These best cafés in Seoul are a testament to the South Korean capital’s thriving café and coffee culture scenes. Today, over 18,000 coffee shops are sprawled across the city, each one more aesthetically pleasing than the next. You can find themed cafés, hidden-away cafés, and cafés offering incredible views of the capital city. Most places source coffee from growers worldwide and roast the beans in-house.

As a coffee shop paradise, it can be hard to know where’s the best spot to grab the perfect cup of joe. To help you with your caffeine fix – and to snap some great photos for your social media feeds – we’ve rounded up the best cafés in Seoul below.

  • 1

    Fritz Coffee Company Dohwa

    A retro-style café for authentic coffee and freshly baked bread

    Fritz Coffee Company Dohwa
    • Gastronomie
    • Shopping

    Fritz Coffee Company is housed inside a converted 2-storey traditional Korean mansion with a courtyard garden. As the brainchild of a baker, a coffee buyer, and a barista champion, it’s not surprising that the café has attracted a dedicated following of coffee connoisseurs and pastry lovers. On the day of the week, the café is packed with students prepping for exams, office workers socialising during their lunch break, and hipsters taking selfies with the cafe’s quirky decor.

    Premium coffee beans are sourced directly from growers worldwide and then roasted and blended in-house. The drinks menu includes an extensive selection of single-origin pour-overs and classic coffee drinks. To reach the coffee shop, take subway Line 5 (the purple line) to Mapo and walk 500 metres.

    Emplacement : 17 Saechang-ro 2-gil, Dohwa-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Monday–Friday from 8 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-3275-2045

    Carte
  • 2

    Sanmotunggi Coffee

    A quaint hillside café with an incredible terrace

    Sanmotunggi Coffee
    • Couples
    • Gastronomie
    • Luxe

    Take a taxi to Sanmotunggi Coffee for stunning views, great coffee, and a peaceful atmosphere. The café is located in a quiet neighbourhood between Inwang and Bugak mountains. From the outdoor patio seating or any of the cosy rooms, you can enjoy a beautiful vista of Northern Seoul, including the ancient Seoul City Wall.

    The café can get busy on weekends, and it can be hard to get a table. So plan your visit for a weekday if you want a more relaxed experience with fewer people around. To reach Sanmotunggi, take a subway to Gyeongbokgung Station and then a 10-minute taxi uphill to the café's entrance. You know you're at the right place when you see an old yellow VW beetle.

    Emplacement : 153 Baekseokdong-gil, Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Daily from 11 am to 7 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-391-4737

    Carte
  • 3

    Anthracite Coffee

    A haven in Seoul for curious and dedicated coffee drinkers

    Anthracite Coffee
    • Gastronomie

    Anthracite Coffee is a top spot in Seoul dedicated to serving made-to-order speciality drinks prepared with top-quality beans (freshly roasted in-house) from around the world. If you’re unsure what to order, the friendly, helpful baristas can help you. The coffee shop also regularly hosts public cupping for patrons wanting to learn more about the art of coffee brewing.

    There are 5 Anthracite branches in Seoul. But the flagship café in the Hapjeong neighbourhood stands out for its setting in a smartly renovated shoe factory. With moody, industrial-chic decor, complete with an old conveyor belt and a 1910 Probat roaster, this Insta-worthy coffee shop is a great place to hang out for a while and rub shoulders with highly cultured Seoulites.

    Emplacement : 10 Tojeong-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Daily from 9 am to 11 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-336-7850

    Carte

    photo de Alejandro (CC BY 2.0) modifiée

  • 4

    Seoulism

    A trendy spot for a date or to hang with friends

    Seoulism
    • Couples
    • Gastronomie
    • Vie nocturne

    Cafe by day, bar by night, Seoulism is a famous rooftop spot with an outdoor terrace offering spectacular views of Seoul and the Lotte World Tower. The café’s prices are elevated, but snapping Insta-worthy photos of one of the tallest buildings in the world makes it worth the extra cost.

    The best time to visit is at sunset. Then, stay on to enjoy a night view of Seoul. However, it can get very crowded in the evening. If you want to avoid waiting in line, consider visiting in the early afternoon. To reach Seoulism, take line 9 to Songpanaru Station (exit 1) or Line 8 to Seokchon Station (exit 2), then walk a few blocks to the nondescript, industrial-looking building and take the elevator to the 6th floor.

    Emplacement : 48-7 Songpa-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Daily from 1 pm to 11 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-412-0812

    Carte
  • 5

    Greem Cafe

    One of Seoul’s most photographed locales

    Greem Cafe
    • Couples
    • Gastronomie
    • Photographie

    At Greem Cafe, scores of visitors line up outside daily, waiting to experience and snap selfies at one of Seoul’s most unique cafés. The café was inspired by the hit Korean animated Web series W, where the main character is stuck between our world and an alternate cartoon reality.

