Planning to go to Hongdae? Do remember to fit in some time to visit the cafés in Hongdae! There are many cafés there so incase you need some assistance in choosing which cafés to visit, check out the post below!
Piano Cafe (피아노 카페)
Location: Hongdae Station (Line 2) Exit 9
The piano cafe is housed on a hill in the western area of Hongdae and its elegant yet all-embracing interior is full of submissive of wood tones and bright, colorful contrasting details. This cafe brings a perfect fit for the neighborhood with it’s Hongdae-hipster vibe. There is a piano at the cafe which visitors are welcomed to play and show off their piano skills; but if there is no piano player, you will be left with the radio, playing quiet tunes of jazz music accustomed to the seasons of Korea. Behind all that, you get a full array of hand-dripped coffee at a reasonable price If you love the aura of a Mozart-esque atmosphere of a cafe, you will love this cafe.
Coffeest
Location: Gwangwhamun Station (광화문역, Line 5), Exit 7.
Walk towards Seodaemun (서대문). Take right at the Salvation Army Center and walk ~400 meters to the Sungkok Museum. It’s on the left.
This place is great for dates, alone time or just simply enjoying the overall scenery of the cafe itself. It’s burrowed deep behind the Gyeonghuigung Palace, along a secretive street in Nasu-dong. The cafe is a bit cluttered, but it is very cozy and it’s single-room shop is a popular oasis in a neighborhood better known for its upper impudence of homes. The coffee is excellent here, and the cafe offers a wealth of distractions to occupy you while your beverage is being prepared. In the room you will find various toys, beautiful cups, and random items that seems like someone is in the search of an art project.
Coffee of Dream (가베두림)
Location: Sinchon Station (신’천’, Line 2) Exit 4. Go to Artreon Cinema building which is roughly a ~500m walk. Cabae Duream is located on the 13th floor.
Located high above the industrious sidewalks of Seoul, this cafe brews very fine coffee. This place is 13 stories above the street and it’s somewhat surprisingly quiet and has a quiet atmosphere. A few tables are set among a hedge of Korean boxwoods and there is an open space topped by a network of vines. The cafe is also a coffee museum.
“5 Extracts” Cafe
The name 5 extracts refers to the “Body, Aroma, Sweetness, Acidity, and Bitterness, which is essentially the elements that should be added in a coffee for a balanced brew. Their coffee is roasted in house itself, using a machine called the Diedrich. You get to choose the way your coffee is brewed through the methods available on the menus. The coffee selection is pretty standard, but there is a constantly changing menu of specialty listed items, made by the barista champs, i.e. the orange and cream over espresso.
Cafe Wee
Cafe Wee stands for “We Enjoy Espresso” and “Wee” (we) as in “let’s build a community. Cafe Wee is more than your typical cafe – they go out and provide jobs for immigrant women, many of whom come to Korea to work or marry and send money back home to their families. This cafe allows for people to learn the art of coffee while being able to attain jobs for people who want to gain some independence and build opportunities, something that is very difficult for immigrants in Korea (Korea is a very competitive country). Cafe Wee operates with local government support, and there is no shame in that. 100% of their profit goes towards programs that provide assistance for these women trying to live as an immigrant here in Korea and other disadvantaged multi-cultural families & their children. Oh, and their coffee starts at around 2,500 won.
“Tree Shade Cafe” (Nameu Guneul – 나무그늘)
Location: Gangnam (Line 2)
This place is spacious and has a super simple interior design. If you manage to grab a window seat, you get a nice view of the beautiful area of Gangnam (very relaxing on snowy and rainy days). This cafe also has specialty coffee, like the sweet potato cafe latte. Put the coffee aside now. There is also Dr. Fish here! For 2,000 won, you get to stick your feet into a small pool of guppies who eat off the dead skin cells of your feet.
Club Espresso
If you’re going for affordable and quality coffee, then you gotta check out Club Espresso which is minutes away from Seoul Fortress Wall’s Changuimun entrance. Club Espresso has been brewing their coffee since 1990. Its rusty and wooden interior has a very bright, moody, yet inviting appeal. The cafe is known for bringing some of the best beans from around the world. You’ll find coffee from a lot of the South American countries and you can buy 100 and 200 gram bags. Beans are all roasted on site.
