Hongdae café with chimney bread like in Hungary: Chimney Mansion

Chimney Mansion, a café in Hongdae, is a place where you can try chimney bread (kürtőskalács), a traditional Hungarian dessert. On our recent honeymoon in Eastern Europe, we had Hungarian chimney bread for the first time, and I couldn't stop thinking about the taste..ㅠ I heard Chimney Mansion is a famous chimney bread spot in Hongdae, so I went with my husband.

Where is Chimney Mansion in Hongdae, and what is the café like?

Chimney Mansion sits between Hongik Univ. Station and Hapjeong Station, so it's easy to get to from either side. A brick building stood out inside the alley, and the exterior already felt like a European side street? It has the vibe of a small dessert shop. Hongdae style with an Eastern European touch, so it looks like a great unusual date spot too.

Inside, it felt like a home, cozy and nice for a cup of coffee. With a 1st floor, 2nd floor and even a terrace, it's a spacious Hongdae café and a good weekend date spot.

What chimney breads are on the menu at Chimney Mansion?

Chimney Mansion has lots of kinds of chimney bread: White Dust, Peanuts House, Dirty, White Choco Pecan, Papa Mayo, Kaya Jam Butter and more, which gives it a very K-style feel. Remembering our Eastern Europe trip, we ordered the flavors that felt most familiar.

We picked the Baby Pistachio, the Cinnamon Chimney, the Lucky Chimney Pistachio chimney ice cream and an iced Americano. We'd had cinnamon and pistachio chimney bread on our honeymoon too, so we ended up ordering the same flavors again.

What is Hungarian chimney bread?

Chimney bread is one of Hungary's signature traditional desserts. Dough is wrapped around a cylindrical mold, baked, then coated with sugar, cinnamon and so on.

It's crispy outside and chewy inside, and you can easily find it as a street snack when traveling in Eastern Europe. We also tried chimney bread for the first time in Hungary on our honeymoon. I still dream about that freshly made, warm chimney bread ㅠㅠ so I was even more excited about Chimney Mansion!!

How does the Baby Pistachio at Chimney Mansion taste?

The Baby Pistachio is chimney bread topped with pistachio and white chocolate. The moment I took a bite, the nutty pistachio flavor hit, with the sweet white chocolate adding just a little, so it's perfect with an Americano.

The chimney bread itself at Chimney Mansion kept that crispy outside, chewy inside texture. It reminded me of the chimney bread we had in Hungary. Then again, chimney bread means cinnamon, right? haha

The Cinnamon Chimney tastes closest to Hungarian chimney bread

Personally, the Cinnamon Chimney at Chimney Mansion was the closest to Hungarian chimney bread. Cinnamon chimney bread was the most basic item on our Eastern Europe trip too, so we couldn't skip it this time. The cinnamon scent spreads through the warm bread and the sugar adds a light sweetness, so it's seriously delicious, hehe

What is the Lucky Chimney Pistachio chimney ice cream like?

The Lucky Chimney Pistachio chimney ice cream at Chimney Mansion is a crispy chimney bread filled with smooth soft-serve ice cream, with pistachio topping on the bread. The chimney ice cream feels much more trendy and modern, so I think it would make a fun, unusual dessert on a date.

Chimney Mansion in Hongdae: the verdict

Chimney Mansion, the Hongdae café, reminded us of the chimney bread from our honeymoon in Eastern Europe. Both the Baby Pistachio and the Cinnamon Chimney were delicious, and the Lucky Chimney Pistachio chimney ice cream was a different taste from chimney bread. If you're looking for an unusual dessert you can't find just anywhere, visit Chimney Mansion in Hongdae~