Seochon salt bread café for a 1pm business-trip lunch: Respire

Respire Bakery is a café in Seochon. It's known for its salt bread and salt bread sandwiches, baked fresh every day. The space has an open, airy first floor and a cozy attic-like second floor, and the vintage vibe makes it a great date spot. If you're looking for brunch in Seochon, I'd recommend it.

Where is Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, and where can you park?

Respire Bakery is located near Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae. Right as I was thinking, 'Is there really a café around here?' — a white two-story building came into view. (The space right in front is a parking lot for the presidential security service, so you'll need to use a different spot nearby.)

Walking through a passageway leads you into Respire Bakery Cafe. Since the café isn't right at the entrance, walking through built up my anticipation even more.

First-floor window and outdoor seats, plus the attic-style second floor

The first floor of Respire Bakery had an old European vibe. It felt vintage yet charming, like I was on a trip somewhere. There are also window seats where sunlight streams in warmly.

There's also outdoor seating. In weather like this, it's the perfect spot to enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee outside.

Climb the stairs to the second floor and you'll find a space with an attic feel. There's even a table for six, so it'd be a great spot for office workers near Gyeongbokgung. I visited at 1pm, right at the tail end of lunch hour, and took a seat on the first floor.

Respire Bakery menu and salt bread prices

Here's the menu board at Respire Bakery, a well-known brunch spot in Seochon. There was a variety of brunch options, including French toast, garlic shrimp sandwich, ciabatta, and omelette. Signature drinks include the Salt Summer Latte, Caramel Crème, and Respire Latte. They also offer 30% off coffee and drinks to go for nearby office workers and residents.

The Seochon salt bread is right to the right as you walk in. Basic salt bread is ₩3,000, or ₩5,000 for two. One alone just isn't enough, so getting two is the better deal haha. There are various kinds available, like mentaiko potato, sausage, and chocolate.

I ordered the omelette sandwich, chocolate salt bread, and an Americano. To think I'd get to enjoy such a treat while on a business trip — I was genuinely happy.

How the omelette sandwich and chocolate salt bread tasted

The bread in Respire Bakery's omelette sandwich was salt bread, with fluffy eggs enhanced by ham and cheese. With fig, stevia cherry tomatoes, and vegetables added in, it looked every bit the part of a top Seochon brunch spot.

Since I'm a sweets lover, I always pick something chocolate for dessert, and as luck would have it, there was exactly one chocolate salt bread left — I chose it without a second thought.

The coffee was really good too. Rich, without any burnt taste, and nutty. I'd recommend Respire Bakery, this Seochon café.

I'll start with the omelette sandwich. The salt bread was crisp and the egg was moist and soft — really delicious.

Can you tell how moist it is from the cross-section? There was so much egg inside that I stayed full for a long time.

It's also great dipped in the spicy sauce. Crispy, savory, fluffy, spicy — Respire Bakery really nails Seochon brunch.

I devoured the omelette sandwich in no time, so now let's try the chocolate salt bread. With pistachios on top of the chocolate, it's perfect.

Cutting it open, the buttery cave inside was also packed full of chocolate. The savoriness of the butter, the salty edge, and the sweetness of the chocolate — it was all fantastic. If you're looking for a great salt bread spot in Seochon, I highly recommend this one.

Is Respire Bakery worth it as a café near Gyeongbokgung Palace?

That's how I thoroughly enjoyed a Seochon brunch. I was surprised that not only the food but the coffee was excellent too, and this café near Gyeongbokgung doesn't fall short on atmosphere or hospitality either.

They even took my photo in the mirror by the entrance. If you look closely at the mirror, you'll see Respire's drink menu written on it haha. This is a hot spot near Gyeongbokgung that draws plenty of international visitors too.

That wraps up my introduction to Respire Bakery Cafe, a great brunch spot in Seochon. Pets are welcome too, and they even have a water bowl ready ☆ A place I'd love to come back to!