Located in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, Cheong Su Dang is a incredibly beautiful coffee and dessert cafe housed in a traditional facade.

For those of you who haven’t been to Ikeson-dong, it is a trendy neighbourhood which has plenty of gorgeous cafes, local shops and under-the-radar eateries.

If you are planning to cafe hop in Seoul, you definitely have to add Cheong Su Dang to your list of cafes to visit in Seoul.

To enter the cafe, you have to walk across a flight of stone steps across a small pond which is surrounded by bamboo and lanterns.

The cafe is divided into two main areas. You can opt for the floor seating which comes with a view of the garden.

If you are lazy to take off your shoes, you can try your luck to get a seat at the main table which comes with a pretty plant display as the centrepiece.

They serve coffee, matcha, black tea and fruit drinks and prices range between 5,800 to 7,500 won.

There are six desserts (13,000 – 20,000 won) on Cheong Su Dang’s menu and they include:

• Original Souffle Castella
• Mugwort Souffle Castella
• Strawberry Compote Souffle Castella
• Black Sesame Fromage Cake
• Matcha Fromage Cake
• Strawberry Cake

To be honest, Cheong Su Dang’s drinks and cakes are nothing special, but the interior is so charming.

Cheong Su Dang
31-9 Donhwamun-ro 11na-gil,
Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is a must-visit city for fans of all things Korean. On top of being the city known for their K-pop, K-Beauty, K-food and K-culture exports, Seoul is also home to some of the most instagrammable book stores.

Whether you’re a bookworm or not, here’s five bookstores which you can add to your itinerary for those picture perfect memories.

Photo Credit: Arc.N.Book

Arc.N.Book

Selling more than just books, Arc.N.Book is a duo concept bookstore that functions as a bookstore and a lifestyle shop.

Separated into four themed sections which are Daily, Weekend, Style and Inspiration, the Arc.N.Book aims to encourage visitors to expand their knowledge through an experiential exploration within their store.

B1F, Buying Eulji Building
29 Eulji-ro, Eulji-ro 1(il)ga
Jung-gu
Seoul
South Korea
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest station: Euljiro 1-ga Station (Exit 1-1)

Photo Credit: Book Park

Book Park

A combination of a bookstore, cafe and an art gallery, Book Park is the instagrammable book haven to visit.

With over more than 100,000 books displayed around the store and on the shelves that stretch from the ground floor to the highest floor, you are free to browse them all and purchase any titles that you like. Plus, did we mention that there’s a cafe on every floor?

294 Itaewon-ro
Hannam-dong
Yongsan-gu
Seoul
South Korea
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Closed on Lunar New Year and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
Nearest station: Hangangjin Station (Exit 2)

Photo Credit: Daeo Bookstore

Daeo Bookstore

With more than 60 years of history, Daeo bookstore transports visitors back in time with its lovely Hanok architecture. BTS Fans might also find the bookstore rather familiar as it is a location that RM had visited during November 2016.

Besides the weathered outlook and old books that line the shelves, the bookstore also runs a not-for-profit cafe next door which serves beverages, where the money collected will go towards the upkeep of the bookstore and its old heritage.

55 Jahamun-ro 7-gil
Jongno-gu
Seoul
South Korea
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest station: Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 2)

Photo Credit: History Book

History Book

Though this bookstore specializes on books in history, it is still worth a visit for its clean and neat interior. Apart from the availability of books for sale, the store also has a cafe and studio, where they hold occasional lectures, exhibitions and concerts.

History Book had also recently made an appearance in the Korean drama, When the Camellia Blooms!

24 Jahamun-ro 10-gil
Tongui-dong
Jongno-gu
Seoul
South Korea
Mon to Sat: 10.30am – 10pm
Sun: 10.30am – 6pm
Nearest station: Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 3)

Photo Credit: Sung.Min.Cho.1974

Seoul Book Repository

If you’re a fan of Hotel Del Luna, your eagle-eye may have spotted the unique archway that is similar to those found in Seoul Book Repository.

Previously a warehouse, Seoul Book Repository or Seoul Book Bogo is Seoul’s first second-hand bookstore which houses around 120,000 secondhand books that are all for sale.

Supplied by 25 secondhand bookstores, the books found within the store are grouped by the store they came from, which allows for visitors to experience a mini version of the store in this shared space.

1 Ogeum-ro
Sincheong-dong
Songpa-gu
Seoul
South Korea
Tue to Fri: 10.30am – 8.30pm
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 10am – 9pm
Closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day (1 Jan), Lunar New Year and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
Nearest station: Jamsilnaru Station (Exit 1)