Seoul Coffee is a popular and Instagrammable cafe that is tucked in one of the alleys in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, a must-visit neighborhood in Seoul which is filled with many beautful cafes, local shops and underrated eateries.

A hanok-themed cafe, Seoul Coffee aims to create an atmosphere that is reminiscent of Seoul in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Step inside Seoul Coffee and you will be greeted by the scent of aromatic coffee and desserts.

Seoul Coffee is best known for its iconic butter loaf breads—available in two flavours: milk and squid ink—which come with two slabs of butter.

Other than that, they also have a selection of desserts (prices range from 4,500 to 7,500 won) including Chocolate Fudge Cake, Cheesecake, Tiramisu and Cube Ice Cream.

It goes without saying that Seoul Coffee serves excellent coffee. From hand drip coffee, to cold brew, and flat white, Seoul Coffee has got you covered with their quality brews (5,000 – 7,000 won).

You have to include Seoul Coffee in your list of cafes to visit in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village. It is one of our favourite cafes in Seoul to have a coffee and dessert while enjoying some time off.

Seoul Coffee
166-31 Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2-6085-4890

Seoul is back in action and with borders lifted, everyone is flocking to the well-loved South Korean city for a holiday. When in Seoul, cafe-hopping is a must. The South Koreans take their cafes seriously – from the coffee and cakes, to the decor and even merchandise.

One that is gaining immense popularity is Shinleedoga Cafe, a huge hanok-style cafe Hongdae near to Hongik University, and it is frequented by students and young locals. You’d never expect to find a modern hanok-style cafe right in the middle of Hongdae.

There is no lack of cafes within Hongdae but Shinleedoga Cafe stands out for its interior and vibes. The entrance is unassuming, you might just walk past it and brush it off, thinking it is another hanok where nobody stays. But follow the stone-lined path and you would be greeted by a mysterious dark alley. And this alley takes you to the cafe that sits within the hanok.

The cafe has a simple yet modern interior. Coupled with the historical exterior, it is alluring and exudes a cosy vibe.

There are both indoor and outdoor seating, and we took a while to take in the beauty of the place when we first stepped in. On the inside, seats are scattered in a random manner, and during the daytime, the sunlight diffuses through the full glass windows to warm the space up.

The cafe is equally charming during the night and it is a cosy space where you can hang out to enjoy a drink and dessert.

There are outdoor seating too, and in winter, there is a campfire where you can roast marshmallow.

The cafe also has a rooftop on the third floor where you can catch a glimpse of the city.

On its menu, expect a mix of caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks, as well as a small selection of bakes. Check out the Black Sesame Latte that is highly popular! While the bakes were nothing life-changing, we thought it was really nice that we could purchase marshmallow on sticks to roast at the campfire during winter.

Shinleedoga Cafe Hongdae
20-12 Jandari-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Trendy cafes are a dime and a dozen in Seoul but have you been to one with a brick hill interior? Located in the charming Yeonnam-dong near Hongdae, Coffee Nap Roasters is a cute little cafe with a 7000-brick hill interior.

The tiny coffee shop is housed within a small standalone building along Donggyo-ro 51-gil in Yeonnam-dong. The neighbourhood is also home to many hip cafes including Layered Cafe, Cafe Skon, Ver’s Garden, THANKS, OAT, and Dinga Cake House.

Established in April 2018, Coffee Nap Roasters went viral online with its unique interior design with a red brick hill.

The designer of the cafe decided to get rid of the usual chairs and tables as they wanted to provide a diverse experience where you could enjoy a cup of coffee wherever you chose to sit.

The coffee shop offers the usual selections such as espresso, cold brew, flat white, and filter coffee. There are also non-caffeinated options including lemon ade, apple tea and milk tea.

Admittedly, the brick hill isn’t the most comfortable place to sit down for long. After taking photos at the brick hill, there are benches and stools by the side where you can enjoy a cup of coffee.

