Korea has a widespread franchise and independent café culture, and you can easily make a day of café-hopping from one popular, Instagram-worthy café to the next. Because of this, there are many cafés that have risen to fame on social media, for their amazing food, beautiful aesthetics, or both!
But there are so many cafés in Seoul that I believe deserve to be experienced that haven’t had their moment to shine. Here I’ve compiled a list of three viral cafés you have to add to your Seoul itinerary, and three cafés you’ll have never heard of that are well worth a visit!
Three Viral Cafés
Cafe Onion
When it comes to viral cafés, the first one that comes to mind is Cafe Onion. If you are looking for interesting independent cafés, then look no further than Seongsu, one of Seoul’s trendiest hotspots that’s home to an abundance of old warehouses-turned-cafés and cultural spaces. And if there is one café that truly captures the vibe of ‘the Brooklyn of Seoul’, it’s Cafe Onion.
Cafe Onion is the epitome of industrial cafes, and it’s no surprise they are one of the most famous cafés in Seoul. It also opens at 9am, which is very early for Seoul where cafes usually don’t open until around 11am, so it’s great if you’re an early bird or still getting over that jet lag! For the best (and least crowded) experience, join the entrance queue at 9am and take a seat on the rooftop to watch the subway trains pass overhead. Their pastries are absolutely worth the hype too; I highly recommend the sweet treats such as the fruit and cream topped croissants or the chocolate covered salt bread. Cafe Onion also serves their own blend of coffee, and you can buy merchandise at the counter to let everyone know you’ve been to the coolest cafe in Seoul. It can get very busy, especially at weekends, so I recommend visiting on a weekday morning for a delicious coffee and pastry breakfast.
To get to Cafe Onion, take Subway Line 2 to Seongsu Station and take Exit 2.
Address: 8, Achasan-ro 9-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
KakaoMap Pin: https://kko.kakao.com/6zRWFogp6H
Mooni
This café in Apgujeong is known for its aesthetics, and is a great café to visit if you are looking for Instagram-worthy pictures! There are photo spots located all around, including a dedicated photospot on the roof which you may have to line up for, depending on when you visit. And well-fitting with such a beautiful cafe are the pretty pastries you can buy here – but believe me, they are not just pretty, but tasty too!
Their signature pastries are their Ribbon Croissants, which stand out due to their cute bow shape and come in a variety of flavours. I visited in December and they had a range of festive themed breads and pastries too. If you want to try an assortment of beautiful, unique and delicious pastries as well as snapping some great holiday pictures, then I highly recommend this café.
To get to Mooni, take the Suin-Bundang Subway Line to Apgujeong Rodeo Station and take Exit 5.
Address: 16, Apgujeong-ro 56-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
KakaoMap Pin: https://kko.kakao.com/Ez2N0-QPG2
Dasique Cafe
One of the newest popular cafes on this list is the Dasique Cafe, in Seongsu. Dasique is a newly popular makeup brand in Korea, and so a visit to their store is well worth it just for that – but their café is what makes the store truly special. You will most likely have to join a virtual queue by entering your phone number, but it’s worth the wait (and gives you an excuse to go and explore Seongsu in the meantime!)
In this café, you can surround yourself with pink velvet and white marble, while munching on the prettiest cakes you may have ever seen. And the biggest reason I am recommending this café out of all the many viral Korean locations these days – the cakes actually taste so good! When it comes to cafés that are viral on social media, they can often focus more on how their food looks than how it tastes, but that is not an issue here. I tried the rose chocolate cake and the lemon pistachio cake and both were incredibly delicious. If you arrive early you can even try their most famous earl grey flavoured dessert, shaped like Dasique’s bear icon – but this sells out fast, so get there early if you want to try it!
To get to this Dasique store, take Subway Line Number 2 and Exit 4 at Seongsu Station; it’s located opposite the iconic Dior building.
Address: 6, Yeonmujang 5-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
KakaoMap Pin: https://kko.kakao.com/sIOXPy19M6
…And Three That Should Be!
Cafe Letter
My first pick for lesser-known cafés that deserve a visit is in one of my favorite areas for cute independent cafes: Hapjeong. Walk down a street in Hapjeong and you’re sure to find an independent café with great pastries and desserts, but I highly recommend Cafe Letter due to their interesting, and most importantly delicious, pastries. These cube-shaped croissant-like ‘buns’ are so unique, and come in a variety of flavours, including vanilla cream, cherry pistachio and tiramisu. Try the sweetcorn flavour if you’re adventurous (it’s actually pretty good)! My personal favorite is the Coconut Mango Bun as the combination tastes amazing; the pastry itself is solid enough that it doesn’t become soggy with the cream, making it an enjoyable texture.
The coffees, teas and ades here are also very good, with three different coffee blends to choose from, and the spacious room boasting white and light wood furnishings makes it a great place to relax. Due to the abundance of cafés in the area, this one tends to be much quieter than the viral ones I mentioned earlier, so it’s well worth checking out. And a bag or mug with their simple paper airplane logo makes a great, unassuming souvenir.
To get to Cafe Letter, Take Line Number 2 or 6 to Hapjeong Station and take Exit 3.
Address: 6, Yeonmujang 5-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
KakaoMap Pin: https://kko.kakao.com/kt8LoK7YUN
Ceci Cela
Ceci Cela, located near Dosan Park in Apgujeong, is themed traditional European cafés, so you may be wondering why it’s a must-visit during a trip to Seoul – but if you are in the Apgujeong area, it’s truly a must-do!
While all the cakes in this café are delicious (believe me, I have tried them all!) nothing compares to their signature carrot cake. This cake is made in house and sells out so quickly that they have to put up signs to warn customers that want to try it to arrive early. I’m not sure what it is about this cake; maybe it’s the moistness of the cake itself combined with the Asian-style lightly sweet and slightly salty cream cheese frosting that makes it so good, but either way, if you are a fan of carrot cake then you have to try it. The slices are enormous too, so I recommend sharing with a friend while sipping on cinnamon milk tea, another favorite of mine. If you’re not a carrot cake lover, their sweet potato cheesecake and double chocolate cake are also fantastic.
To get to Ceci Cela, take the Suin-Bundang Subway Line to Apgujeong Rodeo Station and take Exit 5. It’s about a 10 minute walk away, near Dosan Park.
Address: 10-4, Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
KakaoMap Pin: https://kko.kakao.com/RO6H2bIoIr
Urban Nook
A new café located near Seoul Forest, Urban Nook is a cosy New York-themed café known for their soft American-style cookies. Urban Nook is the perfect spot to sit and recharge; you can even do some people-watching from the balcony! There are a variety of different flavoured cookies to choose from, but my personal favorite is the strawberry cheesecake one – and they sell brownies, muffins and ice cream too.
Since it’s a new café, it tends to be quieter than others around it despite being located in the main Café Alley next to Seoul Forest, so it’s the perfect unexpected spot to relax and grab a coffee without having to wait too long. You may even receive a sugar cookie on the house as ‘service’ (an accommodating gesture from cafés and restaurants in Korea to ensure you have a great experience).
To get to Urban Nook, take the Suin-Bundang Subway Line to Seoul Forest Station and take Exit 5. Alternatively, take Line Number 2 to Ttukseom Station and take Exit 8.
Address: 26-20, Seoulsup 4-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
KakaoMap Pin: https://kko.kakao.com/yc5sBsgG-H
If you’re looking to spend time in Seoul, you can do so on our 25-day South Korea and Japan Combo Tour, which takes you all over these two incredible countries.
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