If you’re active on social media and have been researching on cafes to visit in Seoul, Soha Salt Pond would have definitely popped up on your feed at some point of time.

Nestled within the cluster of cafes in Ikseondong, Soha Salt Pond is arguably one of the more aesthetic cafes in Seoul. It is instantly recognisable for the various mountains of salt around its premises and for the long queues that line the perimeter of the cafe.

But for the popularity that this cafe has enjoyed, are their bakes worth the wait?

For context, we visited Soha Salt Pond in the early summer. So if you are visiting during the warmer seasons, do temper your expectations. The exterior of Soha Salt Pond may not be as magical as what you’ve seen online due to the strong and harsh sun.

And to be honest, the Salt Pond is actually quite small in real life. Nonetheless, the elements of salt were incorporated beautifully into the traditional Korean houses and was pleasant to the eye.

We came here for their signature Soha Salted Bread (3,000 won) and the Soha Salted Bread only. Despite the online fanfare about this cafe, we were pleasantly surprised to only wait about 10 minutes for our food at 10.30am in the morning. However, as the seating area of the cafe was small and already filled, we opted to takeaway the bread instead.

Whilst you may have read excellent reviews of the Soha Salted Bread, we felt differently. We’re not saying that it isn’t good bread; it is. However, it just wasn’t as buttery, soft or crisp like the salt bread from another famous bakery just down the row of cafes.

But to be very objective, the Soha Salted Bread was still way better than the best salted bread you’ll get in Singapore.

There was just one other thing that bothered us. Even though we visited Soha Salt Pond in the morning, out of the extensive selection of bread flavours on their menu, the cafe only had 2 types of bread up for purchase i.e., the Soha Salted Bread and the Green Onion Salt Bread (4,500 won).

We wondered whether it was a case that the other flavours had been snapped up by other customers earlier that morning or that Soha Salt Pond couldn’t keep up with the demand.

Soha Salt Pond
21-5 Supyo-ro 28-gil,
Jongno District, Seoul

Located near Gyeongnidan-Gil in Itaewon, RainReport Cafe is a new rain-themed cafe which has been gaining popularity since its opening 4 months ago.

It is best known for its photo spot with artificial rain where you can take your photos. The cafe even provides big transparent umbrellas for use during your photoshoots.

Step inside RainReport Cafe and you will be instantly transported to a calm and serene space that feels like an oasis away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Decked in black, the interior is beautifully designed with a minimalist aesthetic.

The cafe also has a small coffee roastery on site where they roast their coffee beans.

The rain effects at the al fresco area are on a 15-minute cycle; the rain will last for 15 minutes and stop for 15 minutes.

You can find a small selection of desserts and pastries including Strawberry Souffle Cake, Cloud Black Cheesecake, and freshly-made financiers.

The financiers are available in a set of 5 and some of the flavours include squid ink, basil, maple bacon, fig wine, and triple cheese.

Whether you’re in the mood for a classic espresso, a refreshing iced beverage, or a delightful dessert, RainReport Cafe has something to please every palate. We highly recommend their signature Sesame Cloud (black sesame latte).

RainReport Cafe is much more than just a cafe in Seoul. It’s a sanctuary that embraces the beauty of rain. If you find yourself in Seoul, make sure to visit RainReport Cafe and enjoy a cup of coffee and desserts in this beautiful cafe.

Getting to RainReport Cafe: The cafe is located at the top of the hill near to Grand Hyatt Hotel. The nearest train station is Hangangjin Station and from there, you can take bus 405 and align at Namsan Sports Center before walking to the cafe.

RainReport Cafe
258-63 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Seoul, South Korea

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

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

Cafe Onion at Seongsu-dong is one of our all-time favourite cafes in Seoul and they have another outlet at Anguk-Dong which is just a short walk from Anguk Station and Bukchon Hanok Village.

For those of you who are not familiar with the cafe scene in Seoul, Cafe Onion is a popular cafe which is best known for its amazing array of bread and pastries.

While Cafe Onion Seongsu is a chic industrial-themed cafe with an open rooftop terrace, Cafe Onion Anguk is housed in a traditional Korean Hanok and it has a completely different decor and vibe.

We got there before 10am and we got a table easily. But from what we understand from our friends and followers who have visited Cafe Onion Anguk, there is always a queue at Cafe Onion Anguk in the afternoon and the wait is at least 30 minutes.

Cafe Onion has an in-house bakery and all the bread and pastries are freshly baked on premise. The staff is constantly bringing out new trays of baked goods so you can enjoy them fresh from the oven.

The Pandor, one of the signature bakes at Cafe Onion, is a pastry topped off lavishly with icing sugar.

Coffee is serious business here too and you can expect top-notch cuppa to go along with your pastries. There is a selection of coffee (prices range from 5,000 won to 6,800 won) and beverages including juices and tea.

The cafe space for dine-in is divided into two areas. Diner will have to remove their shoes at the area with Korean tatami mats and low tables.

Alternatively, you can get a seat at the area with the regular tables without taking off your shoes.

If you are not planning to explore Seongsu-dong which is further away from the city area, we highly recommend making a trip to Cafe Onion Anguk as the location is much more accessible.

