Divino Enoteca is a hidden away restaurant in the backstreets of the popular Tianmu area to the north, adding to the plethora of restaurants that make up the Taipei Italian food scene. Taipei’s Italian cuisine is diverse, ranging from informal pizzerias such as Pizza Has a Face, Pizzaround, and Cura Pizza, to fine-dining places serving regional specialities such as the Fiorentina steak at Antico Forno, or the incredible Grilled Octopus Squid Ink Fusilli at Pasta & Co. Whether you’re a long-term expat or a curious traveller, Divino Enoteca will either give you some of the flavours of Italian food from home or will open your eyes to delicious Italian food in Taipei.
Divino Enoteca should be at the top of your list if you want to have a genuine and memorable Italian dining experience, whether that is for a date night, casual food with friends, or if you’re flying solo and just want to eat great Italian food in Taipei without having to share. Divino Enoteca, located in Tianmu, provides an enjoyable study of Italy’s different culinary regions. Their cuisine emphasizes fresh, seasonal ingredients converted into traditional Italian dishes, while their large wine list showcases local and international names to match your dinner perfectly.
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Located a 10-minute walk from Tianmu’s Baseball Stadium, or a 20-minute walk from MRT Mingde station on the Red line, Divino Enoteca sits quietly in a back alley in a quiet location exuding an air of exclusivity. They only open in the evening, with warm lighting welcoming you to either the outside terraced seating area or the generous tables inside. The atmosphere inside is friendly, vibrant, and relaxed. You’ll immediately feel like you can relax into the conversations with some delicious drinks.
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The Menu at Divino Enoteca
If I ever open a restaurant, this would be the kind of menu I would aspire to have. It's simple, it's elegant, it's perfect. There is plenty of variety in the starters (Antipasti), the pasta dishes (Primi) focus on just two options which allows for them to be executed to the highest possible quality, and the main dishes (Secondi) similarly focus on just 4 options. This concentration on just a few dishes is exactly what all restaurants should do, in my opinion. With a focus on just a few dishes, a restaurant can truly specialise and offer the best possible version of each.
What We Ordered
Beef Carpaccio, Tuna Aioli
If I see Beef Carpaccio on a menu in a Taipei Italian restaurant, I tend to order it. Something just feels special about Carpaccio. Whether that's Beef, Venison, Fish, or Veal, I will order it. This Beef Carpaccio was served with generous dollops of Aioli. Traditionally, Aioli is made by crushing garlic in a mortar and pestle and emulsifying it with salt and olive oil. Originating from the northwest Mediterranean region, it is a popular dip and dressing throughout Italy, Spain, and parts of France. A few sprigs of peppery rocket/Arugala, capers, fish roe, cracked black pepper, shaved parmesan, and a little splash of extra virgin olive oil finished off the dish.
Everything was beautifully balanced in this dish. There was a nice sour earthiness coming from the Aioli that paired beautifully with the texture of the Beef Carpaccio. When paired with the house focaccia served with your starter, it was a taste sensation. The capers and the fish roe burst with a salty freshness, and the rocket/Arugala offer a smooth peppery flavour.
Octopus, Harrisa. Salsa
Outstanding. I loved this dish. It's not often that I can get a big hunk of octopus such as this in Taipei, so I will get it when I see it (often on a Taipei Italian restaurant menu). I expected a thick octopus leg/tentacle to come with a smattering of salsa, so I was pleasantly surprised when all of this octopus arrived at my table looking all glistening and beautiful.
Cooked to perfection and dressed with the homemade salsa with a smattering of Harrisa (Harrisa is a versatile condiment made from a blend of hot chilli peppers, garlic, olive oil, and spices like cumin, coriander, and caraway) on the side, this octopus is something quite special. As you cut into it the meaty flesh you'll notice the dense silky smoothness of the octopus. The suckers on the outside are charred and crunchy, bringing a great texture to offset the chewy silkiness of the flesh, and everything balances to perfection. Although it is delicious, I can pass on the Harrisa and focus more on the delicate flavours of the octopus and the refreshing homemade salsa.
Rummo No.50 Rigatoni alla Carbonara
Carbonara is my yardstick for whether a restaurant claiming to serve Italian food in Taipei stays true to traditional flavours. This Rigatoni was cooked perfectly to retain the desirable al dente texture, the pancetta was crunchy and brought a rich saltiness to the dish, and the delicate sauce with the parmesan shavings on top finished the dish beautifully. There was a lovely peppery flavour running through everything which made all the flavours buzz together nicely. This is a solid dish at Divino Enoteca and is a delicious variation on the Carbonara at the other Divino in the DaAn District.
Iberico Pork Tenderloin Romesco
A couple of beautifully blushing pieces of Iberico pork tenderloin sit atop a delightful homemade Romesco sauce (Romesco sauce is a versatile sauce that originated in the Catalonia region. It is typically made from a blend of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, nuts such as almonds and/or hazelnuts, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread or chickpeas as a thickener). The toasted peppers balanced on top add a fresh hint of earthiness to the dish, and that gravy brings everything together. The pork is flavourful and the Romesco sauce adds sweetness to the dish, while the gravy brings a salty depth that adds a different level of flavour. Everything is great here.
Tiramisu
I love tiramisu. I love the tiramisu in Taipei from Gusto Market of Taste up near Addiction Aquatic Development, I love the Tiramisu in Taipei at Pasta & Co, Divino at DaAn, Solo Pasta, and anywhere else I can get my hands on a creamy, coffee-flavoured booze-soaked dessert. This Tiramisu at Divino Enoteca might just be my favourite so far. The level of boozy-coffeeness on offer was bang on, and the creamy elegance was right there, too. Perfectly balanced, deliciously decadent, and everything I want from a Tiramisu.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Yes, Divino Enoteca is worth checking out if you're in the mood for Italian food in Taipei.
What is the best dish? It's difficult for me to look past the octopus. I don't recall eating a better grilled octopus in Taipei (although the now-closed Gen Creative octopus was very close to this).
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of Taipei Italian Restaurants. See below for some more options: