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)

There is no place like Seoul when it comes to top-notch cafes, restaurants and everything food-related. The vibrant city has so much to offer that is it impossible to cover the best places within a single trip—and we are surely not complaining about that!

Besides discovering about their fantastic street eats at night markets and mouthwatering local dishes in humble eateries, we also came to find out that Seoul is a dessert haven for all with a sweet tooth.

It took us a few trips to Seoul before coming up with this list of dessert places that impressed us with not just their myriad of sweet treats but also their charming atmosphere and chill vibes. If you are looking for a place to hang out with your mates or significant other in Seoul, this is the guide you will need to refer to.

Here are 9 Best Dessert Spots In Seoul where you will find everything from the Korean bingsu to green tea tiramisu and eclairs.

#1 BAN BOSSY BOUTIQUE

Boasting primarily pastel colours in pink, mint and white, walking into Ban Bossy Boutique is like stepping into Barbie-land. It is the perfect spot for afternoon tea with your girlfriends, complete with Instagram-worthy backdrops and an appealing array of cupcakes.

Munch on exquisitely decorated cupcakes such as their signature Flower Cupcake (W7,500), sliced cakes (W8,500) that are on a rotational basis and Macaron (W4,800).

3/F, 17-Waoosan ro- 19-22
Mapo-Gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82 02 337 9896
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Hongdae

#2 CAFE BORA

One of the better-known dessert cafes in Anguk-dong, Cafe Bora’s speciality is their Purple Sweet Potato Iceflakes which is essentially bingsu made with sweet potato. Other bingsu flavours you can get there are Green Tea and Strawberry.

For those who are not a fan of bingsu, Cafe Bora offers other sweet treats including Sweet Potato Ice Cream, Steamed Sweet Potato Bun and Chickpea Ice Cream.

149-5 Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 70 8613 5537
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Anguk

#3 CAFE ONION

Cafe Onion in Seongdong-gu neighbourhood—also known as the Brooklyn of Seoul— checks all the boxes that we are looking for in a cafe. The industrial-themed cafe has their own bakery and an open rooftop terrace for guests to chill at.

Having an in-house bakery means guests are able to enjoy many varieties of warm pastries that are freshly baked from the oven. The cafe is perhaps best known for its Pandor (W5,000/ S$6.02), which is a pastry topped off lavishly with icing sugar.

277-135 Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga
Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Mon to Fri: 8am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Seongsu

#4 COFFEE FAKTORY

We are letting you in on a little secret that we found out at GLOBO Coffee Faktory—there is a secret hideout that resembles a traditional Korean tea house nestled within the cafe!

GLOBO Coffee Faktory roasts their own coffee beans in-house with a large probat roaster and guests are able to choose up to seven different types of coffee beans from around the world. Dessert options include Tiramisu (W6,800), Waffles (W15,800) and a selection of cakes.

Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 10 3189 4737
Nearest Station: Anguk

#5 ÉCLAIR BY GARU HARU

Who doesn’t like pretty eclairs? Not us for sure! These French pastries are works of art and we almost couldn’t bear to eat them. Some of the flavours you can find there include Salted Butter Caramel, Yuzu, Chocolate and Earl Grey.

247-9 Itaewon 2(i)-dong, Yongsan-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2 337 8090
Daily: 12pm – 8pm
Nearest Station: Hangangjin

#6 FRANK’S

Having tea at Frank’s is every girl’s dream come true. Guests are surrounded by bouquets of pressed flowers while they indulge in aesthetically-pleasing desserts. One must-try item is their rainbow sponge cake.

258-228 Itaewon(2)-dong, Yongsan-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 70 8156 5459
Tue to Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Mon: Closed
Nearest Station: Itaewon

#7 O’SULLOC TEA SALON

O’sulloc is a tea salon in Seoul that pays homage to Korean green tea from Jeju Island, with branches in Myeongdong, Apgujeong, Insadong and Daehangno. With an extensive menu of different teas—both hot and iced—and an assortment of green tea desserts such as swiss rolls and tiramisu, there will always be something to fall in love with.

If you are not there for their classic Green Tea Latte, then you have to go for their swiss rolls or Green Tea Tiramisu—it is like a mousse cake that has an airy and creamy center married with green tea powder.

47-1 Myeongdong 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 2-774-5460
Daily: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Myeongdong

#8 PASSION 5

Passion 5 is a fine dessert emporium located in Itaewon, Seoul.

The upscale cafe cum gallery is made up of five components—cafe, bakery, patisserie, chocolate and lastly, passion from Passion 5?s pâtissiers. Visitors are surrounded by many exquisite dessert creations enshrined behind polished glass and a stellar selection of aromatic baked goods.

Other highlights at Passion 5 include a rotating gelato chiller and the most outstanding eclair display. With almost 300 dessert items featured, it is a feast for your eyes as much as it is for your taste buds.

272, Itaewon-ro
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 2 2071 9505
Daily: 7.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Hangangjin

#9 THE NILK FACTORY

Taking up the first floor of a building, the nilk factory offers a range of cold-pressed almond milk in different flavours, coffee, tea and gluten-free cakes.

the nilk factory’s signature drinks include Almond Je’taime (300ml – W7,500, 500ml – W12,600) and Mixed Nuts (300ml – W7,500, 500ml – W12,600). Look forward to a curated selection of cakes such as Ice Box (gluten-free chocolate cake), New York Cheese Cake and Carrot Cake.

32 Gangnam-daero 162-gil
Gangnam-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2 2039 0821
Nearest Station: Sinsa

Traveling to Seoul soon? Have a look at our Seoul Travel Guide.