Dog-friendly bakery in Gwangjin for afternoon pastries: Stack Bakery

I really love pastries among all kinds of bread, so whenever I spot a new bakery I tend to check it out. Stack Bakery, which I visited this time, was one of the best pastry places I've ever tried in the Konkuk University area — honestly up there among the best pastries I've had anywhere. I loved it so much while eating in-store that I ended up packing extra bread to take home on my way out.

Where is Stack Bakery? Between Konkuk University Station and Jayang Station

Stack Bakery sits between Jayang Station and Konkuk University Station. It was easy to get to from either station — under 10 minutes on foot no matter which one I came from.

It's not far off the main street in the Konkuk University area, so it's convenient to swing by for dessert after a meal. I visit the Konkuk area pretty often, and since it's also reachable from Jayang Station, you can just pick whichever station fits your route. For anyone looking for a bakery near Konkuk University Station, it's a location you can drop into without much hassle.

Second-floor window seats and the dog-friendly terrace on the first floor

I sat at a table on the second floor. It's not a huge space, but turnover was faster than expected so I got a seat quickly, and I especially liked the window seat. The atmosphere was nice for slowly enjoying bread and a drink.

There's also an outdoor terrace on the first floor, which would be great to eat at on a nice day. Dogs are welcome on that first-floor terrace, and they're also allowed on the first floor for takeout orders. Just note that pets aren't allowed on the second-floor seating.

Stack Bakery's bread lineup, from sweet pastries to savory meal breads

Stack Bakery's pastry lineup was especially varied. There were basics like plain croissants and sweet options like pain au chocolat, alongside meal-bread-style pastries with ham or cheese, and savory picks like the tomato cheese pastry.

There were also soft desserts like egg flan and pastries topped with various things, so both people who love sweet stuff and people who prefer savory bread had plenty to choose from. I personally prefer places that split their pastry base into several different styles rather than ones where everything looks the same, and Stack Bakery was genuinely fun to browse through on the menu board.

This time I picked a plain croissant, ham & cheese pain au, egg flan, and tomato cheese pastry. Even visiting in the afternoon, a few menu items were sold out, but bread kept getting restocked and there was still plenty on the display shelves, so I didn't feel like it was a must-do-opening-run kind of place.

How did the tomato cheese pastry and plain croissant taste?

The moment I took a bite here, I understood exactly why this place is known for pastries. Personally, I'd say it was the best pastry I've ever had.

The one I enjoyed the most was the tomato cheese pastry.

I usually prefer savory ingredients like cheese or ham over sweet bread, and with the tomato and cheese combo layered on top of that pastry texture, it really hit my taste perfectly.

The plain croissant surprisingly stuck with me too. I didn't expect much since croissant is such a basic item, but the outside was really crisp while the inside kept a chewy texture.

What surprised me most was that even though I wasn't eating it fresh out of the oven, it still tasted freshly baked and crisp. I'd had a disappointing experience before where a croissant eaten late in the afternoon at another place had gone soggy, but there was almost none of that feeling at Stack Bakery.

I originally planned to just eat what I ordered and leave, but it was so good that I ended up packing extra bread to eat at home. It's not that often I buy extra right after eating at a bakery, but here it just felt natural to buy more.

I also heard the owner has a first-place award from a competition, and after tasting the bread, that made total sense. I didn't know about that background when I first tried the pastries, but the texture still stood out to me on its own.

Do you need to arrive at opening, or is an afternoon visit fine?

I've had experiences at famous bakeries where so much was already sold out in the morning that I could barely get the bread I wanted. At Stack Bakery, even visiting in the afternoon, bread kept getting restocked, so you probably don't need to worry too much about an opening rush.

That said, if there's a specific item you absolutely want, it's safer to go early.

If someone asked me for a good pastry spot around Konkuk University, Stack Bakery would be the first place that comes to mind now. It's a bakery near Konkuk University Station worth visiting, especially if you like crisp croissants or pastries. Next time I go, I'm planning to pick out the breads I missed this time. If you find one you like after trying it in-store, packing extra to take home like I did is a great move too.