Large Mugyo-ro bakery café for Maldon salt financier: Lemangdoré

I fell in love with the space at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun the last time I visited for a leisurely weekend! The particular warmth and the desserts kept coming back to me, so this time I headed back to Gwanghwamun on a weekday afternoon.

A large Gwanghwamun café with a Parisian feel in the middle of the city — Lemangdoré, revisited on a weekday for dessert and laptop work

What is Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun like at 2pm on a weekday?

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is a large café spanning three floors at 17 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. I arrived around 2pm on a weekday and the place was packed with nearby office workers and people taking a breather in the middle of the busy downtown area. It was actually even busier than when I visited on a weekend.

Address: 17 Mugyo-ro, 1st-3rd floor, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Hours: Daily 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for baked goods and bakery desserts at a Gwanghwamun café
• Anyone looking for a laptop café in Gwanghwamun
• Anyone wanting to relax at a large Gwanghwamun café with a beautiful floor-to-ceiling window view (solo, dates, or gatherings)

How to order at the kiosk, and what sells out by afternoon

You order at the kiosk at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun, and there's a small pot with tasting cups set up beside the counter for coffee tasting. As befits a Gwanghwamun dessert café, there was a wide variety of desserts, but by the time I visited in the afternoon, all the sandwiches were already sold out, sigh. This time I ordered a mix of desserts and bakery items: the Maldon salt financier, pecan scone, and cardamom bun.

What I ordered

• Iced Americano ₩5,500
• Cardamom bun ₩5,400
• Maldon salt chocolate financier ₩4,200
• Caramel pecan scone ₩4,500

The 2nd floor as a laptop café in Gwanghwamun

I went up to the 2nd floor and found the seating arrangement had changed slightly. The large communal table that used to take up the middle of the room was gone, replaced with neat individual seats. The 2nd floor has outlets well placed throughout, making it a great environment for working. If you're looking for a laptop café in Gwanghwamun, I'd definitely recommend the 2nd floor.

Floor-by-floor seating tips at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun

Let me sum up some seating tips to make the most of Lemangdoré, a Gwanghwamun café. If you need to work on a laptop or charge your phone, the 2nd floor with plenty of outlets is most comfortable. On the other hand, if you want some healing time gazing out the window or a cozy conversation, I'd recommend heading up to the 3rd floor. (I've attached a video of the view below.)

3rd floor window sofa seats: a quiet city view break

I wanted to spend a bit more quiet time, so I went up to the 3rd floor. It still keeps a relaxed, cozy atmosphere. And finally — the window sofa seat that was taken by another customer last time I visited was empty, so I quickly grabbed it!

Watching the leaves sway in the wind through the floor-to-ceiling window while listening to atmospheric music, I felt the everyday stress melt away and a real sense of healing wash over me.

How do the Maldon salt financier and caramel pecan scone taste?

Lemangdoré is originally famous for its baked goods, and I've visited several times myself. Overall, the style is dense and hearty, which is exactly my taste. The Maldon salt financier had a chewy exterior with a densely packed interior — the rich, luxurious chocolate flavor combined with the salty kick of Maldon salt made for a textbook sweet-and-salty dessert.

The pecan scone at Lemangdoré, a large Gwanghwamun café, had a pleasantly crispy exterior and a moist, dense interior with good texture to chew on. The pecans added nuttiness and sweetness, and with such a rich, buttery density, just a few bites left me satisfyingly full.

Iced Americano with noir beans

The iced Americano at Lemangdoré, this large Gwanghwamun café, lets you choose your beans, and I went with the noir beans known for their nutty flavor. It was a well-balanced coffee that complemented the sweetness of the desserts nicely.

The bitterness of chocolate and the nuttiness of roasted nuts held the center firmly, followed by a clean sweetness reminiscent of cherry. Thanks to a subtle, fragrant acidity that wasn't overdone, it finished with a clean, medium-full body that refreshed the palate — quite memorable.

Is the cardamom bun easy to like?

The cardamom bun from the bakery lineup didn't have an overly strong spice flavor, so it's easy for anyone to enjoy without preference issues. The bread wasn't too greasy, soft and chewy, with a subtle cardamom aroma and delicate sweetness that filled the mouth — a delicious bread that paired well with coffee.

Why Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is worth another visit

It was a time to enjoy sweet desserts and fragrant coffee while watching the warm sunlight and scenery pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Every floor of this three-story building has an attractive view, befitting a large Gwanghwamun café — just sitting and looking out the window was enough to relax my mind! Lemangdoré, the large Gwanghwamun café that offers everyday warmth and comfort — I already want to feel this again, so I think I'll be back soon!