Coffee Nap Roasters
453-32 Donggyo-ro 51-gil

Seoul has no lack of aesthetically-pleasing and Instagram worthy cafés, and Stylenanda Pink Pool Café is definitely one of them. This beautiful café has got to be one that fashionistas should mark on their bucket list the next time you are in Seoul.

Their gorgeous pastel pink interior reminds us of the famous Sketch Cafe in London and it will not be the only thing that will leave your jaws hanging—believe it or not, they have an actual pool within the café itself!

Many would be familiar with Stylenanda—one of South Korea’s leading online fashion brands. Stylenanda houses several concepts under one roof—from a boutique hotel to shophouses where sales of accessories and apparels take place to an entirely pink café, make sure to not miss this spot out!

Taking up an entire section of the Stylenanda Pink Pool Café is their pool, making this space the true #instagramgoals.

Here is where you can go ahead and snap as many shots as you wish—every corner of the café is stylish and makes for a perfect backdrop for OOTD shots. The café may not be the biggest in size, but trust us when we say that you can get plenty of amazing shots in this photogenic café.

If you are looking to escape the cold weather outside, a cuppa hot coffee would be perfect to sip on while you chill in this pretty space.

They offer quite an extensive range of beverages—pick from a variety of coffee, teas, shakes and even diet beverages in the likes of Lemon Detox and Real Tomato Juice.

Boasting a minimal yet chic interior, fun boutique-café concepts and totally photogenic pastries, Stylenanda Pink Pool Café in Hongdae is definitely worth a visit.

Stylenanda Pink Pool Café
335-21 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Hongdae)
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Hongdae

Can you believe that behind this pretty pink vending machine lies an entire café?

Situated just a stone’s throw away from Mangwon Market is Zapangi, an Instagram-famous café which has a brightly-lit pink vending machine door. Translating to ’vending machine’ in Korean, Zapangi is literally known for their iconic vending machine door.

Here, you can expect a range of cakes served in tins, doughnuts, coffee and their signature milk tea. Zapangi is a café that anyone who has a love for all things pretty or wants a picture to jazz up their Instagram feed should patronise.

If you are heading there via public transport, take the subway to Mangwon Station and take exit 2. Just a short 5 to 10-minute walk through a local neighbourhood would get you to this pretty café!

Besides the iconic pink vending machine door that Zapangi is known for, they serve a neat range of classic desserts and drinks that taste as good as they look. If you’ve ever noticed your Instagram feed brimming with posts of a mermaid cupcake served in a metallic tin, well, you can now join the trend and get one for yourself at Zapangi.

Thier menu is limited to sweet treats, including tin cakes and doughnuts, and beverages, all costing no more than 10,000 won. We suggest you order a cup of their signature milk tea to go with their insanely cute cakes and doughnuts!

Save a spot in your itinerary when you’re heading to Seoul for Zapangi not just so you can snap a few OOTD pictures with their iconic vending machine door, but to indulge in their adorable confectioneries.

If we were you, we’d share them on Instagram because if it isn’t on Instagram, it didn’t happen.

Zapangi Seoul
400-2 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Daily: 10am -11pm
Tel: +82 2 325 8185

For more recommendations, read our Seoul’s travel guides on the best places to discover in the city.

Tucked away on a street in Samcheong-dong in Seoul, GLOBO Coffee Faktory is an unassuming cafe front with a gorgeous secret hideout deep within it. If you stroll into the cafe, you will be greeted by a massive coffee roaster as the cafe roasts their own beans.

We knew we had to have a taste of their coffee after being pleasantly overwhelmed by the aroma of coffee beans. Little did we know that deeper into the cafe, is a patio with indoor and alfresco seating with natural sunlight streaming in. How delightful!

The patio at the back of the cafe is probably one of the most photogenic spots we have stumbled upon in Seoul, South Korea. The quiet and intimate ambience makes the patio a great place to sit and relax for a bit while sipping on some amazing coffee.

The patio area is amazing. The contrast of old and new makes the area so ethereal. Think bamboo bench seats, white stones and potted plants alongside cobalt blue sofa seats and Parisian-like white tables and chairs. However, if the weather is too warm, you can also take a respite from the sun indoors.

