Seoul Café-Hopping Guide: My Favorite Cafés & Bakeries by Neighborhood
I plan my Seoul days around coffee and something sweet, and I am not even a little sorry about it. Here are the cafés and bakeries I have reviewed, grouped by neighborhood so you can hop from one to the next. Each one has a key tip on price, waiting or timing.
City Hall: coffee with a palace view
Cafe Darak
A city-run café on the 13th floor of a government building, with all of Deoksugung Palace spread out below the windows. Because the Seoul city government runs it, an Americano is just ₩3,500 (hot) and lattes start at ₩4,000. You order at a kiosk, and there is free Wi-Fi.
Key tip: on weekdays it opens at 13:30 and a line forms early, so get there around 13:00 and turn right for the best window seats. It is closed on Mondays and public holidays, and hours differ by day. Read my Cafe Darak review
After your coffee, take a stroll along the Deoksugung stone-wall road. It is one of the prettiest walks in central Seoul.
Yeongdeungpo: a Times Square sweet crawl
Yeongdeungpo is my favorite café-hopping base on a rainy day, because two of these spots are indoors at Times Square and Shinsegae Department Store.
Shiopanya (pop-up)
Premium Japanese-style salt bread made with French butter, in a pop-up right next to CGV on the 4th floor of Times Square. Classic is ₩3,500 and every other flavor is ₩4,500. I went back two days in a row for the cheese and truffle ones.
Key tip: it is cashless (card or mobile pay only), and the pop-up only runs until November 30, 2026. Read my Shiopanya review
Osulloc at Shinsegae
Missed the famous Osulloc green tea ice cream on Jeju? I did, and I finally had it here. The matcha or milk soft serve is ₩5,800, with matcha cakes and tea gift sets that make light, pretty souvenirs.
Key tip: it is takeout only with no seats, so eat while you browse. It is on B1, about 195 m from Yeongdeungpo Station Exit 6. Read my Osulloc review
Daytique Coffee
A 2nd-floor café with chandeliers, antique furniture and leather sofas. They roast their own blend every morning, and the ₩2,800 salt bread is honestly my all-time favorite. The signature cream coffee (₩6,500, iced only) is worth trying too.
Key tip: breads and cakes come out fresh at 11:30 and 16:00. Look up, because it is easy to walk past at street level. Read my Daytique Coffee review
Yeouido: croissants and a Han River picnic
Teddy Beurre House
A Paris-style bakery on B1 of The Hyundai Seoul, run by an award-winning chef and featured on Korean TV as one of Seoul’s top three croissants. Pastries are ₩6,500–7,200. My favorites were the fig danish (₩7,200) and the pistachio kouign-amann (₩6,800).
Key tip: seats fill up fast, so get it to go and walk to Yeouido Hangang Park for a picnic by the river. Read my Teddy Beurre House review
Yeonnam: a cake worth booking
Strawberry32
A takeout-only cake shop behind a bright red door in a Yeonnam-dong alley. I took home the size 1 mango cake (₩48,000). It had soft sponge, light cream and fresh mango, and everyone in my family went back for seconds.
Key tip: pre-order on Naver Booking (in Korean) at least a day ahead and choose your pickup time. Same-day buying is hard. Ask a Korean friend or your hotel to help with the booking. Read my Strawberry32 review
While you are in Yeonnam, the Gyeongui Line Forest Park is lovely for a slow walk with your cake box.
Bangbae: dessert after udon
Pâtisserie Odelis
This is a little bonus. After lunch at Udon Kinu, we walked a few steps to Pâtisserie Odelis, a café right next door. The staff were friendly and the sofas were comfortable, which made it perfect for a long chat. Udon plus coffee makes an easy half-day plan in Bangbae.
Worth a day trip
Soul Roastery, Chuncheon
Coffee under about 500 century-old pine trees, on the road to Soyang Dam. House-roasted coffee (Americano ₩7,000), a huge bakery, and free parking for 400+ cars. The corn coffee is their bestseller.
Key tip: no pets, and hours differ by building. Read my Soul Roastery review
Sungsimdang, Daejeon
Daejeon’s famous bakery, but cake is not a quick stop anymore. The main Cake Boutique had a 2+ hour wait on a weekday afternoon. The B1 Cake Boutique at Lotte Department Store Daejeon was the calmest, and it has seats.
Key tip: at the main boutique and the Siru shop, it is one of each item per person. Don’t leave without a lemon scone. Read my Sungsimdang guide
Zoapik’s quick picks
- Best view: Cafe Darak, with Deoksugung Palace below you for ₩3,500
- Best bread: Daytique Coffee‘s ₩2,800 salt bread
- Best pastry: Teddy Beurre House fig danish
- Best rainy-day hop: Shiopanya and Osulloc in Yeongdeungpo
- Best celebration cake: Strawberry32 mango cake
- Best day trip: Soul Roastery‘s pine forest
Bring an appetite and a little room in your bag for souvenirs, and happy café hopping!
