Blog Post
Culture Trip – Blog post submission for Korea: Food & Drink
10 Trendiest Cafés in Seoul
ONE.
Cafe at 10 Corso Como in Cheongdam is where fashion and art stylishly come together. It’s a great place to go to browse their large selection of fabulous fashion and art coffee table books and unique foreign fashion labels. In this mecca of modernity and high style, tucked away to the side, is their modernly designed art café and a spacious outdoor patio. 79 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea +82 2-547-3010
TWO.
Rubrica is the newest addition to Cheongdam’s list of trendy high-end coffee shops catering to Seoul’s fashionable elite. Located inside the recently constructed flagship store of Boon the Shop, designed by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects of New York, visitors drink at the sleek cafe and shop the latest trends from a carefully curated selection of luxury goods and collections from many of the up and coming designers of today. 82-3 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea +82 2-317-0397
THREE.
La Maison de la Categorie is a French neo-brasserie that also happens to serve their caffé americanos with a heaping side of Parisian chic. La Maison allows you to dabble in americano alchemy, inviting you to to discover your own perfect ratio of espresso to hot water. Along side their cafe menu is a stellar dessert menu, where their pastry chef presents thoughtfully reinvented desserts with unique flavor combinations. So, sip your perfected drink, nibble on their decadent ice box cake, and enjoy the glamorous art deco interior designed by the internationally-renowned interior architect, Adam Tihany. It will be an experience you won’t soon forget. 85 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea +82 2-545-6640
FOUR.
The flagship of Vecchia e Nuovo City Delicatessen and Cafe, situated next to Dosan Park, is a great place to go if you want to stroll through an idyllic park and then come to this loft like coffee shop to drink your warm vanilla latte as you watch the sunlight play shadow games or the rain spatter on the ground outside through its big bay windows. They also have a great assortment of organic salads and sandwiches for trendy ladies-who-lunch and fashionable couples who frequent this cozy space. 631-22, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea +82 2-514-0699
FIVE.
Just like its quirky name, Mug for Rabbit is a cute modern two-story cafe and cakery in a four story building tucked into a side street of Sinsa’s trendy Garosu-gil. Try one of their experimental drinks, like their wasabi latte or their refreshing blended drinks called snow. Sit outside their patio for great people-watching, take your laptop to the second floor and use their big tables and free wi-fi, or head up to their brother joint, Cork for Turtle on the third floor for pasta dishes or their rooftop Turtle Bar for sunset cocktails. 545-1, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea +82 2-548-7488
SIX.
Independent Coffee is the urban hipster coffee shop hidden away in a back street of Garosu-gil. Garosu-gil trendsetters lazily spend warm afternoons on the big patio sipping espressos and fresh house-made cold brews (or what Koreans like to call, dutch coffees). This is one of the few places in Seoul where the baristas greet you with a genuine smile. So come here for the expertly made coffee, friendly baristas, and their delicious food. 532-10, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Korea +82 2-543-7584
SEVEN.
The entry with its massive ornate chandelier and fountain into Passion 5 and L’Atelier is a preview of the grandiose variety that this multi-cafe offers. From gourmet chocolates, confectioneries to beautifully crafted cakes and pastries to their extensive cafe drink menu, there is a little something for everyone in this popular, chic, and modernly detailed cafe. 272, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea +82 2-2071-9505
EIGHT.
There are two Chan Bros Coffee shops neighboring each other in the area of Seoul’s new trendy it spot-among-foodies called Gyeongniidan-gil. After the first one opened to much success and popularity, the owner, a retired marketing designer with a love for coffee, opened another one high up on a hill overlooking the Yongsan neighborhood not far off from their original shop. Either in their cozy original shop with their long wooden bar or their new location with fabulous city views, try their hand-frothed iced cappuccinos, which taste excellent. 561 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea +82 70-8863-6353
NINE.
The owner, Bang Jong-Koo of Coffee Lab, won the Korean Barista Championship in 2005 and opened this ‘brewing and extraction Coffee Lab’ in 2008. Located in the heart of the bohemian and eclectic neighborhood of Hongdae, patrons walk into what seems like a dark alchemist cave of coffee creation. This coffee shop offers a wide variety of coffee-making methods, from slow pour overs to rich espressos. Coffee Lab is regarded highly among coffee connoisseurs because of their baristas’ commitment to not only continuously perfecting their craft but also for roasting finely tuned coffee blends from their roastery not far off from their shop, which means, every customer can drink the freshest and best tasting coffee every visit. 327-19 Seogyo-dong Mapo-gu, Seoul South Korea +82 2-3143-0908
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TEN.
You Are Here is a café turning a year old this upcoming fall. It was started as a cooperative project between two famous groups (famous at least in the expat and YouTube communities), one called Eat Your Kimchi (EYK) and the other called Talk to Me in Korean (TTMIK). EYK started out as a husband and wife pair doing YouTube videos for their families and friends back home, updating people at home on their lives as they taught English in Korea. Then, they became big YouTube celebrities amongst expats in Korea, westernized Koreans, and foreigners caught in the Hallyu Wave. TTMIK is a company that publishes materials helping people learn Korean. They started off with podcasts, YouTube videos, and free lessons/worksheets, then became so popular that they compiled everything into official books and e-books and tapes and a whole slew of educational materials. Their joint café venture is awesome. The interior is cute, simple, and unique, wired for and tailored to the social networks on which they became popular (mainly YouTube). The menu is simple but delicious and high-quality. Hands down the thickest and most mom-and-pop-American-diner-esque best milkshakes in all of Korea! Donggyo-ro 25-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea +82 10-1111-1111
