TOP 20 Unique New Cafés to Try in Korea (2020)
1. Blue Bottle Coffee Korea
A famous American coffee brand, The Blue Bottle Coffee has launched its first café in South Korea on May 3, 2019, marking a new phase of growth for the company in Asia.
Blue Bottle Korea e is located in the Seongsu neighborhood, often referred to as the “Brooklyn” of Seoul.
Besides serving a selection of blend and single-origin drip coffees, iced coffees, and espresso drinks, Blue Bottle Korea also offers pastries exclusively created for the company by local patissier, Maison M.O.
Address: 7 Achasan-ro, Seongsu-dong 1(il)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day. 8 am – 8 pm.
Telephone: +82 2-6212-6998
Website: https://bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/seongsu
2. Cielo 957 café
This newly launched café has been taking over the gram with its “Stairway to Heaven” photos.
It is reported that the café has been attracting queues everyday where people would wait for almost an hour just to take photos.
This café recently began operations on April 27, 2019, and is located at Located in Gokseong, Jeollanam-do.
Besides the stairway, there are also piano and chandelier decorations where you can take photos and pretend like you are shooting for a music video.
Address: 957 Majeon-ri, Gyeom-myeon, Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Open daily, 12pm to 9pm
Website: https://cafebot.kr/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral
3. Cafe.Bot, Seoul
Cafe.bot is a new café where robots will make you drinks and desserts.
The café was launched on August 7, 2019, by a robotics company, T-Robotics and is located at Seongsu-dong making this the first robot café in Korea.
Inside the café, a drip bot is used to make coffee and espresso while a drink bot is used to make tequilas and cocktails.
There are also dessert bots that draw various designs and emojis on selected cakes.
Unlike a human barista, the drip bot knows the perfect formula for brewing coffee and will never go wrong.
Despite being a robot barista, this technology still has a long way to go as it does not work faster than a human barista neither does it function with a voice command.
Drip Bot
Address: 8 Achasan-ro 9(gu)-gil, Seongsu 2(i)-ga 3(sam)-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open everyday. 8 am – 10 pm.
Telephone: +82 2-499-9219
Website: https://cafebot.kr/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral
4. Welcome Records
Welcome Records is part café and part retail store under one roof.
The café is located at Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
You can either choose to shop for some vinyl and other merchandise or have some coffee with pastries on the outdoor seating area.
Address: Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
5. Café de Paris
Café de Paris first appeared in Japan back in February this year.
Café de Paris was opened on November 1, 2019, at Laforet Harajuku.
To celebrate the launch of the first branch in Korea, the new shop has developed anew item which is exclusively available only at the Laforet Harajuku branch – the “Kumo Smoothie.”
This smoothie comes in pink strawberry milk flavor and blue sky-colored soda flavor.
Café de Paris's famous fruit-topped BonBon parfaits are also being with the upper part of the parfait towering 20cm high.
Address: 40 Myeongdong 10-gil, Chungmuro 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day. 11 am – 12 am.
Telephone: +82 2-755-9646
Website: http://cafedeparis.kr/
6. Delicious Art Café
The National Gallery Company launched its first National Gallery’s international café, Delicious Art Café located in the Lotte Shopping Mall.
The National Gallery Delicious Art café was designed by Teo Yang Studio, who throughout used the architecture of the National Gallery building in London as an inspiration.
The café features an oversized replica of Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond and Van Gogh’s, Van Gogh’s Chair.
Address: 137, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04537, South Korea
Telephone: +82 2-6310-1099
Website: http://www.ngdeliciousart.com/ utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral
7. Hosting House
Hosting House is a beautiful café located in Seongsudong that does not only serve delicious food and drinks but they also sell unique local products.
The café consists of two sides with different atmospheres.
One side has the Upper East Side New York vibe and the other side is like a Brooklyn style bar.
The left side is a cozy showroom shop.
You can buy almost anything that you see -sofa, coffee table, magazine rack, pet feeder for your doggy and ‘Le Labo’ body care products.
Afterward, you will spot the Brooklyn bar & café that serve coffee and delicious desserts.
You can experience the city view on the white rooftop garden! The bar even opens until midnight.
Address: Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Mon – Friday, 5pm-12am
Saturday – 12pm-12am
Sunday – 12-10pm
Telephone: +82 2-2039-6606
Website: https://www.hostinghouse.co.kr/
8. ELLIE Café
The Ellie Café is located at Ikseong-dong where tradition meets the present.
The Ellie café maintained the old Hanok or traditional Korean house.
The open ceiling concept brings fresh sunlight to the café that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling.
The café also serves delicious cakes and deep roasted coffee.
They even serve cocktails, beer, liqueurs, and wine.
Address: 21-6 Supyo-ro 28-gil, Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening Hours: Fri – Sat: 11am to 11pm
Sun – Thurs: 11am to 10pm
Telephone: +82 2-2135-3360
9. Yeonnam Bangagan Café
Yeonnam Bangagan Café is a little different from other cafés in Korea.
Here in the café, you will find pressed sesame oil in glass bottles used to decorate the café.
The café also sells these sesame seed oil
This elegant three-story café has antique wooden furniture all around and there is a huge chandelier in the middle of the café as well. Each floor also has different themes.
Address: 34 Donggyo-ro 29-gil, Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Opening hours: Open every day except Mondays. 12pm-9pm
10. Bakery Café Delight
Bakery Café Delight features bakery from top pastry chefs.