The indoor seating area just beside the patio is small but cosy with gold and marble tables and comfortable sofa seats. You can read, catch up on work or simply relax with a drink or a dessert here for a calm and stress-free afternoon.

To order some drinks and desserts, you would have to head to the front of the cafe where the massive roaster is. We purchased an Iced Latte, Iced Matcha Latte and a Tiramisu cake as a light snack before lunch.

The coffee is just as fantastic as we anticipated. The aroma of the coffee was distinct, even in an iced latte. The beans tasted different from the usual Australian beans we have regularly. It was stronger and packed a punch.

The Iced Matcha Latte was nothing to shout about but it was a pleasant treat nonetheless. It was not overly sweet and it went well with the dessert we ordered. The Tiramisu was light and the sponge cake inside was fluffy and airy.

GLOBO Coffee Faktory
Sa jik dong, Jong no gu
Seoul 03044
South Korea
Tel: +82 2-722-7848
Mon to Fri: 8am – 7pm
Sat: 11am – 6pm
Sun: 12.30pm – 8.30pm

Nestled within a residential area, Anthracite Coffee Roasters stands out amongst the buildings surrounding it. Anthracite Coffee Roasters is a café chain in Seoul, South Korea and this particular outlet in Yongsan-gu is our favourite. The café occupies the entire old building, with an open-space terrace on the second floor.

The impressive interior excited us the moment we stepped in. The first floor is the main counter area where the skilled baristas whip up aromatic cuppas for you to enjoy. The backdrop of the counter is a digital wall mural that displays futuristic and cosmic digital art that adds a little something extra to the gorgeous architecture and interior design.

You can grab a beverage and snack of your choice and head to level 2, where the main seating area is. If the weather is nice and cool, you can even grab a seat outside on the terrace.

No matter what coffee you like, they have the works. Enjoy the original splendour of coffee with their range of Espressos which they have beautifully named–Pablo Neruda, Natsume Soseki and William Blake–some of the most celebrated poets in history. The complex flavours of good coffee mirror an alluring poem, both enticing the body and soul of the consumer.

They specialise in both single origin and a carefully-curated list of house blend coffee that you can choose from. You can pick from a plethora of different single origin choices such as–Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras and Guatelama, each with its own one-of-a-kind flavours and aromas.

As the weather was pretty warm in Seoul on the particular day of our visit, we opted for an Iced Latte (6,000 Won), using their own signature house blend beans. From one coffee lover to another, we can tell that a lot of effort was put in to create this ideal blend of coffee here.

The Piora Original Iced Tea (6,500 Won) was a delightful and refreshing treat but it fell short of impressing us after we had a taste of the amazing coffee whipped up by the baristas. So we say, skip the tea and stick to what they do best.

Anthracite Coffee Roasters in a must visit in Seoul if you are a huge fan of coffee. Even if you are not obsessed with coffee, a trip here might just make you one!

Anthracite Coffee Roasters
738-20 Hannam-dong
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2-797-7009
Mon to Fri: 9am – 6pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
Nearest Station: Hangangjin

There is no denying that Korean pop culture is extremely influential—both in Korea and across international borders—as we are seeing a rapid increase in Korean pop groups, dramas and movies these few years. Love it or hate it, the Kpop wave does not seem to be slowing down and we are expecting it to grow even more in the future.

Besides being in the entertainment industry, some A-list Korean pop idols have been venturing into the F&B industry and opened their own cafes and restaurants. Of course, that would make these places a must-visit for fans of these Korean celebrities!

So for all those who are a fan of Kpop, here are 7 Celebrity-Owned Cafes And Restaurants In Seoul you have to hit up.

Photo Credit: Manager Hyung

#1 BIG BANG SEUNGRI’S AND HERE

Managed by Big Bang member Seungri’s mother, And Here is a two-story cafe located in Daehakro area. The spacious coffee shop is visited by not only fans of this Kpop idol, but also tourists who are travelling to Korea.

