Themed Cafes in Seoul, South Korea
I recently went on a coffeecation in search of some of the coolest Themed Cafes in Seoul. I roamed the streets, walked myself silly in circles and found a lot of über cool Themed Cafes. Some cafes I were not too fond of, some I visited just for the quality of the coffee and some cafes’ interior blew my mind!
Even though I had daily caffeine highs from drinking from one cafe to another I know there are still many more unexplored themed cafes in Seoul.
Next time I hope to explore more Themed Cafes in Seoul – more alleys, more areas and more caffeine highs.
Here are 10 Themed Cafes in Seoul
(In the order that I visited them).
Ddong Cafe – Insadong
Theme: Poop.
Coffee Rating: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Don’t miss: The poop waffle!
The Ddong Cafe is a nice little place to rest when you are pooped after shopping in Insadong. Small orange and yellow poop-shaped notes cover the windows, your waffle is in the shape of poop (drizzled with chocolate sauce), plants are growing in a squat potty and there are even toilet mugs!
Directions: Ddong Cafe is located at the top floor of the Ssamziegil complex.
The Coffee Project – Anam
Theme: Coffee! This place is serious about their coffee!
Coffee Rating: 10/10
Atmosphere 9/10
Don’t miss: The Blind Tasting.
The coffee at this piece of heaven amazed my coffee addiction so much that I wrote a separate post with directions here: Coffee Project in Seoul.
If coffee is your drug of choice, your thing and your go-to drink, do yourself a favour and pay them a visit. They are passionate about coffee and know what they are doing.
Directions:Coffee Project in Seoul.
Monster Cupcakes – Itaewon
Theme: Monsters/Halloween.
Coffee Rating: 7/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Don’t miss: The Freaky Cupcakes.
You don’t go to Monster Cupcakes for the coffee, you go for the cupcakes and the weird decorations on the cupcakes! The only reason why I rated the atmosphere 8/10 is because of the size of the place; there are only two tables (one inside and one outside) – most people order their cupcakes to-go. The thought and passion that went into the interior of this place make up for the lack of space.
Directions: Noksapyeong Station, Exit 2. Walk straight, use the underpass to cross street (take the exit on your left). Turn right into that street (on the corner there should be some building with military guys) and walk until you see the church steeple. Monster Cupcakes is on the opposite side.
*I found another (bigger) Monster Cupcakes in Hongdae – if you face the University’s entrance, turn left and walk for about 5 minutes. Same side of the road as the University.
Hoho Myoll – Hongdae
Theme: Volkswagen Kombi/Microbus.
Coffee Rating: 9/10
Atmosphere: 10/10
Don’t miss: The Bathroom.
It’s safe to say that I went completely nuts in this place: It’s not just the coolest themed cafe in Seoul, but it’s the coolest cafe ever! There is an actual VW Kombi inside the cafe and inside that very VW Kombi you can find the most unique place to sit and sip your coffee! It’s a feast for your eyes if you’re a fan of old school vintage cars; you can find anything from art to tiny models, from a logo on a mug to the old classical Mini outside. I couldn’t get enough of Cafe Myoll and went back the next day just to breathe it all in again!
Directions: Take Exit 2 at Sangsu Station (Line 6). Turn left and walk towards Hongik University. Hoho Myoll will be on your right after about 4 minutes.
Thanks Nature Cafe (a.k.a Sheep Cafe) – Hongdae
Theme: Sheep
Coffee Rating: 7/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Don’t miss: The Sheep (I guess).
So. Thanks Nature Cafe. The biggest attraction of this place are the two sheep and it looks like they take really good care of the sheep! That makes me happy, but the African child within wants to release these sheep somewhere in an open field. I don’t like anything zoo-confined-space-related so my opinion is based solely on my inner-African-emotions. Some people really like this place and love petting and feeding the sheep. There are so many positive reviews for Thanks Nature Cafe so try it for yourself!
Directions: Hongik University Station (Line 2), Exit 9. Turn left to go up the hill at the first intersection (towards the University). It’s on the basement floor near the top of the hill. If you are at Cafe Cantata you are at the right spot!
