Seoul café by Seokchon Lake with choose-your-beans latte: Sese Coffee

Where is Sese Coffee Songni-dan-gil?

Sese Coffee Songni-dan-gil is at 11 Baekjegobun-ro 46-gil, 1st floor, Songpa-gu, Seoul, open daily from 11:00 to 20:00. I'd gone to Seokchon Lake and it was so hot I went looking for somewhere to rest, which is how I ended up at Sese Coffee on Songni-dan-gil.

There are so many cafés on Songni-dan-gil that I wasn't sure where to go, but Sese Coffee had this cute yet warm atmosphere that won me over the moment I walked in. It wasn't flashy or overdecorated — more understated and cozy, so it was really comfortable to just sit and stay a while.

Entrance

There's outdoor seating too, but it was way too hot today so we sat inside — I imagine sitting outside would be nice on a better-weather day.

The café has no regular day off, so it runs every day~ Just note that weekend opening hours are different!

Inside Sese Coffee: atmosphere and seating

Interior photos

Both inside and outside, Sese Coffee is done up in nude tones with lots of greenery, which made it a really easy café to look around.

The tables were mostly for two people,

and since it was pretty crowded when we visited, we ended up sitting at the bar seats.

There's actually a roasting space inside the store, which got me even more excited about how the coffee would taste.

The Sese Coffee menu: choosing your own beans

Menu photos

Just going through the menu, I could tell the owner really cares about the coffee and desserts. The menu itself felt thoughtfully designed, and everything from the beans to the desserts seemed carefully considered. What I especially liked was that even basic drinks like americano or latte let you choose your own beans.

We each picked beans to match our own taste — I went with the 'Dosisaenghwal' (도시생활, meaning 'city life') beans, and my husband chose 'Lovers' (러버스). Even with the same drink, the taste and aroma change completely depending on which beans you pick, and I think that's part of the fun of Sese Coffee. If you're a coffee person, it's worth reading through the bean descriptions and choosing one that suits your taste.

And another reason we came to Sese Coffee was the desserts. My husband's favorite tiramisu and my favorite pound cake were both on the menu, so we each picked what we wanted. The dessert lineup isn't huge, but it felt like each one was properly made rather than just there to fill space.

• Iced café latte ₩5,000
• Iced americano ₩4,500
• Tiramisu ₩8,000
• Lemon pound cake ₩5,000

How do the Dosisaenghwal latte, tiramisu and lemon pound cake taste?

The latte I drank used the Dosisaenghwal beans, and it had a strong dark-chocolate character with a nutty, heavy body — really nutty, actually exactly my taste.

The tiramisu first: it was so soft. The mascarpone cheese and whipped cream blended together beautifully and just melted in the mouth, and it wasn't too heavy or too sweet, so it went great with the coffee.

My husband loved it too and said it was delicious. If you're a tiramisu fan, you really should try this one with a coffee.

The lemon pound cake I picked was completely my style. I prefer a slightly dense, heavy, chewy texture over a moist fluffy pound cake, and this was exactly what I like. It had lemon peel mixed in, so there was a subtle citrusy note with each bite, and it wasn't overly sweet, so it never felt too much.

The outside was plain and the inside was densely packed, and paired with the latte it was so, so good!!

Watching drip coffee brewed from the bar seats

Since it was crowded when we visited, we sat at the bar seats, and it turned out to be a better spot than I expected. It was actually fun watching the owner prepare coffee up close. I especially got to watch the drip coffee being poured, and the care in every movement really showed how much the owner loves coffee.

Who is Sese Coffee best for?

Sitting there enjoying good coffee and dessert, I pretty much forgot how exhausted the heat had made me. It's a great spot to rest for a bit if you're around Songni-dan-gil or Seokchon Lake, and it'll suit people who want a café where they can properly enjoy coffee and dessert, rather than just somewhere pretty for photos.

Getting to feel the owner's dedication to coffee in such a cozy little space made this Jamsil café-and-dessert visit personally very satisfying.