# Seochon brunch café parking and stone-wall window seats: Respire

- By Narae Oh (https://superchart.com/en/@dongdaemun-loose-thread/)
- Written Aug 14, 2026
- Local places › Cafés › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written as a sponsored café visit.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@dongdaemun-loose-thread/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@dongdaemun-loose-thread/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/index.md)

## In short

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a brunch bakery café in Jongno, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3, tucked into an alley in front of the old Blue House. Two of us came on a weekday day off and shared the 10,000 won happy hour salt bread omelette sandwich and the seasonal fig sandwich at a 2nd-floor window seat. The lot in front of Respire is off-limits to customers, so use the Hyoja or Singyo public parking lot at 3,000 won an hour or take the subway — go in knowing that, and it makes a great stop on a Seochon walking date.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (5-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3)
- **Bakery and brunch service**: From 9am
- **Happy hour**: Weekdays 8:30am–12:30pm
- **Happy hour set**: Omelette sandwich + americano, 10,000 won
- **Parking**: Lot in front of the café not available; Hyoja and Singyo public parking lots, 3,000 won per hour
- **Resident-priority parking**: Available after booking through the Modoo Parking app
- **Drink refills**: One coffee refill with one drink per person
- **Seating**: 1st and 2nd floor; 2nd-floor window seats have the best view
- **Price reference**: ₩3,000 ≈ $2.2 · ₩10,000 ≈ $7.4 (2026-09-26)

*as written by the visitor on Aug 14, 2026*

Having a free weekday to enjoy a leisurely brunch is honestly such a happy thing. I got a day off last Monday and went on a date to Seochon, and wow — I had no idea Seochon was such a peaceful, beautiful place ㅠㅠ

![Square photo of the brunch mood at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-01-2tear-1200.webp)

![A quiet Seochon alley on a weekday morning](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-02-1ebvi-900.webp)

## How to get to Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon: 5 minutes from Gyeongbokgung Station

I went to Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, right near Gyeongbokgung Palace. It's about a 5-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3, but I took a bus from in front of the KT building near Gwanghwamun Square. I hopped on bus 01, got off at the old Blue House stop, and walked about 2 more minutes.

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon / 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

![Exterior of Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon on Hyoja-ro 13-gil](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-03-14x68-900.webp)

![Alley entrance to the Seochon café near Gyeongbokgung](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-04-1qtkt-900.webp)

## Where do you park? The lot in front of Respire is off-limits

There's a parking lot right in front of Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, but it's not the café's — it's used by staff who worked at the old Blue House, so you shouldn't park there. As noted in the café's announcement on Naver Maps,

![The parking lot in front of the café used by old Blue House staff](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-05-1jn2r-900.webp)

![Café's posted notice about parking](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-06-g6kg1-900.webp)

you should use one of the nearby public parking lots instead. There's Hyoja public parking lot and Singyo public parking lot, both ₩3,000 an hour. There's also a resident-priority parking line in front of the shop that can technically be used, but only if you book it through the Modu Parking app — just a heads up.

![The Seochon alley leading to the nearby public parking lot](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-07-10iw8-900.webp)

Personally, if you're planning to visit Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, I'd honestly recommend public transit no matter what. Parking aside, Seochon's alleys are full of little shops and galleries worth browsing, and the alleys themselves have a very Seochon-specific charm — it's such a great walking date spot.

## 2nd-floor window seats with a stone wall and tree view

The café has a 1st floor and a 2nd floor. I saw a foreign couple having brunch on the 1st floor and honestly the whole scene was so charming I just naturally drifted in — and the 2nd floor has an amazing view.

I'd really recommend the window seats! It genuinely felt like a proper weekday brunch moment. Yes, there's a parking lot right out front, but beyond it there's a stone wall with lush green trees, and it was so pretty ㅠㅠ. There were two of us and we sat by the window. Right after we left, another couple immediately claimed our window seat haha.

![2nd-floor window seat at Respire Bakery Cafe with stone-wall view](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-08-1mhwg-900.webp)

![2nd-floor seating with green trees visible through the window](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-09-51d65-900.webp)

## Salt bread is the signature at Respire, with plenty of toppings

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon has a really wide range of bakery items. The most famous is definitely the salt bread — savory and slightly salty, and it's what the place is known for. There's the basic version, and then several variations with different toppings.

