Alleycat’s—the hottest new thing in Taipei’s pizza scene—has just opened up shop off the Minchuan E. Rd. Sec. 6 circle. This follows on the heels of the highly successful launch of the first pizzeria on Lishui Street.

Richly hued red and black—Alleycat’s trademark colors—provide a striking backdrop to retro 1930s Shanghai posters. The music is classic jazz and blues, such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and BB King, punctuated by very occasional kitschy Italian favorites, but who doesn’t like Santa Lucia?

What really packs them in, however, is the pizza. “We stick with the tried and true,” said owner Alan Pontes. “We do pizza and salad and that’s it. We don’t try to be everything to everybody. I do like to keep experimenting with new pizzas though, and while our customers enjoy our classics, they are often up for trying something innovative.”

Another plus: Alleycat’s is highly affordable. On average pizzas range from NT$175 to NT$450, house wine NT$125 per glass and Hoegaarden draught beer at NT$190 a pint. “Our strategy is to find locations with very reasonable rents,” said Pontes. “This allows us to spend more on the quality ingredients that our regulars have come to expect.”

Who should come to Alleycat’s? “Anyone who wants simple, fresh ingredients—we make all our dough from scratch—cooked to perfection in a cozy, casual setting,” answered Pontes. “We have become the neighborhood hangout for many of our repeat customers and that has made our restaurants something of a family.”

Alleycat's Website