The cafe features a small stage on the second level where guests can expect performances from time to time and a display of merchandises such as notebooks and pens.

90 Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 02 744 8464
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Hyehwa

Photo Credit: Kpop Map

#2 EXO CHANYEOL’S VIVA POLO

EXO Chanyeol’s parents certainly know how to please the fangirls—there are childhood photographs of this popular Kpop star and his sister that are being displayed in the restaurant. Besides that, you can also take a look at real autographs by the extremely popular boy band too.

This cosy Italian restaurant is where you can indulge in a range of pasta and risotto dishes. For those who are looking for something special, some of the dishes are infused with Korean recipes such as the Kimchi Arabiatta Pasta.

312-86 Myeongil 1(il)-dong, Gangdong-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 02 442 7885
Daily: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Myeongil

Photo Credit: Soompi

#3 EXO KAI’S KAMONG

Operated by EXO Kai’s sister, KAMONG is a modern cafe where young crowd hangs out at. The name ‘KAMONG’ is actually a combination of the Kpop celebrity’s name and his pet dog—Kai and Monggu respectively.

Unlike other celebrity-owned cafes that feature photographs of the idol, the only few things there that will remind you of Kai are the drawings and messages that are made by him. Some highlights on the menu include their signature waffles, muffins and a neat selection of coffee options.

1678-4 Seocho 1(il)-dong, Seocho-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 02 522 5949
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Seoul National University Of Education

Photo Credit: MollaKorea

#4 HAHA’S LOCO QUAN 401 BBQ RESTAURANT

As a cast of the famous Running Man variety show, HAHA needs no further introduction. His Korean BBQ restaurants in Myeong-dong and Hongdae have welcomed fans from all over the world and also locals who are craving for the restaurant’s signature Jeju Black Pork.

Other classic KBBQ dishes you can expect there include Pork Belly, Pork Cheek Meat and Collar Butt Pork Steak. Otherwise, the restaurant also has Korean sides such as Bean Paste Noodles and Kimchi Stew.

41 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 02 325 0805
Daily: 11am – 1am
Nearest Station: Myeong-dong

Photo Credit: One Hallyu

#5 MISS A SUZY’S CAFFE SOO

Caffe Soo in Gwangju province is a gift from Miss A’s Suzy to her parents back in 2013. The entire cafe is dedicated to this Korean idol, with large posters of her plastered on windows and walls.

While most themed cafes charge exorbitant prices, Caffe Soo is known for offering wallet-friendly cafe fare in generous portions.

14-25 Usan-dong, Buk-gu
Gwangju, Seoul, South Korea
Daily: 9am – 10pm

Photo Credit: Park Shin Hye International Community

#6 PARK SHIN HYE’S LITTLE TIN DRUMS

The best place to catch a glimpse of Park Shin Hye who starred in hit dramas such as Pinocchio and Doctors is at Little Tin Drums—a Korean restaurant run by her parents in Gangdong-gu.

The famous actress is said to dine at the restaurant frequently but there is an unspoken rule that diners are not allowed to take photographs with her in the restaurant. Some of the signature dishes include barbecued beef and pork intestines and other grilled Korean delights.

548-3 Seoul Gangdong-gu, Seonae-dong
Seoul, South Korea
Daily: 11.30am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Gangdong-gu Office

Photo Credit: Andiekp

#7 SUPER JUNIOR YESUNG’S MOUSE RABBIT

Near to Kokuk University, Mouse Rabbit is a cosy three-story cafe co-owned by Super Junior Yesung and his brother. True to its name, the basement of the cafe is designed to look like a rabbit’s hole where guests are encouraged to take off their shoes and unwind in a comfortable environment.

Apart from the basement, the first level is where diners will purchase food and drinks while those who are into art and craft will have a great time browsing through art products on the second level.

5-14 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 02 462 4015
Daily: 10am – 12pm
Nearest Station: Konkuk University

For more recommendations, read our Seoul’s food and travel guides to find the best places to go to in the city.