![A display case of various salt breads and other baked goods](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-10-qcpbi-900.webp)

The signature salt bread is loaded with French gourmet butter, giving it that crisp-outside, soft-inside texture. Even if you don't eat the salt bread in the café, the other breads are so good too — I'd recommend getting the salt bread to go as well.

![Basic salt bread made with French gourmet butter](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-11-acc20-900.webp)

![Salt breads displayed with different toppings](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-12-q5k3a-900.webp)

The bakery and brunch menu are ready starting at 9am. I visited around 10am and ordered off the brunch menu haha.

![Bakery display ready from 9am](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-13-cb2xb-900.webp)

The salt bread visuals are honestly insane. It looked like pistachio on top, but to me it looked like gold flakes were sprinkled on it, and I was drooling haha.

![Close-up of a salt bread topped with pistachio](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-14-1890k-900.webp)

![Visual of the topped salt bread](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-15-brnbw-900.webp)

## The 10,000 won happy hour salt bread omelette sandwich with americano

There's a huge variety of sandwiches. I went with the seasonal fig sandwich, and the person I was with chose the happy hour sandwich. At Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, happy hour only runs weekdays from 8:30am to 12:30pm.

![Sandwich menu board with happy hour information](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-16-o3kj7-900.webp)

The happy hour set is just ₩10,000 for an omelette sandwich and an americano — such great value, and a really generous portion. Best of all, the bread used in the omelette sandwich is the salt bread, so you get to taste the salt bread too.

![₩10,000 happy hour omelette sandwich and americano set](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-17-ru9rb-900.webp)

![Two sandwich plates on a window-side table](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-18-1w07f-900.webp)

On the left is the happy hour salt bread sandwich — such a pretty visual, right ㅠㅠ. Between the salt bread there's a generous amount of cheese and egg omelette. A little salad comes as a bonus.

![Cross-section of the salt bread with cheese and egg omelette inside](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-19-1j5nf-900.webp)

### The seasonal fig sandwich at Respire

I really liked the fig sandwich. Figs themselves aren't that sweet, but there's a gentle sweetness, and with honey drizzled on top it was even more enjoyable.

![Seasonal fig sandwich drizzled with honey](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-20-69gjx-900.webp)

![Fig sandwich served with an iced americano](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-21-mohsn-900.webp)

## Order in this sequence if there are two of you, plus the coffee refill

Since there were two of us, we each ordered a different item and then split the sandwiches in half. Personally, I'd recommend having the happy hour salt bread omelette sandwich first as breakfast, then the fig sandwich after as more of a dessert.

The sandwiches were plenty filling with coffee alongside! I added an iced americano, and it was stronger than I expected, so watch your caffeine.

Interestingly, if you order one drink per person, you get one coffee refill. We were already too full to use it though haha. Having brunch while looking at such a lush green view — Seochon was just so peaceful.

I also spotted people walking their dogs on a weekday morning outside — three times, right in front of me. So charming.

![Vertical photo of the brunch table with green scenery outside](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-22-qg2um-900.webp)

![Vertical shot holding the fig sandwich](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-23-llkju-900.webp)

The fig sandwich had a slightly dessert-like feel, but the bread itself was really delicious. It's clear this place bakes its own bread — a real bakery worth the trip.

![Final photo wrapping up the brunch at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon](https://img.superchart.com/images/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire-24-1mvce-900.webp)

If I'm doing brunch in Seochon, I'll keep coming back to this spot a little off the main Seochon street — such a healing experience ㅠㅠ

## Where it is

- Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon (레스피레베이커리카페 서촌)
- 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 종로구 효자로13길 40-7 레스피레
- 37.5827651, 126.9721449
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A0%88%EC%8A%A4%ED%94%BC%EB%A0%88%EB%B2%A0%EC%9D%B4%EC%BB%A4%EB%A6%AC%EC%B9%B4%ED%8E%98%20%EC%84%9C%EC%B4%8C/@37.5827651,126.9721449,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@dongdaemun-loose-thread/seochon-brunch-parking-window-seat-respire/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt