Putting Nantun and Shalu on the same map has a practical reason: plenty of people work or study on the coast line by day and sleep in Nantun by night, or the reverse. Their nights, though, run on two timetables, with departure and close-down almost two hours apart.
The Nantun line: Gongyi Road Section 2, by street number
The line starts at No. 88 with bistro88義法餐酒館 (bistro88), more than 3,050 reviews at 4.2 — Italian-French plates with wine, NT$600 to NT$900 a head, menu prices apply.
Further up, 泰晶殿皇家SPA莊園-公益會館 (Tai Jing Dian Royal Spa, Gongyi House) at No. 241 has more than 2,600 reviews at 4.9; diagonally across, 月荷足體養生會館(公益館) (Yuehe Foot Massage, Gongyi) on the second floor of No. 271 holds about 1,020 reviews at 4.4. Massage before drinks or after — order it yourself.
將軍府日式居酒屋 黎明店 (General’s House Izakaya, Liming) at No. 526 and 萬舌居-居酒屋 (Wansheju Izakaya) at No. 637 make up the izakaya stretch, 800-plus and 1,000-plus reviews, both at 4.8; Luxy Vivid Bistro at No. 699, about 1,616 reviews at 4.9, closes the line. Walking No. 88 to No. 699 takes about twenty-five minutes; street parking is scarce on Friday and Saturday nights, so MRT plus a walk beats circling for a space.
This line involves alcohol. If you drink, leave the car where it is and call a cab or designated driver — late-night rides on Gongyi Road Section 2 arrive within five minutes.
The Wenxin branch: direct on the green line
Out of MRT Wenxin Forest Park Station, 容燒居酒屋-南屯文心總店 (Rongshao Izakaya, Wenxin flagship) at No. 530, Wenxin Road Section 1 carries more than 16,000 reviews at 4.9 — the most-reviewed place in Nantun, so expect a queue at holiday dinner hours. 泰晶殿皇家養身集團-文心會館 (Tai Jing Dian Royal Wellness, Wenxin House) at No. 46-3 has more than 2,050 reviews, good for sobering up a little before heading home.
For singing, 享溫馨 KTV南屯向學店 (Xiang Wen Xin KTV, Xiangxue) at No. 38, Daguan Road has about 1,180 reviews at 4.7; 超級巨星自助式KTV 文心南屯店 (Superstar Self-service KTV, Wenxin Nantun) at No. 151, Fengfu Road runs a buffet format with about 567 reviews at 4.5. Room rates follow posted prices.
A side note: Nantun Old Street and the Wanhe Temple area are daytime-to-dusk sights, quiet after dark — do not route your night that way. Drivers, take note: Gongyi Road has lots and street spaces, friendlier than downtown, but Friday and Saturday dinner hours fill up. Arrive early or just take the MRT.
The coast line: Shalu, categories only
Shalu’s shops are not on our list, so this section names none.
The stretch of Taiwan Boulevard Section 7 between Providence and Hungkuang universities is a student supper strip — fried chicken, braised snacks, bubble tea and cheap stir-fry, NT$150 to NT$300 fills you up. Shalu Night Market and the streets by the train station are a separate block; check posted market days rather than trusting memory.
A plain-spoken position: Shalu’s night ends early. The districts visibly empty around eleven and there are almost no bars. For coast-line people who want a drink, the answer was never in Shalu — it is on the road into the city.
The connection: Expressway No. 5 or Taiwan Boulevard
By car on Expressway No. 5, Nantun to Shalu runs about twenty minutes; Taiwan Boulevard via Tunghai also works, but with more lights, allow thirty at night. By rail, Shalu Station is a junction of the mountain and coast lines; check posted last-train times. The MRT green line’s last train runs near midnight — after that, hail a ride.
Anyone who has been drinking does not touch the wheel. In Nantun a car arrives within five minutes; in Shalu late-night cars are scarce, so book before the group scatters.
The Nantun district guide has the whole picture, Nantun bars and bistros and Nantun massage and spa carry the full lists; for working Gongyi Road from dinner onward, see the Gongyi Road dining belt.