Vender Bar, Taichung

Venues & Concepts

Dec 2

Written By Nicholas lin

Inside the Experience

The first hint that Vender is not your typical Taichung bar is the entrance itself—a vending machine that requires an actual coin before it releases its secret. The door slides open with a soft mechanical hum, revealing a room that glows warm and amber, equal parts nostalgia and futurism. Inside, the air is perfumed with citrus oils, toasted spice, and the faint sweetness of Southeast Asian desserts—notes that feel instantly familiar yet cleverly re-imagined.

Before you’ve even found your seat, a tiny Singapore Sling—bright, playful, and served like a welcome-home ritual—lands in your hand. It’s Summer Chen’s signature wink to her years bartending in Singapore, and it sets the tone for what Vender does best: hospitality with intention and identity with flavour.

The bar unfolds like a pocket universe of vending machines—capsules, bottled cocktails, tiny compartments holding herbs, spices, and ingredients guests can touch and smell. It’s tactile, whimsical, and modular, a choose-your-own-adventure with bartenders guiding you like warm, enthusiastic hosts.

On busy nights, the space is buzzing—80s and 90s hits fill the small room, people laugh shoulder-to-shoulder, and plates of bak kut teh and chili crab slip between cocktails inspired by nasi lemak, Milo dinosaur, satay, and bubur cha cha. On slower nights, it’s intimate, glowing, almost jewel-box-like. Either way, Vender feels unmistakably alive.

What People Say Most Often

“One of the most creative bars in Taiwan—nothing else like it.”
“The staff are incredibly friendly, warm, and multilingual.”
“The entrance vending machine is genius.”
“Flavours are nostalgic if you know Singapore/Malaysia, surprising if you don’t.”
“Small space, can feel a bit tight on busy nights.”
“The welcome shot is such a nice touch.”

Editorial Snapshot

Overview

Vender is Taichung’s playful, wildly imaginative cocktail bar built around a vending machine concept. Helmed by Summer Chen and Darren Lim, it combines Taiwanese ingenuity with a full heart of Singaporean and Malaysian flavour memory. Named The Best Bar in Taiwan 2025 (sponsored by Naked Malt), Vender has become a national standout despite its small footprint and humble location.

The Experience

Stepping into Vender feels like stepping into a secret club—just one disguised as a convenience machine.

Inside, bartenders guide guests through pockets of ingredients—aromatics, herbs, spices—mirroring the vending machines each cocktail is named after. The bar plays with sound, scent, and touch; drinks are paired with bites; and the team narrates each creation like they’re telling stories rather than recipes.

The atmosphere is warm, sociable, sometimes chaotic in that true Asian bar energy way. Guests chat with bartenders, compare capsules, and occasionally break into spontaneous karaoke when the nostalgic playlist hits too hard.

Signatures & Standouts

Cigar Vending Machine
Dark rum, red wine syrup, lemon, egg white, aromatised wine, chocolate bitters—smoked with Taiwanese cypress chips. Deep, aromatic, and dangerously easy to drink.
Nasi Lemak Cocktail
A cult favourite—coconut, pandan, spice, savoury crunch. Comfort disguised as a cocktail.
Milo Dinosaur
Childhood treat turned spirited dessert.
Satay
Peanut, spice, smoke—shockingly accurate yet elevated.
Bubur Cha Cha
Polarising but fun—creamy, nostalgic, pastel-sweet.
Bak Kut Teh (food)
Herbaceous and warming, though reactions are mixed.
Complimentary mini Singapore Sling for everyone who enters.