Gwanghwamun café for persimmon-note coffee of the day: Lemangdoré

I was looking for a nice-atmosphere café in Gwanghwamun today, and ended up visiting Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun~!

I knew it as a bakery café with its main branch in Seorae Village, but apparently it opened a pretty large location in Gwanghwamun too, spanning from the 1st to the 3rd floor. Lemangdoré is a place I especially associate with beautifully made petits fours and madeleines!

Today I ordered 2 cups of today's coffee + a pain au chocolat + a vanilla madeleine~!

But once I actually visited, what stuck with me most personally wasn't just the desserts — it was the 3rd floor space!! If atmosphere matters to you when picking a café in Gwanghwamun, make sure to go up to the 3rd floor.

Where Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is and what the café feels like

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun occupies the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors at 17 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. It sits between City Hall and Gwanghwamun, so it's a good spot to stop by after a meal nearby or a walk along Cheonggyecheon stream.

Walking in, the whole space feels very clean and upscale. Compared to a typical bakery café, it felt like a lot of care went into every piece of furniture and decor. Each floor has a slightly different mood, so I'd recommend taking a look around before settling into a seat.

Lemangdoré, the Seoul bakery café known for its madeleines

When you say Lemangdoré, madeleines are impossible to leave out. Their shape and packaging are upscale enough to work well as gifts, and the place is also known for collaborations with various brands and catering.

Among the many desserts, I picked out a vanilla madeleine that day. It's a petit four that goes down easily alongside a cup of coffee, so if it's your first time at Lemangdoré, I'd say it's worth ordering at least one madeleine along with your drink~! It's also a place I'd want to browse again when looking for a gift-worthy dessert.

How does the autumn blend coffee of the day taste?

Today, instead of my usual americano, I went with today's coffee. What Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun had ready that day was the autumn blend!

It was described as evoking persimmon, chestnut, and peanut — just reading those words gives off a strong autumn vibe, haha.

It's not that the coffee literally tastes like persimmon or chestnut, but more that you sip it while picturing the nutty, mellow image of autumn through its overall aroma and flavor! It was fun trying a coffee like this to match the season. We ordered two cups of today's coffee and slowly enjoyed them alongside the desserts.

Pain au chocolat and vanilla madeleine at Lemangdoré

Along with the coffee, we ordered a pain au chocolat and a vanilla madeleine! I do enjoy just drinking coffee at a café sometimes, but when the bakery is this good, I can't give up the fun of picking out a treat too, lol.

The pain au chocolat especially paired well with the coffee! Adding a vanilla madeleine on top meant we got to try two different styles of dessert, which was nice.

Lemangdoré has plenty of other baked goods and petits fours besides madeleines, so it's worth browsing the display case and picking whatever suits your taste.

The third-floor Fritz Hansen lounge is the part worth seeing

Coffee and desserts matter, but... if you're visiting Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun, I most want to recommend the 3rd floor!! You order on the 1st floor and go up, and the mood shifts slightly floor by floor — but the 3rd floor really won me over.

This space is styled as a lounge furnished with pieces from the Danish furniture brand Fritz Hansen. It's fun just looking at the chairs, tables, and sofas, and it feels less like ordinary café seating and more like stepping into a well-designed lounge or showroom. If you're into furniture or interiors, you'll enjoy it even more.

Looking for a good-looking café near Gwanghwamun?

Gwanghwamun and City Hall are full of office workers, so there are really so many cafés around. Among them, Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun struck me as a café better suited for enjoying coffee + bakery + space together, rather than just grabbing a quick coffee and leaving.

Feeling the season through today's coffee~ eating a pain au chocolat and vanilla madeleine together~ spending relaxed time on the 3rd floor furnished with Fritz Hansen furniture — it was all satisfying.

If you have plans in Gwanghwamun or are looking for a café with a bit more atmosphere, give it a try. And let me say it again... check the 3rd floor before you pick a seat!! Lol. Next time I'm in Gwanghwamun, I'd love to pick out a new bakery item and relax with a cup of coffee on the 3rd floor again~!

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun: address and hours

• Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun
• 17 Mugyo-ro, 1st, 2nd, 3rd floors, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 08:00–21:00
• Last coffee order: 20:30
• ※ Please check the latest hours before visiting.