Cafe Jeje
If you know anything about coffee, you’ll know that South American and Central American countries make the best coffees in the world. Get the Ethiopia, it’s only 3,000 won for a great cup of coffee, which is honestly a bargain. This cafe is a great place to relax and also good on catching up with your reading. They also have free wi-fi. Overall, the best thing about this place what truly makes it different from other cafes is the coffee beans.
“Chicu Chicu” Dog Cafe (치쿠치쿠)
Going to Cafe Pawz in the busy district of Gangnam helps me alleviate that crave for pets. Residents of Seoul can bring their dogs and not have to worry about stares from people on the subway. They offer refreshing drinks and coffee, but that’s not the main reason you come to this place! You come to greet the many types of dogs they have! Great place to just chill and have fun with friends, and of course – dogsCoffee Lab
327-19 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 327-19), +82 2 3143 0908
Open Mondays-Thursdays 11 a.m.-midnight, Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Coffee Lab caters to the experimental, with a menu that includes espressos with rum or Kahlua.Coffee Lab feels that you’ve walked into some architecturally-hip scientist’s lair: dark steel interior, exposed piping and walls lined with glass vials and unidentifiable roasting instruments. Owner and barista Bang Jong-Koo roasts all of his beans at nearby Coffee Lab Roasters, Coffee Lab’s roaster and factory. The most popular blend at the time of writing is the “Mad Scientist,” sold by the cup or bag (200 grams for ₩12,000). Those 18 and over might be tickled by the menu’s “Advanced Coffee (Adults Only)” section, the most titillating of which is 사나이커피 or “Man’s Coffee,” a shot of espresso laced with rum and topped with foamed milk.Ding Dong Cafe
333-24 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 333-24), +82 2 334 3381
Open Mondays-Fridays 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m., weekends 11 a.m. -11:30 p.m.
A Traveler’s Cafe tucked in a golmok, or street, off Hongdae’s café golmok, Ding Dong takes its traveling sub-moniker to heart with compasses and old maps strewn about the café and clocks set at all time zones. It is like climbing into an old-world explorer’s attic gone wild on primary colors: bright blue walls, yellow shelves and rough-hewn red tables and chairs.
Pick any of the four seating spaces: to the left are low tables on a wooden maru floor, to the right is the smoking room, farther back is a private room that seats 10 and single diners can take seats up at the bar. Ding Dong is best known for its brunch -- the Traveler’s Brunch comes with a bagel, cream cheese and jam, scrambled eggs, tomatoes and salad with balsamic vinaigrette for ₩9,000.
Cafe Suda
338-3 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 338-3), +82 2 3142 9131
Open Sundays-Thursdays 1 p.m.-11 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays 1 p.m.- midnight
Suda -- cozy, warm and cuddly.Suda dubs itself “The Chatty Library,” and it’s easy to see why: drunk and emptied wine bottles sit beside novels and encyclopedia sets on the bookshelves. In keeping with its library theme, Suda has long desks with lanterns and mismatched chairs. Its leather couches and armchairs are pushed a little too closely together, perhaps designed to create conversational nooks. Suda serves pancakes, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Recommended is the rosemary roast chicken, cucumber and mayo sandwich for ₩7,500, hold the cream cheese.In addition to the usual coffee and tea fare, this Hongdae café also serves beer, sangria by the glass and wine by the bottle.Hand Made World
327-35 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 327-35) +82 2 393 7741
Open Mondays-Fridays 10 a.m.-8 p.m., weekends 10 a.m.-12 a.m.
Handmade World seems to be part of a new hybrid of cafe-slash-handcrafts shop. From the walls hang hand-stitched purses, coasters and tchotchkes made by the owner, Song Jin-suk. The café feels more like a quaint English countryside teahouse than trendy café. It’s so quiet, tapping away on a laptop can sound like a jackhammer. Song hosts weekly needlework classes. Call ahead to reserve a spot. Handmade World boasts the cheapest coffee prices at ₩2,500 for a café Americano.
If you want to search for more good cafes to go to in Seoul, here is a list for you to choose from! Seoul has many different types of unique, themed cafes that are not only good places to relax and chill but also great for photo taking!