Korea's bustling cafe scene boasts a myriad of unique flavors and treats, presenting a delightful dilemma for any dessert enthusiast. With an abundance of charming cafes and an endless array of tantalising treats, you're truly spoiled for choice in this culinary wonderland.
CAFES IN SEOUL
Nakwon Station Café [낙원역]
Address: 33-5 Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday (11:30am - 10:30pm)
If you are ever inIkseon-dong, Nakwon Station Café is a cute little pit stop for a little pick me up.
As per its name, Nakwon Station Cafe has a small railroad surrounding the outside of the café. The café is designed to look like an old-school train station…ALL ABOARD!
One of the highlights here is the dessert conveyor belt where you can see what is on offer.
The café itself has a beautiful set up that makes it the perfect place to unwind with your friends and family over their selection of cakes and interesting drinks.
Do note, that unfortunately, this cafe is not accessible for anyone with disabilities. And for those who are bringing their young kids to this cafe, be careful about letting them walk around unattended as it's quite unsafe with the railroad and how busy the cafe gets as they can potentially hurt themselves.
Coffee Bronze [커피브론즈]
Address: 113 Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: Monday - Friday (9:30am - 6:00pm), Saturday (11:00am - 6:00pm, Sunday (closed)
I came here specially for the strawberry cake, and it definitely did not disappoint.
She’s not just a pretty face, she’s got a delicious personality to match it too. The cake was light and fluffy, the cream had the perfect amount of sweetness and there was a generous amount of strawberries in the cake.
I usually don't like citrus drinks/desserts as they can be a bit too tangy but the orange ade here had a nice balance of tanginess and sweetness.
You have to come here early (before 11:00am) to get a slice of the strawberry cake as it usually sells out pretty quickly.
I was lucky enough to grab the second last slice of strawberry cake when I came back at 2:30pm and I couldn't be happier. I mean who wouldn't be happy to eat two slices of cake in a day?
The coffee beans are roasted in-house and the Mr who is a bit of a coffee snob said that this is the best coffee that he has had on this trip.
수목 티(Tea)
Address: 34-73 Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday (7:00am - 7:00pm), Sunday (9:00am - 7:00pm)
I did not explore all of Namdaemun Market as it got a bit overwhelming especially with a baby in a pram BUT there is one little cafe that I discovered that had me going back for more (at least, three times on different occasions!).
수목 티(Tea) is located at the far end of Namdaemun Market towards Namdaemunsijang-gil. If you want a little break from all the shopping, this little cafe is situated far enough from all the hustle and bustle where it's the perfect spot to relax and unwind.
This little cafe has two floors where the top floor is the real gem; there are a number of different group sitting areas where you can relax and chill, and there is also a little fish pond that you can dip your feet in so the little fishies can eat away at your dead skin.
I found this place by chance when I was doing my research and stumbled across it on Google Maps, and I am so glad that I did. Our favourite drink from this place was the Green Grape Ade, it was very refreshing, thirst quenching, and the chewy green grapes in the drink was very addictive. We did try this try at different stores around Seoul but we agreed, that this was the best one, by far.
If you ever find yourself at Namdaemun Market and need a little pit stop, I highly recommend popping by 수목 티(Tea). If I am ever back in Seoul for a holiday, this place is definitely one that I will return to again and again, just for the drink (please keep making it the same way, don't ever change!).
CAFES IN JEJU
Pasirang [파시랑]
Address: 415 Taepyeong-ro, Jeongbang-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Thursday - Tuesday (11:00am - 8:00pm)
When in Jeju, this cute little dessert store is a great little rest stop in Seogwipo or between visiting Jeongbang Waterfall and Cheongiyeon Waterfall.
There are a number of sweet treats that you can have here, we ordered the green tea red bean shaved ice to share between the four of us.
The red beans here are cooked in a cauldron in the store and served on top of their shaved ice desserts, the beans are not overly sweet which is great. And the shaved ice are served in brass bowls which keeps it icy cold for longer.
TO:NE1 [투애니원마카롱]
Address: South Korea, Jeju-do, Jeju-si, 특별자치도, Hallim-eup, Hyeopjae-ro, 114 B동 1층
Opening hours: Thursday - Tuesday (10:00am - 7:00pm)
I came here for their macarons, and it did not disappoint, look how cute they are!
The macarons were delicious; it was not too sweet, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The little meringue cookies were really good too.
The macarons are Jeju-inspired designs, I couldn’t help but buy the I Love Jeju Package. There were more flavours but one can only eat so many macarons by themselves.
Osulloc Tea Museum [오설록 티 뮤지엄]
Address: 15 Sinhwayeoksa-ro, 특별자치도, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday (9:00am - 6:00pm)
Within the Osulloc Tea Museum, you will be able to also find Innisfree Jeju House. So if you are into both skincare and tea-related goods, this is a good place for you to visit in Jeju.
I wouldn't say it's a must for everyone who is visiting Jeju as the place can get quite hectic and completely flooded with tourist left right and centre. And if you were planning to visit the Osulloc Tea House, be prepared to camp for a table as it's first come first serve.
Thankfully, we managed to find a table and we ordered Set B - Green Tea Waffle O Fredo + Green Tea Roll Cake + Green Tea Ice Cream to share. There was nothing we could fault when it came to our desserts, everything was made perfectly and had the right amount of green tea in it which made it highly enjoyable.
What are your favourite places in Jeju?