Air Cafe – Hongdae
Theme: Airport & Travel
Coffee Rating: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Don’t miss: Your in-flight meal.
I love airports! So if you put me in a Cafe with an airport-plane-travel theme, I feel right at home. As soon as you reach the elevator everything in your mind shifts and it feels as if you are in an airport, ready to board your flight. The meals are named after countries and served in little dishes on a tray, just like an in-flight meal. Air Cafe’s interior is very original and on your seat you can find actual Korean Air blankets…it’s like being on a plane without any nutty drama.
Directions: Hapyeong Station, Exit 3. Take the first street at your right and turn right at Noroo Paint (which will be on your left). Pass Castle Praha (a building that looks like an old church-castle-thing) and Air Cafe will be on your left on the third floor.
Bau House Dog Cafe – Hongdae
Theme: Dogs
Coffee Rating: Who cares? There are dogs!
Atmosphere: Who cares? There are dogs!
Don’t miss: The big dogs.
Bau House in Seoul is a quick fix for anyone who needs to cuddle with a dog and for anyone who is feeling blue. This is definitely the best dog cafe that I’ve ever been to – I’ve wrote a more in-depth post about the dog cafe, you can read it here: Bau House Dog Cafe in Seoul.
Directions: Bau House Dog Cafe in Seoul.
Cafe Aiya
Theme: A bit of everything.
Coffee Rating: 6/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Don’t miss: The chance to sit in the “attic”.
I walked passed this Cafe a couple of times before I eventually entered. The book shelf in the back caught my attention every single time, but when I entered there were so many other details that made me go “oohh” and “aahh”…like the motorbike mounted to the wall, the old cameras on display, a stunning drawing and a little kind-of-attic-seating-space. It turns out Cafe Aiya is quite popular and was used as a filming location for a few Korean dramas (Rooftop Prince and Superstar K)…I only know this because I Googled it. I only Googled it because when I got my coffee at 19h30 they told me that I should leave by 20h00 because Cafe Aiya will be used to film a drama. Like a true creep I waited outside and saw the vans from MBC TV Station pulling up. My lack of knowledge about Korean drama stars is shockingly bad so even if someone heart-racing famous showed up, it would’ve been lost on me.
You Are Here – Hongdae
Theme: Language Learning.
Coffee: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Don’t miss: The Speakers’ Corner.
I remember the Eat Your Kimchi website from 2009 when I first arrived in Korea.To see how much their online presence has grown is inspiring to say the least! I had no idea what to expect but I was pleasantly surprise. The You Are Here Cafe has a language learning atmosphere (and not only Korean and English): they offer so many classes on location and self-study opportunities. If you want to have a few seconds of fame enter their Speakers’ Corner, speak your mind and record yourself. They have a lot of items on sale such as tote bags and mugs with the coolest drawings and sayings, language learning books and coffee beans. The best thing about the You are Here Cafe (besides the variety on the menu) is the fact that they open at 08h00! A very rare find in Korea.
Directions: Watch their YouTube video: Directions to You Are Here.
Seo Duk Sik Coffee Club Kaldi – Hongdae
Theme: Coffee.
Coffee Rating: 10/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Don’t Miss: The Music.
Cafe Kaldi is a quaint little space in Hongdae with antique coffee presses and only a few tables and chairs. They roast their own coffee over charcoal and have a collection of some the finest beans for hand drip coffee from countries in Africa, South America and South East Asia. I went with the Tanzanian Hand Drip coffee and the Barista made the coffee with such care and precision – it was definitely a coffeegasm moment.
Directions: I honestly can’t remember how I ended up there. 330-10 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Final thoughts:
Cafe with the best coffee: Coffee Project.
Cafe with the best atmosphere: Cafe Myoll.
Cafe which offered the best experience: Bau House Dog Cafe.
Cafe with the best menu: You are Here Cafe.
Cafe which played the best music: Seo Duk Sik Coffee Club Kaldi.
Do you know of any amazing and truly unique Themed Cafes in Seoul? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and finds.