Cafes are a really big thing in Seoul. They can be for catching up, relaxing, eating, studying…or even sleeping. Here are some cafe recommendations around Seoul!
To start, some good areas for cafes are Hapjeong (Hapjeong Station exit 5), Garosugil, and the Samcheong-dong area starting from the back right of the palace. Little back streets in Itaewon also offer up some really nice cafes! To look for more cafes on your own, please refer to this post on how to use Naver for restaurants. Instead of ‘맛집’ put ‘카페.’
1. Cafe Bora (카페 보라)
Located in the cultural and traditional Samcheong-dong, Cafe Bora is a sweet little dessert cafe serving up delicious goguma (sweet potato) desserts. Hidden in an alley, it’s best to map it first. There are plenty of other cafe offerings nearby as well, along with lots of trinket shops. Try their purple goguma ice cream which comes with goguma chips. Their strawberry ice cream is also a delicious choice
2. Dore Dore
A chain cafe, Dore Dore is available in most major malls, but most famously known for its Garosugil location. Try their rainbow cake is light and fluffy and 10/10 instagram worthy. Take lots of pictures!
3. Remicone
You’ve probably seen this store before on other sites. This is a small ice cream shop located in Garosugil. Try their Thundercloud ice cream, made with vanilla ice cream, pop rocks, and topped with cotton candy.
4.Tarr Tarr
One of the many dessert and cafe offerings in Hapjeong, Tarr Tarr offers delicious fruit, egg, and cheese tarts and bean bag seats for you and your friends to enjoy.
5. Billy Angel
Another chain, Billy Angel apparently has some really good crepe cake offerings (I didn’t try it). I recommend their Earl Grey cake.
6. Traveler’s Cafe
Located in Hapjeong, Traveler’s Cafe is a nice place to study, enjoy some tea, and well..plan your travels!
7. Saint Ives (합정 세인트아이브스)
Aesthetic to the max, Saint Ives is another cafe in Hapjeong to check out. The place offers bright light and only 10 cups of milk tea (which is totally delicious) a day. Other drinks are just as good.
8. La Douce
I was hesitant to post this one because I’m not sure when it opens or if it moved locations. Located next to Saint Ives and rarely open, La Douce offers the tastiest cheese shaped cakes (there’s a moldy option) and cat shaped latte art.
9. Eclair By Garuharu (에끌레어 바이 가루하루)
Located in one of the cafe streets of Itaewon, this little shop offers some angelic tasting eclairs with delicate presentations. Stop by and you can explore all the unique little shops and cafes around the area too!
10. Innisfree Cafe
We went to the one in Myeongdong, but there are other branches too. Run by makeup brand Innisfree, the cafe offers fresh and refreshing drinks that are yummy to drink and beautiful to take pictures of.
11. Mug for Rabbit (머그 포 래빗)
A large cafe located in Garosugil, Mug for Rabbit offers some cute rabbit themed cakes (including a very delicious carrot cake) and is a nice place to sit down and talk to friends in.
12. Sulbing (설빙)
The largest sulbing (Korean shaved ice) chain store, Sulbing offers just as many flavors as they have stores, with strawberry topped sulbing in the winter being my favorite.
13. Cafe Pastel
Located in between the Sinchon and Edae area, Cafe Pastel is an aesthetic and quite cafe located on the third floor of a nondescript building. They don’t even have a sign outside, but it’s pretty easy to find. Just start from the Edae entrance, walk down the one lane road towards Sinchon (the church direction) until you reach the crossing. There should be a pretty large red-brown brick building and if you look up, you should see the windows and lights of the hidden cafe.
