Jongno café for baum ice cream and three baumkuchen: The Baum

On weekends I love hunting down new cafés, and this time I headed near Gyeongbokgung Station for baumkuchen — something I'd heard of plenty but never actually tried. I'd heard there was a café that specialized purely in baumkuchen, and that's how I ended up at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch. There were way more varieties than I expected, each with its own personality, making it a solid café tour stop. Here's my honest review after trying several menu items myself.

Where The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is and how to get there

The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3. The address is 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and I visited on August 17, 2026.

It sits right on a main road, so it's easy to find, and since it's a standalone shop using both the 1st and 2nd floors, it caught my eye from a distance. The accessibility made it great to stop by after touring Gyeongbokgung Palace, and convenient for moving on to other spots on a café tour. There's no dedicated parking though, so if you're driving, I'd recommend using a nearby public parking lot.

I got there by bus, and the building was visible right through the window — that eye-catching. Since the café occupies the whole building, it was bigger than I expected, and the exterior looked clean too.

Passersby would naturally glance over, and it definitely had that dedicated-dessert-café feel.

The Baum at 3pm: first floor and second floor seating

I visited a bit after 3pm and it was quieter than I expected, so I could browse at ease. I actually prefer places that aren't too crowded, so this worked out well for me.

The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is split into 1st and 2nd floors — the 1st floor is a bit more spacious, and the 2nd floor has a cozier atmosphere.

How many kinds of baumkuchen does The Baum sell?

The first thing that caught my eye in the store was the sheer variety of baumkuchen. I don't usually encounter baumkuchen much, so I had no idea there were this many kinds — from plain to all sorts of flavors, the options were huge.

There were also plenty of gift set options, which looked great for giving as presents. If the menu gets confusing, the staff kindly explain each one, and it was actually fun listening to the explanations.

Drinks ranged from coffee to ade and more, set up like a typical café menu. But of course the main event here is the baumkuchen, so my eyes naturally kept drifting to the dessert side.

There was a poster introducing new drink menus too, and just looking at it made me want to try one. Though I did think it would've been a bit more convenient if the prices were printed on the poster as well.

The five items ordered at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch

This time I ordered an iced Americano, custard baum, dark choco baumkuchen, mini baum plain, and baum ice cream. Since it's a baumkuchen specialty shop, I wanted to try as many varieties as possible, so I picked several items.

Custard baum

The first thing I tried was the custard baum. I love custard in general so I had high expectations, and it definitely delivered.

It's not huge in size, but when you split it in half, there's a generous amount of custard cream inside, so every bite was full of soft, rich flavor.

Sweet but not overwhelming — this was the dessert I reached for first.

Dark choco baumkuchen, shaped like a coal briquette

The dark choco baumkuchen had a really unique shape the moment I saw it. It looked just like a small coal briquette, which was striking, and it was bigger than I expected too.

The top was lightly torched for a crispy texture, and there was fun in cracking it open.

Inside was rich chocolate, so the outer crisp and the inner richness blended well, and it paired best with coffee out of everything. If you're visiting with someone else, one is plenty to share.

Mini baum plain

The mini baum plain was the baumkuchen I was already most familiar with. The layered rings were clearly visible, and the moist yet soft texture was great.

Being plain, it wasn't too sweet, so it was easy to eat without feeling guilty, and it's a flavor kids would like too. Personally I thought this would be the easiest one for parents or elderly family members to enjoy.

Iced Americano

The iced Americano was solid and unremarkable in a good way. The acidity wasn't too strong, so it was easy to drink without polarizing opinions, and its clean taste paired well alongside the various baumkuchen.

Since the desserts lean sweet, the Americano combo worked really well.

Baum ice cream

I got a bit distracted taking photos, so by the time I ate the baum ice cream it had melted slightly. They'd put the lid back on, so the shape was a bit messed up, but the taste was still really satisfying. Eating soft ice cream together with baumkuchen felt totally different from regular ice cream. It felt like a luxurious dessert experience, and I'd especially recommend it in summer.

Who The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch suits best

The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is a dessert café that both baumkuchen lovers and complete first-timers can enjoy without any pressure. It's also a nice spot to rest after touring Gyeongbokgung Palace, and I think anyone who enjoys café tours or dessert tours should stop by at least once.

Comparing the different baumkuchen side by side was genuinely fun, and the pairing with coffee was satisfying too. If you're looking for something different in dessert near Gyeongbokgung Station, I'd recommend giving The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch a try.