It is definitely a must-visit cafe when you are in Seoul.

Cafe Onion Anguk
Anguk-dong
Tel: +82 70 7543 2123

Layered is a dessert cafe in Seoul which has an amazing scones and cakes selection. Dessert lovers are in for a real treat here.

It has the most impressive scones line-up we’ve ever seen. There are 13 different types of English scones (both savoury and sweet) as well as a dozen rustic English cakes on display.

Cafe Layered has 2 outlets in Yeonnam-dong and Bukchon (near Anguk station). You can also find it at The Hyundai Seoul’s food hall.

We dined at Cafe Layered’s outlet at Yeonnam-dong when we were exploring the quaint neighbourhood. The cafe is in a two-story bricked building which is located at 223-20 Yeonnam-dong in Mapo-gu.

Some of the scone flavours (prices range from 4,500 – 5,00 won) include:

• Classic Butter Scones
• Fresh Milk Cream Scones
• Matcha Scones
• Cranberry Cream Cheese Scones
• Sweet Pumpkin Cream Cheese Scones
• Basil Pesto Scones
• Double Chocolate Scones
• Spring Onion Cream Cheese Scones
• Cinnamon Pecan Scones
• Caramel Butter Scones
• Earl Grey Fig Scones
• Strawberry Compote Scones

Frankly, everything looked amazing and it was a challenge trying to pick from this line-up. If you like savoury scones, the Spring Onion Cream Cheese Scone is the bestseller at Cafe Layered. We had the Earl Grey Fig Scones and it was absolutely delicious.

The options for the rustic English cakes (7,500 – 8,000 won) include:

• Dark Chocolate Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Cherry Chocolate Cake
• Mango Cake
• Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cake
• Victoria Butter Cream Cake
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Sweet Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake
• Black Forest Dark Chocolate Cake
• Juicy Lemon Home Party Cake
• Tiramisu Espresso Coffee Cake
• Mint Chocolate Cake

Do note that you need to order a drink per person regardless of the number of cakes and scones that you get.

If you are planning to visit Cafe Layered at Bukchon, here’s a sneak peek at the other outlet which is housed in a hanok.

The dessert display at Cafe Layered’s Bukchon outlet.

With its amazing scones and cakes selection, this homely cafe has firmly established itself amongst our top 5 favourite cafes in Seoul.

Cafe Layered
223-20 Yeonnam-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul

2-3 Bukchon-ro 2-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul

Nestled in the quiet Hannam neighbourhood in Seoul, &gather Cafe has since been seeing throngs of BTS fans visit their premises for the sole reason of trying the drinks made by the boys during an episode of their VLive variety show, Run BTS.

As huge BTS fans ourselves, we knew this was the perfect opportunity to get our morning fix and start off our day right.

The walk to &gather Cafe from Hannam Station was no more than a five-minute walk and when we arrived, we were immediately greeted by the signature drinks menu which had an attached photo of BTS during their time at the cafe.

Not wasting any time, we ordered a total of four drinks which were: Hot Creamy Latte (KRW6,000), Iced Rosy Latte (KRW6,300), Iced Lemony Coke (KRW6,300) and the Iced Coco-Presso (KRW6,300).

Once brewed by Jimin, the Hot Creamy Latte tasted velvety smooth which we felt was aided by the milk which was used for the coffee.

Instead of the typical milk from a carton, the milk used was mixed together with whipped cream and sugar syrup, which created a sweet and creamy aftertaste.

Fans of all things coconut and J-Hope would thoroughly enjoy the Iced Coco-Presso which is essentially a cup of coconut coffee.

Instead of using ready-made coconut milk, &gather Cafe uses coconut powder which is mixed in with steamed milk. The result is a sweet and creamy beverage with just a hint of coconut that wasn’t too overpowering.

The Iced Lemony Coke or known by fans as Suga’s Cafe Lemoni, was an interesting concoction that surprised us in terms of taste.

Made using lemon syrup, a slice of lemon, a can of sprite and two shots of espresso, the drink was a burst of flavours that was both sweet and sour. Contrary to beliefs that the acidity in the lemon could react badly with the coffee’s acidity, we felt that the lemon helped cut the sharpness of the espresso instead.

Our favourite out of the four drinks that we ordered was the Iced Rosy Latte made famous by Jin. The drink is made with a combination of rose syrup and espresso before it is finished with a dollop of cream on top.

As rose syrup does have a potential to overshadow the other flavours it’s mixed in with, we were impressed with the rose taste coming in as a complementary flavour to the coffee. We do suggest that you mix the cream in together with the entire drink as it gives a more balanced aftertaste that’s rounded off with the hint of floral aroma.

Though we didn’t have any more liquid capacity to try the other three drinks that were made by V, Jungkook and RM, this just means that we have a valid reason to return to &gather Cafe on our next trip back to Seoul!

&gather Cafe
Hannamdong Shinseong Miso City
39 Dokseodang-ro
Yongsan-gu
Seoul
Republic of Korea
Mon to Fri: 8am – 9pm
Sat, Sun & Holidays: 11am – 7pm
Nearest station: Hannam Station (Exit 1)

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