Cafe Darak, City Hall: A 13th-Floor Café Overlooking Deoksugung Palace (₩3,500 Americano)

I have been to plenty of Seoul cafés with a view, but this one is on another level. Cafe Darak sits on the 13th floor of a city government building right by City Hall Station, and Deoksugung Palace spreads out right below the windows. For views, it is the best café I have ever visited.

Name	Cafe Darak (카페다락)
Address	13F, Building 1, Seosomun Government Building, 15 Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 서울 중구 덕수궁길 15 서소문청사 1동 13층
Getting there	City Hall Station (Lines 1 & 2), Exit 12 — about 195 m
Hours	Tue–Thu 13:30–17:30 (last order 17:00) Fri 13:30–21:30 (last order 21:00) · Sun 09:00–17:00 (last order 16:30)
Closed	Mondays and public holidays
Price	Americano from ₩3,500 · lattes from ₩4,000
Good to know	Free Wi-Fi · self-service water · kiosk ordering

Finding the building

Walk a short way from City Hall Station Exit 12 to Building 1 of the Seosomun Government Building. Take the elevator from the lobby up to the 13th floor.

Tip #1: Line up before it opens

On weekdays the café opens at 13:30. I arrived around 13:20 and there was already a line at the elevator. Seats fill up quickly, so I recommend getting there around 13:00.

Tip #2: Turn right for the best seats

This is the most important tip. As you walk in, most of the good seats are on the right side — a long row of window seats plus a big round table in the middle. The left side is mostly standing spots where many people share the view, which is not great for staying long. I was lucky to get a right-side window seat.

The view

When I sat down, I was speechless. The whole of Deoksugung Palace is right below you, with its tiled roofs laid out like a model. Beyond it, the downtown skyline stretches out, and Seoul City Hall is right there too. Please do not sit on the window ledge — there is a sign asking you not to.

Menu and prices (cheap, because the city runs it)

You order at a kiosk. Because Cafe Darak is operated by the Seoul city government, prices are very reasonable, and you can switch to decaf.

• Espresso / Americano hot ₩3,500 · iced ₩4,000
• Café latte / Cappuccino hot ₩4,000 · iced ₩4,500
• Vanilla bean latte / Butterscotch caramel latte hot ₩4,200 · iced ₩4,700
• Signature einspänner (butterscotch or vanilla bean) iced ₩5,500
• Matcha latte and other lattes hot ₩4,000 · iced ₩4,500
• Teas (chamomile, peppermint, Earl Grey, rooibos), fruit teas or ades (grapefruit, green tangerine, lemon, omija, ginger) and fruit smoothies
• Friday and Saturday evenings only: apple cinnamon tea and garlic baguette set ₩6,000

There are cakes in the display case too — chocolate mousse, blueberry crêpe, cheesecake, carrot cake and fig scones.

What I had

I ordered an iced americano and a peppermint tea. The peppermint tea came with whole leaves and smelled wonderful, and coffee somehow tastes twice as good with this view. There is a self-service water dispenser, and old photos of Seoul hang on the walls.

After coffee: walk the Deoksugung stone-wall road

It would be a shame to leave right away. Outside, I picked up a Jeongdong-gil walking map and strolled along the Deoksugung stone-wall road (Deoksugung Doldam-gil). Trees, shade and old stone walls — it is one of the prettiest walks in central Seoul.

Zoapik’s verdict

– 195 m from City Hall Station Exit 12, on the 13th floor – A bird’s-eye view of Deoksugung Palace, downtown Seoul and City Hall – Americano for ₩3,500 thanks to city operation; decaf available – Free Wi-Fi, self-service water, separate restrooms – Pairs perfectly with a walk on the Deoksugung stone-wall road – Tip: weekdays open at 13:30 — line up around 13:00 – Tip: sit on the right side; the left side is mostly standing spots – Heads-up: closed Mondays and public holidays, and closing times differ by day

Worth lining up for. Next time I want to come on a Friday evening for the night view.