Hongdae roastery café for coffee novices: Ecuador Geisha, Central Site
In short
Central Site Yeonnam is a local roastery café and hand-drip specialty coffee shop in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul, near Hongik Univ. Station. On a weekday lunch visit, Central Site Yeonnam let the writer smell the beans before brewing Ecuador La Noria Green Geisha (11,000 won) and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelbesa (9,000 won), paired with the signature classic tiramisu (8,500 won). Even someone who knows little about coffee will feel that Central Site Yeonnam's specialty coffee is unlike anything they've had before.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3 · 7-min walk (store listing, Oct 6, 2026)
- Address
- 29-1 Yeonhui-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Ecuador La Noria Green Geisha Lot 1 Anaerobic Washed
- 11,000 won
- Ethiopia Nordin Approach Yirgacheffe Chelbesa Washed
- 9,000 won
- Classic Tiramisu (signature)
- 8,500 won
- Seating
- Drinks area on the 1st floor; vintage-style 2nd floor with lots of windows
- Other
- Coffee beans for sale; desserts such as cookies and tiramisu
- Price reference
- ₩11,000 ≈ $8.2 · ₩9,000 ≈ $6.7 · ₩8,500 ≈ $6.4 (2026-10-17)
as written by the visitor on Jun 16, 2026
What kind of café is Central Site Yeonnam?
Central Site Yeonnam (센트럴사이트 연남점) is a local roastery café and hand-drip brewing specialist in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul. I'd recommend this Yeonnam-dong café to anyone who wants to enjoy the real taste of coffee.
I'd seen Central Site many times while walking around Yeonnam-dong.
Central Site Yeonnam also has plenty of tasty desserts, so it's a good pick if you're hunting for dessert spots in Yeonnam-dong. Fitting for a Yeonnam roastery café, the desserts pair well with coffee.
Is Central Site Yeonnam crowded at weekday lunch?
When I visited at weekday lunchtime, it was really packed. The seats were busy, but especially the takeout customers. I assumed office workers would only drink cheap, good-value coffee, but apparently when people have some money, they all come looking for delicious coffee.
Central Site Yeonnam also sells coffee beans. Beans sold at a roastery café somehow seem more appealing. They'd also make a nice small gift for a friend you haven't seen in a while.
I'd normally just drink a regular Americano, but since this is a brewing café in Yeonnam-dong, I decided to order specialty coffee.
Desserts that go with coffee: cookies and tiramisu
The dessert case at Central Site Yeonnam had cookies that go well with coffee. Overall the desserts are such a perfect match for coffee that it made me want to drink the best coffee possible.
The tiramisu was sold as a cake.
Order specialty coffee and you get to smell the beans first
When I ordered two specialty coffees at Central Site Yeonnam, I was guided over to the brewing station. They grind the coffee beans and let you smell them. I'm glad we ordered two different kinds.
I think this was my first time watching hand drip being carefully brewed up close. I've often ordered it and just drunk it, but I'd never watched it being made.
They let us smell each bean separately, too. The aromas of the two beans were definitely different. But as a coffee novice, I can't explain exactly what was different or how. I just had a new experience at a Yeonnam-dong café,,
The atmosphere on the 1st and 2nd floors of Central Site Yeonnam
There's a space to drink coffee on the 1st floor of Central Site Yeonnam too.
We went up to the 2nd floor. It had a slightly vintage, Hongdae-café feel. The interior isn't big, but there are lots of windows, so it feels open.
How did the Ecuador Geisha and Yirgacheffe Chelbesa taste?
We ordered two specialty coffees and a classic tiramisu. Premium coffee and dessert 💛
Ecuador La Noria Green Geisha Lot 1 Anaerobic Washed, ₩11,000
The Ecuador La Noria Green Geisha Lot 1 Anaerobic Washed costs ₩11,000. The carefully hand-dripped coffee was definitely different. The flavor is so complex. Is this that bright floral aroma? There's acidity, with a clean aftertaste. It's deep and rich but not bitter, with so many flavors that I thought, wow, the world of coffee really is deep.
Ethiopia Nordin Approach Yirgacheffe Chelbesa Washed, ₩9,000
The Ethiopia Nordin Approach Yirgacheffe Chelbesa Washed costs ₩9,000. It definitely tastes different from the Geisha. This coffee is complex too. I want to describe the taste clearly, but as a coffee novice I feel so small,, My body gets the profound world of coffee, but I can't put it into words. I think I tasted some acidity along with a subtle fruity note. To those of you who know coffee well,, please come and taste it for yourselves.
Signature Classic Tiramisu, ₩8,500
The Classic Tiramisu is ₩8,500 and is the signature menu item at Central Site Yeonnam. First off, even the chocolate sprinkled on top is delicious. It wasn't very sweet, just a clean chocolate. The tiramisu cream was smooth and tasty, and I loved the moist coffee aroma in the sponge. Very much a coffee specialist's tiramisu.
With fresh green trees outside the window at Central Site Yeonnam, it felt like drinking brewed coffee at a lovely park café.
Central Site's specialty coffee, through a novice's eyes
Central Site's specialty coffee is different from the coffee I drink for a caffeine boost or when I'm thirsty. It was precious coffee that you have to savor carefully. I found myself wanting to learn more about the world of coffee. Was what I'd been drinking all this time not even coffee..?
Where it is
29-1 Yeonhui-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 연희로 29-1 센트럴사이트
Centralsite Yeonnam: hours, menu and prices →
24 cafés in Mapo, Seoul, by number of reviews →
