While the lounge coffee was disappointing in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), I enjoyed a very nice cup of coffee at illy espressamente…and didn’t even have to pay for it. And Lotus Biscoff ice cream too!
Best Coffee In Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport – Taipei (TPE)
This particular illy espressamente (espressamente is an Italian adverb meaning expressly or explicitly) is located in Terminal 1 on Level 3, Concourse B, near Gate B7.
It is also part of the Priority Pass restaurant network. While American Express, Capital One, and Chase have eliminated the restaurant inclusion from their Priority Pass Select benefit, the following cards still include the restaurant perk:
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite
- Citi Prestige Card
- UBS Visa Infinite Card
(At the time of my visit, Priority Pass via Chase Sapphire Reserve still offered access)
Illy operates cafés like this around the world and it brought back memories of a lovely cup of coffee in Las Vegas.
While the café was mostly empty when I arrived at 6:20 am, it was packed when I left 20 minutes later with a line stretching outside the door.
Rather than USD 28 in credit or something similar, the Priority Pass package offered one coffee, one sandwich, and one snack.
I wasn’t in the mood for a sandwich and asked if I could have ice cream instead (Häagen Dazs Lotus Biscoff cookie flavor) and was obliged. I’m not sure what the packaged snacks were…I brought them home for my kids…
The cappuccino was good…strong and nicely made. I also dipped some ice cream in the coffee, which was delicious.
I quite appreciated the ability to use my Priority PAss benefit at a coffee shop, but would have paid for the coffee even without the free benefit).
Sadly, EVA, China Airlines, and Starlux don’t offer great coffee in their lounges, but illy does…
Doesn’t Cap One still offer the dining benefit on the business X card?
To my knowledge, no.
How did your kids rate the snack?
That’s a very poor valued Priority Pass restaurant experience in East Asia. Though to each of their own for a marginally better coffee on the road.
@Matthew “I’m not sure what the packaged snacks were…I brought them home for my kids…”
And brought them currency from points far and wide as well.
And today, my kids are 27 and 35, doing travel of their own. No snacks for dad, though! LOL!