Ikseon-dong bakery, two groups in at a time: cheese bread, Munhwa

Every time I go to Ikseon-dong, the smell of bread pulls me into Munhwa Bakery, a Jongno 3-ga spot I keep coming back to!

Ikseon-dong has so many good restaurants and cafés that just wandering around deciding where to go is part of the fun. This time I was looking for something to eat with a cup of coffee and ended up at Munhwa Bakery, where all kinds of bread were laid out on display.

• 📍Munhwa Bakery
• Daily 11:00–20:00
• 🚘No parking

Where Munhwa Bakery is and how entry works

Munhwa Bakery is a bakery on Donhwamun-ro toward the Ikseon-dong side of Jongno 3-ga. Ikseon-dong has so many good restaurants and cafés that just wandering around deciding where to go is part of the fun. This time I was looking for something to eat with a cup of coffee and ended up at Munhwa Bakery, where all kinds of bread were laid out on display.

You can spot the '빵' (bread) sign from far away, so it's super easy to find.

The inside of Munhwa Bakery is fairly small, so only 2 groups can enter at a time — keep that in mind!

What's in Munhwa Bakery's showcase, and the prices

The breads at Munhwa Bakery were laid out by type inside the showcase, each with its own price tag, which made browsing and choosing easy. When I visited there was quite a variety on offer, and I could see that a lot of the breads had already sold out, which made me curious what the popular items were.

Looking through the whole display, there were so many kinds of bread. If you like bread, just browsing here would be pretty fun on its own. A few things were already sold out, aw. I guess it really is a popular Ikseon-dong bakery given how busy it is.

I originally only meant to buy one, but looking at all the varieties, I naturally ended up piling my basket with this and that — that magic, haha. Each bread has a different shape too, so even within one bakery there's plenty to pick from depending on your taste.

How do the cheese, coffee and garlic breads taste?

The breads I picked at Munhwa Bakery were cheese bread, coffee bread, and garlic bread. Of these, coffee bread and garlic bread are basically Munhwa Bakery's signature items.

Cheese bread! I picked this one first. Round in shape with cheese piled generously on top, it caught my eye right away in the display case. The savory, salty flavor of the cheese made it really enjoyable to eat. Felt like it would pair perfectly with a cup of coffee!

My favorite, coffee bread! The coffee aroma is really strong, and eating the fragrant coffee powder along with the chewy cream inside is seriously, seriously delicious.

The breads I picked today were coffee bread and garlic bread. They're basically Munhwa Bakery's signature items. Just looking at it, the golden, glossy surface almost makes you smell the garlic. The outside is a crisp baguette with garlic flavor added, which is such an appealing combination. If you like that sweet-and-salty flavor unique to garlic bread, this is a menu item that satisfies without fail.

It comes cut into pieces that are easy to eat! Nice to pull apart piece by piece, and it was packed with garlic throughout, which I loved.

If you ask when packing, they'll give you a paper bag too! Make sure to grab one ◡̈

I'll definitely be back to Munhwa Bakery someday. Next time, I'm buying a lot more.

Who is Munhwa Bakery a good fit for?

Looking through Munhwa Bakery, what struck me most was just how many kinds of bread they have! If you're wandering around Ikseon-dong looking for a quick snack, or if you just love bread, it's worth stopping by at least once.

It especially suits people who prefer picking a little of several kinds of bread rather than a bakery that specializes in just one type. Like me, trying different kinds such as cheese bread, coffee bread, and garlic bread side by side is a great way to go.

It's a good place to stop by when you're out hunting for restaurants or cafés in Ikseon-dong and think, 'should I grab some bread too?' If you're looking for a bakery around Jongno 3-ga, give Munhwa Bakery, a well-loved Ikseon-dong bakery, a try :)