Seochon brunch café after a Gyeongbokgung walk: Respire Toast plate
In short
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a two-floor brunch café known for its salt bread, on Hyoja-ro in Seochon near Gyeongbokgung Station, Seoul. On an early-June walk along the Gyeongbokgung path, the ice cream French toast at Respire Bakery Cafe was sold out, so the writer ordered the Respire Toast and a decaf iced Americano. A plate of salt bread, scrambled eggs, arugula salad, carrot râpée and sausage quickly erased the disappointment. Respire Bakery Cafe is a recommended Seochon brunch stop to rest after a Gyeongbokgung walk.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3 · 14-min walk (store listing, Oct 7, 2026)
- Address
- 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (104-1 Hyoja-dong)
- Getting there
- 800m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), near Cheongwadae Sarangchae
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00 / Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
- Parking
- No dedicated lot; use the paid Cheongwadae Sarangchae public parking lot, a 2-minute walk away
- Parking fee
- ₩300 for the first 5 minutes, ₩300 per additional 5 minutes, up to ₩30,000
- Heads-up
- The lot in front of the café belongs to the Presidential Security Service and cannot be used
- Space
- Two floors, with window views of the Gyeongbokgung walking path
- What I ordered
- Respire Toast, decaf iced Americano
- Price reference
- ₩30,000 ≈ $22.5 (2026-10-17)
as written by the visitor on Jun 16, 2026
A Seochon brunch café I stopped at during a Gyeongbokgung walk: Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon (레스피레베이커리) is a brunch café in Seochon, near Gyeongbokgung Station and the Cheongwadae Sarangchae, rumored to be a top spot for salt bread. In early June I was walking along the Gyeongbokgung path and headed over with high hopes.
Are you all enjoying this fresh early-June weather? With warm sunshine and a cool breeze, you just want to get outside, right? Making the most of this perfect weather, I walked the Gyeongbokgung path and stopped at Respire Bakery Cafe, a brunch café that holds all the warm charm of Seochon. It's so well known for its salt bread that my expectations were high.
How do you get to Respire Bakery Cafe, and where do you park?
The café is near Gyeongbokgung Station, close to the Cheongwadae Sarangchae, and has no parking of its own. If you're driving, the paid Cheongwadae Sarangchae public parking lot, a 2-minute walk away, is the convenient choice.
- Location: near Gyeongbokgung Station, close to the Cheongwadae Sarangchae (800m from Exit 3 of Subway Line 3)
- Parking: there's no lot of its own, so use the paid Cheongwadae Sarangchae public lot right nearby
- The Sarangchae lot is a 2-minute walk: ₩300 for the first 5 minutes, ₩300 per additional 5 minutes, max ₩30,000
- The lot in front of the café belongs to the Cheongwadae security service and can't be used
Two floors of green views at Respire Bakery Cafe
The café has a 1st and 2nd floor, so there was more room to relax than I expected. Through the windows you can see the lush green of the Gyeongbokgung walking path.
The whole interior was full of warm, cozy Seochon feeling. The green view of the Gyeongbokgung path outside the window was so pretty that just sitting there felt properly healing. Plenty of people were reading alone or enjoying a coffee, and I also spotted groups of friends out for brunch.
The salt bread display at this Seochon bakery café
The display case held freshly baked salt bread, ciabatta and other bakery items. It lived up to its reputation as a well-known salt bread spot in Seochon.
Besides the nutty salt bread, there's ciabatta and plenty of other bakery items. There was so much variety that I struggled to decide what to eat.
The ice cream French toast was sold out
The thing I was most looking forward to that day was the ice cream French toast, but sadly it was sold out, which I guess is what happens at a popular place. Leaving my disappointment behind, I ordered the Respire Toast and a decaf iced Americano.
How do the Respire Toast and decaf iced Americano taste?
The Respire Toast is a brunch plate with salt bread, scrambled eggs, an arugula salad, carrot rapée (shredded carrot salad), cherry tomatoes and seasonal fruit, and a sausage, plus basil pesto on the side. I'd picked it as a backup, but what do you know, the moment I saw it, the disappointment was gone!
The plate was generously packed with golden-toasted salt bread, soft scrambled eggs, a fresh arugula salad, sweet-and-sour carrot rapée, cherry tomatoes and seasonal fruit, and a sausage. The fragrant basil pesto on the side added extra flavor.
The salt bread was crisp outside and moist inside, with a gentle buttery richness. Topped with the soft scrambled eggs it tasted even fuller, and a little basil pesto added a fragrant note that got my appetite going.
The decaf iced Americano has a clean taste with a mild acidity. It doesn't overpower the nutty salt bread or the basil pesto, so it pairs nicely with brunch.
Brunch in Seochon after a Gyeongbokgung walk: how about Respire Bakery Cafe?
If you're looking for a place to rest after a Gyeongbokgung walk, or a Seochon brunch café with a nice atmosphere, I'd recommend Respire Bakery Cafe. Next time I'll go a little earlier and definitely try the popular ice cream French toast. :)
Respire Bakery Cafe opening hours
- Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00
- Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
- 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Hyoja-dong 104-1), 800m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station
Where it is
40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 효자로13길 40-7 레스피레
Respirer Bakery Cafe Seochon: hours, menu and prices →