    As you enter the café, you find yourself transported into the pages of a cartoonist’s notebook. Everything inside this shop – the walls, furniture, decor, and coffee mugs – is crafted with black and white decorative elements. The result is a bizarre optical illusion. Every nook and cranny appears 2-dimensional, like an illustration come to life.

    Emplacement : 161-10 Seongmisan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 03980, South Korea

    Ouverture : Wednesday–Sunday from midday to 9 pm (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)

    Téléphone : +82 (0)10-5870-8633

    Carte
  • 6

    Jean Frigo

    A café disguised as a fruit stall

    Jean Frigo
    • Gastronomie
    • Luxe
    • Vie nocturne

    Jean Frigo is a unique café in Seoul. From the outside, it doesn't look like anything more than an unassuming fruit store with large refrigerators in the back. However, you won't find any food when you open those metallic doors. Instead, you'll enter a stunning 2-floor bar-café-cum-speakeasy with several differently-themed rooms.

    Order one of the bar's signature fruity cocktails, and then cosy up in a room with moody rainbow lighting and sunken seating areas. When you need a re-fill, use the vintage telephone booth to call the staff.

    Emplacement : Toegye-ro 62-gil, Gwanghuidong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Tuesday–Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday from midday to 10 pm, Sunday from 5 pm to 10 pm (closed on Mondays)

    Téléphone : +8 (0)2-2227-51933

    Carte
  • 7

    Thanks, Oat

    A pet-friendly yoghurt and granola bowl speciality café

    Thanks, Oat
    • Couples
    • Gastronomie

    For a healthy brunch, Thanks, Oat in Seoul serves a wide variety of delicious granola and yoghurt bowls. Toppings include kiwi, blueberry, banana, cacao nibs, roasted nuts, coconut chunks, and chia seeds. You can also order bagels and smoothie bowls.

    Note that the café doesn’t serve coffee. But one sip of the foamy hot chocolate, with chocolate shavings on top, and you won’t even think about caffeine. Take the Gyeongui–Jungang Line to Gajwa Station to get to the café. Thanks, Oat is a 10-minute walk from exit 1. Korean television drama fans will be happy to know this café was featured in the 2019 South Korean TV series Romance is a Bonus Book.

    Emplacement : 68 Seongmisan-ro 23-gil, Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Daily from 11 am to 8 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-3144-0890

    Carte
  • 8

    Coffee Nap Roasters

    Sustainable coffee and a fascinating interior design

    Coffee Nap Roasters
    • Couples
    • Gastronomie
    • Photographie
    • Insolite

    Coffee Nap Roasters is a tiny coffee shop in the charming Yeonnam-dong neighbourhood with an extraordinary interior design. Seoul has its fair share of eccentric cafés, but have you been to a glasshouse café with a hill of bricks inside? This café, with floor-to-ceiling windows on 2 sides, is built around a mound covered by 7,000 red bricks.

    The undulating design creates an unusual and striking space where patrons can enjoy their coffee wherever they like. There are benches and stools on the side where you can relax after you’ve snapped photos sitting on this incredibly Instagrammable spot.

    Emplacement : 453-32 Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Daily from 9 am to 9 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-332-4131

    Carte
  • 9

    Cerulean Insa

    A modern café with inventive drinks

    Cerulean Insa
    • Couples
    • Gastronomie
    • Photographie

    Cerulean is a quiet hideaway tucked away in a narrow alleyway that’s perfect for refuelling when you’re exploring Seoul’s lively Insadong district. Coffee is prepared with premium, locally roasted beans. For the ultimate pick-me-up, order the signature Tarae In Spanner. This delicious mix of americano coffee, cream, and peanut flavouring is topped with traditional sil-tarae (Chinese cotton candy).

    The café’s modern, sophisticated architecture has made it a superstar on social media. Half of the coffee shop, which includes the seating area, is set in a hanok – a traditional Korean house. And the other half consists of a sleek glass structure showcasing the barista’s workspace.

    Emplacement : 17 Insadong 12-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Daily from 11 am to 8 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)2-735-5865

    Carte
  • 10

    943 King's Cross

    Brings to life the wizarding world of Harry Potter

    943 King's Cross
    • Familles
    • Gastronomie
    • Photographie
    • Insolite

    943 King's Cross is a Harry Potter-themed café spread across 4 floors in Seoul. It’s a must for fans wanting an immersive experience based on the magical wizard world. Every corner has been carefully decorated with Harry Potter-related decor and details. From the front door that resembles the fictional 9 ¾ train platform to Hog's Head, you'll be able to spot plenty of book and movie references.

    Highlights include the Great Hall, Gryffindor Common Room, Ollivander's wand shop, and a wizard dormitory that feels like a Hogwarts dormitory during winter. There are also robes, wands and scarves that you can try on and take pictures of. The café is free to enter, but you'll have to order something before you start exploring.

    Emplacement : 24 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Ouverture : Monday–Thursday from 11.30 am to 9.30 pm, Friday–Sunday from 10 am to 9.30 pm

    Téléphone : +82 (0)50-7138-32112

    Carte
Jacqui de Klerk | Auteur collaborateur