Nakseongdae Station café for Vienna coffee and crumble pie: Pulse Line

What are you doing on these gorgeous autumn days? Days like this make staying home feel like a waste, so I end up at cafés a lot — and this time, instead of somewhere near home, I wanted to go on a little outing near Seoul National University. After wandering around Sharosu-gil, I dropped by a café near Seoul National University Ipgu station that I'll recommend today. Here's my visit to Pulse Line, a new café near Seoul National University/Nakseongdae with great coffee and high-quality desserts!

Where is Pulse Line Coffee? The alley between Seoul National University and Nakseongdae stations

Pulse Line Coffee sits between Seoul National University Ipgu and Nakseongdae stations, an easy walk from either. It's only been open a short while so it's still pretty quiet, but I could definitely sense it's going to be a bustling spot soon haha.

Tucked into an alley, it has a calm feel, and I could imagine locals nearby wanting to make it their regular spot. I really liked this alley café for a change. Check the map for the exact location!

Inside Pulse Line Coffee: black-and-red interior and window seats

Pulse Line, this café near Seoul National University Ipgu station, runs on the motto 'the line of a pulse' — precise temperature, meticulous timing, perfect aroma. Its whole direction toward coffee is clear, and once I actually tasted it, that made even more sense.

The interior is done in black and red, a mood you don't see much these days — not a flat, monotone look, since the simple black is paired with bright lighting, giving it a luxe feel.

The tables and chairs seem to go for a simple mood too, and the store is quite large with plenty of seats, so it feels roomy. Once you sit down, the spacing between seats is generous! There are also window seats where you can sit facing outside, making it a good spot to spend time alone.

Pulse Line Coffee menu and prices

This felt like a café that puts a lot of care into things like the beans and brewing temperature — they even had a flat white on the menu. The signature lineup was pretty varied too.

• Einspänner ₩6,500
• Pulse Nal Latte ₩6,500
• Americano ₩4,800
• Flat white ₩5,500

— lots of different coffees like these!

They also had bakery items worth grabbing a bite of — pound cakes, pies, and other desserts that could actually fill you up haha. The staff were friendly too, which made the place memorable.

How do the Vienna coffee, iced Americano and handmade crumble pie taste?

We ordered the signature Vienna coffee, iced Americano, and a handmade crumble pie! The Vienna coffee had a chewy, sweet cream topped with caramel syrup.

The iced Americano's beans suited my taste so much that I wanted to come back just for an Americano.

As for the handmade pie — it's honestly not something I usually order, but since it's the signature, I gave it a try. My first bite made me think it might not be my thing, but the more I ate, the more delicious it got. A crumble pie where the tart-like crust met a soft, nutty filling perfectly.

The iced Americano was nutty with a good body — a flavor most people would like, and definitely to my taste lol.

My friend loved the Vienna cream so much she said it ranked among the best she's had. Overall, this café near Seoul National University Ipgu station left me feeling like the coffee quality was genuinely high.

The handmade crumble pie changed how I think about tart-pie menus. I was full and debated skipping it — good thing I didn't haha.

Free cold brew concentrate for a Naver review

If you leave a Naver review, you can also get some cold brew concentrate, so coffee lovers might want to give it a try.

With high-quality drinks and desserts, Pulse Line, this café in Nakseongdae, comes highly recommended for a visit.