Yeonnam-dong dessert café stop: French toast at Hippo Brunch House
In short
Hippo Brunch House is a large American-style brunch café in a converted suburban-style house in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Gajwa Station. On a return visit after a meal with an old friend, the seasonal fruit French toast (15,800 won) came with an iced royal milk tea and a strawberry latte as dessert, and the basement is full of retro props like a Coca-Cola clock. Nothing is heavily sweet, and with seats on the first floor, in the basement and out on the terrace, Hippo Brunch House also works well for wedding-invitation get-togethers.
Good to know
- Address
- 85 Seongmisan-ro 17-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Getting there
- About 3 minutes on foot from Gajwa Station Exit 1 / about 9 minutes from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3
- Hours
- Daily 09:00–21:30 (last order 20:30)
- Parking
- Not available
- Seasonal fruit French toast
- 15,800 won
- All the Way Brunch
- 21,800 won
- The space
- Large café in a converted house, with a first floor, basement and terrace
- Facilities
- Groups welcome, reservations, Wi-Fi, takeout, dogs allowed, indoor restroom
as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026
I'm a regular in Yeonnam-dong~ haha. This time I met an old friend, and since we were grabbing a meal and then coffee in Yeonnam-dong anyway, I went back to a brunch café I really loved from a previous visit. Yes, it's Hippo Brunch House! Even coming back after a while, the drinks were delicious, the food was delicious, and best of all the atmosphere was still great hahaha.
Rather than being in the busy heart of Yeonnam-dong, it's tucked into a residential alley if you walk a bit toward Gyeongseong Middle & High School — and honestly, I love this kind of location even more, T_T. Quiet and cozy, exactly my style. That day I also walked over slowly, taking a little trip down memory lane through the old neighborhood. It's a relaxed space for meeting friends, so it'd also work great for a wedding-invitation gathering in Yeonnam-dong.
3 charms of Hippo Brunch House
So let me leave a detailed review! An American-vibe large brunch café in Hongdae/Yeonnam-dong — Hippo Brunch House.
Where is Hippo Brunch House and what are its hours?
- 📍 85 Seongmisan-ro 17-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Gajwa Station Exit 1, about 3 min walk / Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3, about 9 min walk
- ⏰ Daily 09:00–21:30 / last order 20:30
- 🅿️ Not available
- 🚻 Clean indoor restroom!
- ⭐️ American-style brunch specialist / large café in a converted house
- Terrace / group seating / reservations / Wi-Fi / takeout / dog-friendly
- 💰 Seasonal Fruit French Toast ₩15,800, All Day Brunch ₩21,800
The converted house, the big windows and the seating at Hippo Brunch House
The blue exterior really catches your eye. Hippo Brunch House uses blue as its main color, so it stands out even in the residential alley. Since it's a converted old house, it has a different feel from a typical shop-unit café.
What makes the Yeonnam-dong café feel open and unique?
There are large windows facing outside, so the interior doesn't feel stuffy at all, and sitting by the window was a nice way to spend a relaxed moment!
On nice days you can even use the terrace, so being able to enjoy the space in different ways is a plus >_<
Seats for solo visits and for groups
On the first floor there are window-side tables as well as long, spacious tables, so it's comfortable whether you're visiting alone, as a couple, or in a group! I thought it'd suit a Yeonnam-dong wedding-invitation gathering well, both in space and atmosphere.
The basement: retro American-style interior
Head down to the basement and it's full-on American vibes! The basement at Hippo Brunch House was pretty spacious too.
True to a place serving authentic American brunch, the interior really gives off that American feeling too haha.
It genuinely feels like you're somewhere else, T_T T_T T_T. And with a terrace on top of that, is this America??? o_O
I especially loved the retro props, like the Coca-Cola clock, T_T
Browsing these vintage props was surprisingly fun.
There's also a separate water station on one side. And the restroom is indoors too, kept nice and clean — very satisfied!
Hippo Brunch House menu and how to order
When you come in, a staff member hands you the menu, you decide at your table, then go back to the counter to order! It's clearly brunch-centered. There's a wide range from hearty meal options to sweet ones like the seasonal fruit toast and waffles!
There's also coffee and non-coffee drinks, plus beer, craft beer, and even wine, so it's a place you can enjoy as a brunch café during the day and a spot for a light drink in the evening, right?
I usually love brunch, but since this was after a meal with my friend, I mostly ordered sweet things to keep it light. You all should definitely, definitely try the All Day at Hippo, the Yeonnam-dong brunch specialist, T_T hahaha.
What we ordered
How do the strawberry latte and iced royal milk tea taste?
Cute drinks starting with the colors — iced royal milk tea and strawberry latte! Ta-da~ Both have such pretty colors haha.
Even the cups are kind of cute, like a cookie shop... it had that dainty feel like something you'd see in a game, and I liked it.
The taste wasn't overly sweet, which I liked. The strawberry was thick and rich, so you get the sweet flavor without it being cloying! I like drinks that are moderately sweet like this, so I was satisfied!!
Seasonal fruit French toast, 15,800 won
A sweet but not heavy combination — the seasonal fruit toast. Ta-da~ The look alone makes you happy haha. Sweetly grilled French toast topped with banana and fig, served alongside whipped cream and maple syrup.
The French toast was really well grilled, so it's tasty on its own, and when you portion some onto a plate and drizzle a little maple syrup over it... mmm, so good @@@
Surprisingly it wasn't overly sweet, so it was easy to eat without feeling like too much.
Adding the whipped cream brings a softer taste, and with the fig and banana you also get the sweetness of the fruit itself~_~ This time I had it as a light dessert after a meal with my friend, but I remember the latte and brunch dishes I had before being delicious too, so I think I'll have to come back for brunch next time haha.
The terrace, and bringing your dog to Hippo Brunch House
And another highlight of Hippo — the terrace, T_T. On nice-weather days you can sit outside and enjoy brunch, and since it's a dog-friendly space in Yeonnam-dong, it's also great for spending relaxed time with your dog! Sitting on the terrace with a coffee and your dog would be healing in itself haha T_T. There are always people doing exactly that!
What I liked, and who Hippo Brunch House suits
A Yeonnam-dong brunch café I wanted to revisit — a spacious, unique space in a converted house where you can enjoy American-style brunch and drinks, Hippo Brunch House.
- A large café in a converted house in Hongdae/Yeonnam-dong!
- Seating across 1st floor, basement, and terrace
- Works for solo visits up to group gatherings
- Interior full of American brunch vibes
- The brunch itself is seriously delicious,,,
- Dessert that's not overly sweet, so no guilt
- Perfect for relaxing on the terrace
- Indoor restroom is clean
I'd recommend this to:
- Anyone craving American-style brunch
- Anyone looking for a brunch café in Yeonnam-dong
- Anyone looking for a nice-atmosphere spot for a Yeonnam-dong wedding-invitation gathering
- Anyone looking for a dog-friendly restaurant/café in Yeonnam-dong
- Anyone looking for a quiet spot to have brunch alone
- Anyone who loves American-vibe interiors
- Anyone looking for a place to enjoy wine or beer in the evening too
A distinctive Yeonnam-dong spot that's great whether you go together or alone — hope this helps :)
Where it is
85 Seongmisan-ro 17-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 성미산로17길 85 1층
