When Taichung people say “drinks in Qiqi,” they mean the blocks from Shizheng N 2nd Road through Huilai to Henan Road — the densest bar-and-bistro belt in the city, at prices that still make Taipei visitors jealous. First visit? Just follow this route.
Budget: NT$1,200–2,000, comfortably
Qiqi’s rates are honest: cocktails about NT$350–550 a glass — below Xinyi’s five-to-six-hundred waterline — with craft beer friendlier still. Bottle service at tables is a separate tier, worth it only split among friends. Carry NT$1,200–2,000 including the warm-up round and the ride home, and the night never feels tight.
The route: bistro first, bars second
Locals run a two-act night. Act one, a bistro — line the stomach. On the Xitun bar list, Wei Xun Guang Lang WS on Wenxin Road carries seven-thousand-plus reviews with food that holds; for the Japanese route, Qixidi’s Fengjia branch on Fuxing Road opens the night with skewers and draft beer.
Act two, into the bars — slow down. Galaxy Music Bar on Anhe 2nd Street brings live-set energy, Pink.B on Henan Road mixes bistro and bar, and counters welcome solo drinkers. Blocks are close; swap venues on foot until one fits.
The closer: sing or stretch
Energy left? Chain KTV rooms — Partybox’s Fengjia branch on Xitun Road, Xiang Wenxin at Chaoma — run late sessions; see the Xitun KTV list. Winding down instead? Tai Jing Dian on Dadun Road and Health Home near Fengjia stay open late; ask for lighter pressure after drinks. Lists on the Xitun massage page.
The last leg
MRT City Hall station is walkable — leave before the last train and the night costs least. Past that, Qiqi’s ride-hailing response is among Taichung’s fastest. Drivers: hand the wheel to a designated driver and collect the car tomorrow. The whole district’s night is laid out on the Xitun district guide.