Every pastry chef from the café has a certificate from Le Cordon Bleu so you will definitely not be disappointed.
The café has a European vibe with small lighting which makes it a perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee and desserts in an afternoon.
Address: 31-3, Dosan-daero 13-gil, Gangnam-gu
Seoul, Korea
Opening hours: Open everyday, 10.30am – 11 pm
Telephone: +82 2-547-2955
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bakerycafe-Delight/608895119472735
11. Butter Book
Just like its name, the café looks like a block of butter outside its aluminum wrapper.
Since the café is small and only has 10 seaters, most people just do a grab and go.
They offer a simple but concise menu such as the French butter scones, cakes, drip coffee, brewed tea, and flavored milk.
Address: 31-2 Yongsandong 2(i)-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day except Monday. 2 PM -8 PM.
Website: https://www.instagram.com/butterbook.kr/ za
12. Zapangi
The entrance to the Zapangi café is behind a bright pink vending machine.
Almost everything on the menu has some pink on it.
Drinks such as milk are served in cute corked glass bottle and cakes are served in tins.
Their tin cakes are a must-try and it comes in 4 flavors – Coffee, Blueberry, Cherry and Mermaid.
Address: 400-2 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Everday open. 11 am – 11pm
Telephone: +82 2-325-8185
Website: https://www.instagram.com/zapangi_official/
13. 943 Kings Cross Harry Potter Café
This Harry Potter-themed café is a popular hangout spot among Korean youths.
However, the staff will only allow you to go in batch by batch.
The café is carefully decorated with chandeliers, wands, chess sets and even books related to Harry Potter.
Address: 417 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Mon – Thurs: 11.30 am – 10 pm
Friday- Sunday: 9.30am-10pm
14. Ryan's Café
For those who are unaware, the Kakaotalk app is Korea's number 1 mobile messenger app and the café is inspired by the characters from the stickers on the app.
There are 3 stories in the café which features Ryan, Muzi, Apeach in various toys, clothes and accessories.
The café also serves strawberry Cake, strawberry Ice Cream, green tea Latte and citrus grapefruit ade.
Address: 429, Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu | 3F, Kakao Friends Gangnam, Seoul 06612, South Korea
Opening hours: Open daily, 10.30am-10pm
Telephone: +82 2-6494-1100
15. Thanks, Nature Café
Thanks Nature Café or also known as the Sheep Café is the only place in Seoul where you can eat and drink with the company of two fluffy sheep.
The sheep are kept safely in a sheep pen away from the café so you don't have to worry about them sipping on your drink our raking a bite from your waffles!
Address: 10 Hongik-ro, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day. 11 am – 10pm
Telephone: +82 2-332-7470
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TNcafe?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral
16. Dreamy Camera Café
The café building is designed to look exactly like a Rolleflex Twin Camera.
This café was built by Park Sung-Hwan and his wife Kwak Myung-Lee.
The couple always dreamed of owning their own café.
The couple decorated the interiors of the café to really reflect their personalities.
In the café, you'll find a range of cameras and books about photography.
Address: 341-13 Jungwon-ri, Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am-6pm
Telephone: +82 31-771-3264
17. Blind Alley Racoon Café
You might have visited of dog and cats cafés but I am pretty sure you haven't been to a raccoon café!
While big cities in South Korea are constantly working hard to prevent the raccoons from invading, the Blind Alley Racoon Café welcomes city-dwelling trash pandas to join you for a cup of coffee!
This is your chance to get up and personal with these wild animals that your mum told you to stay away from!
Address: 76 Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Cheongpadong 2(i)-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day. 11.30am – 10pm
Telephone: +82 2-701-6075
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Alley/275901775761152
18. Ddo-Ong Café – Poop Café
Just in case you didn't know Ddong is the Korean word for poo poo.
This café that is dedicated to poo located on the top Ssamzigil shopping centre.
Everything from food selection, beverages, and decor match the poo poo theme.
Spaghetti with chunky meat sauce served in a toilet shaped bowl.
Address: Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day. 10.30 am – 9 pm
19. Café Yeonnam-Dong 239-20
Café Yeonnam-dong 239-20 will have your Instagram followers think you've photoshopped yourself into a comic book.
The entire café is made out in a black and white cartoon styled setting.
To match the decorations, food and drinks are also served in the same black-and-white monochrome plates and cups.
Make sure to avoid wearing black and white if you want to pop in your photos!
Address: 23, Donggyo-ro 45-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 03983, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day. 11 am-9pm
Telephone: +82 10-7252-8633
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-%EC%97%B0%EB%82%A8%EB%8F%99-239-20/118875048837955
20. Jean Frigo
Jean Frigo is an underground café hidden behind a fridge.
At first glance, the entrance of this café tricks you into thinking that it is just a storage space for fruits and vegetables.
There are two levels in the café with different themed rooms at each level.
You will find a futuristic dining room and romantic room with sunken seats and rainbow lights.
Address: Toegye-ro 62-gil, Gwanghuidong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Open every day except Sunday. 12pm-2am
Telephone: +82 2-2275-1933
Website: https://www.instagram.com/jeanfrigo_official/
Have you visited any of these cafés in Korea?
Which ones are you the most excited about to visit?
Let us know in the comments below!
Responses