city, this is a strong candidate.
Taïrroir is the closest structural comparison: a tasting-menu restaurant where a non-standard culinary lens is applied to Taiwanese ingredients, and it holds Michelin recognition. Logy runs a refined tasting-menu format in Taipei with a different creative approach and is worth considering for a second fine-dining night. Le Palais is the reference for classical Cantonese fine dining in the city, a different register entirely but similarly decorated. If you want something shorter and less formal, de nuit and Mudan Tempura offer focused menus at a lower commitment level.
ZEA operates a tasting menu, so there is no individual dish selection at the table — you eat what the kitchen sends. Based on documented menu examples, expect dishes that pair Latin American technique and flavour references with Taiwanese ingredients: short-neck clams, wasabi leaf oil, guava with plum powder. The menu changes with season and sourcing, so specific dishes can change in advance. Check the venue's official channels for the latest details.
Bar seating is not confirmed in the available venue data for ZEA. The restaurant is a tasting-menu format in a Da'an District address that skews toward a structured dining room experience rather than a casual counter setup. check the venue's official channels to confirm seating configurations before visiting, as no phone or website is currently listed in the public record.
At $$$$ pricing with a 2024 Michelin star, ZEA sits in the top tier of Taipei dining spend — but the format is specific. The value case is strongest if you are committed to a multi-course tasting menu and interested in Latin American cooking that actually integrates Taiwanese produce rather than simply transplanting a foreign cuisine. If you prefer à la carte flexibility or want a shorter meal, the price-to-format fit is weaker and Mudan Tempura or de nuit would be more practical alternatives.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
