# Hongdae roastery café for coffee novices: Ecuador Geisha, Central Site - By Facing Seat Diner (https://superchart.com/en/@across-the-table/) - Written Jun 16, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@across-the-table/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@across-the-table/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@across-the-table/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/index.md) ## 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 - **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 ≈ $8.3 · ₩9,000 ≈ $6.8 · ₩8,500 ≈ $6.4 (2026-10-23) *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. ![Exterior of Central Site Yeonnam in Yeonnam-dong](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-01-1b7fi-900.webp) I'd seen Central Site many times while walking around Yeonnam-dong. ![Inside Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-02-12ni6-900.webp) 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. ![Desserts and interior at Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-03-7lx73-900.webp) ## 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. ![Interior of Central Site Yeonnam crowded at weekday lunch](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-04-1aep5-900.webp) 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. ![Coffee beans sold at Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-05-ayh5l-900.webp) I'd normally just drink a regular Americano, but since this is a brewing café in Yeonnam-dong, I decided to order specialty coffee. ![Specialty coffee menu at Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-06-etebl-900.webp) ### 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. ![Display of cookies and other desserts that go with coffee](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-07-15x9g-900.webp) ![Dessert case at Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-08-oqxmo-900.webp) The tiramisu was sold as a cake. ![Tiramisu sold in cake form](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-09-1qjzf-900.webp) ## 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. ![Bean-smelling spot where we were guided after ordering specialty coffee](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-10-b6210-900.webp) 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. ![Barista brewing coffee by hand drip](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-11-1f4f6-900.webp) ![Close-up of the hand drip brewing process](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-12-19iuz-900.webp) 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,, ![Comparing the aromas of the two ordered beans](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-13-saf5q-900.webp) ## 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. ![Seating area on the 1st floor of Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-14-94wmn-900.webp) ![Inside the 1st floor of Central Site Yeonnam](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-15-14hcm-900.webp) 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. ![Vintage-style 2nd floor with many windows](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-16-k3sm3-900.webp) ## How did the Ecuador Geisha and Yirgacheffe Chelbesa taste? We ordered two specialty coffees and a classic tiramisu. Premium coffee and dessert 💛 ![Two specialty coffees and a classic tiramisu](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-17-18jci-900.webp) ### 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. ![Ecuador La Noria Green Geisha hand drip coffee](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-18-1y6dp-900.webp) ### 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. ![Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelbesa hand drip coffee](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-19-1l2db-900.webp) ![Yirgacheffe Chelbesa coffee and dessert on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-20-15c2m-900.webp) ## 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. ![Central Site classic tiramisu dusted with chocolate](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe-21-g18ku-1200.webp) 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 - Central Site Yeonnam (센트럴사이트 연남점) - 29-1 Yeonhui-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 연희로 29-1 센트럴사이트 - 37.561549, 126.9268517 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%84%BC%ED%8A%B8%EB%9F%B4%EC%82%AC%EC%9D%B4%ED%8A%B8%20%EC%97%B0%EB%82%A8%EC%A0%90/@37.561549,126.9268517,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@across-the-table/yeonnam-ecuador-geisha-roastery-cafe/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt