Café near Gyeongbokgung with parking: cookie salt bread at Respire

What kind of café is Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon?

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a brunch café in Seochon, Seoul, known for its bakery items baked fresh every morning and its salt bread. My wife and I had stopped by Gyeongbokgung, had a meal in Seochon and were enjoying our date when we heard there was a great salt bread place nearby, so we went. The atmosphere was lovely and the coffee and bakery were delicious, so it's a Seochon café I'd happily visit again.

The public car park is right in front, which makes this Seochon brunch café even better if you have to move around by car. I really recommend it as a date spot.

• Address: 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st and 2nd floors)
• Hours: weekdays 08:30–18:00 / weekends 09:00–19:00
• Parking: a public car park right in front, so it's convenient (paid)
• A bakery and salt bread spot with breads made fresh every morning

Where to park at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon

There's a paid public car park right in front of the shop, so it's easy to come by car. Not many places in Seoul have their own parking, so you usually end up hunting for a public car park nearby, and having one right at the entrance is great. Being public, the fee is cheap too, so it's handy when you're visiting Gyeongbokgung.

Inside Respire's converted house in Seochon

Respire is a pretty converted house, and the atmosphere is wonderful. It's near Gyeongbokgung and Cheongwadae, so it's quiet, and since you have to walk a way in from the street to find it, it doesn't get swamped with people, which I liked even more.

A natural, easygoing interior

Inside it's calm and tranquil, the kind of place where you want to stay a long time. It doesn't feel like a café in the middle of Seoul; it feels like one you'd stumble on while on holiday in a quiet, sleepy countryside. The space doesn't feel artificial, and its natural charm really stands out.

Seating at Respire and when it gets busy

Respire uses the 1st and 2nd floors, but there aren't as many seats as you might expect. We visited around 2 p.m. and it was crowded. Since you can enjoy both brunch and bakery here, it seems to be steadily busy.

What we ordered for dessert after our meal

At the back of the 1st floor there's a bakery area. There isn't a huge range of breads, but you get fresh bread made new every morning. Respire is famous for its salt bread, so even though we'd already eaten a meal, we decided to order some to go with our Americanos.

I only meant to try one salt bread, but there was a cookie salt bread right in front of it. I'd never had one, so we bought it too. I was curious what it would taste like.

Out came two cold iced Americanos, a salt bread and a cookie salt bread. While waiting I went up to the 2nd floor, which feels like a rooftop room, with a really nice mood and wide seats. It was completely full, so I didn't take any photos.

How good are Respire's iced Americano and cookie salt bread?

The iced Americano at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon was strong and delicious, better than the coffee at most coffee specialty shops. When the coffee is this good, you're in the mood for dessert! So we dug into the salt bread and cookie salt bread I'd been curious about.

Wow!! The cookie salt bread is seriously good. I've eaten plenty of salt bread, but this was my first cookie salt bread and it's so good. The cookie on top isn't crispy like a regular cookie; it's more like the crumb topping on a streusel bun (soboro bread), with the nutty richness of peanut and the sweetness of chocolate blended together. There are chocolate chips in it too, so the texture is great. Definitely a gift-worthy one.

Why Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon makes a good date café near Gyeongbokgung

I've been to a lot of cafés around Seochon, but I don't think many have a mood as good as Respire's or make you want to stay as long. It's lovely for a quiet time as a couple, and it isn't hectic, which I really like.

If you want good coffee and bakery in a quiet atmosphere near Gyeongbokgung, I really recommend Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon.