COE Ethiopia drip at a Hongdae coffee shop: Central Site Yeonnam

I'm recommending a Hongdae favorite here — a Yeonnam-dong café where the coffee's aroma is just outstanding. It's also a great spot for tiramisu, and it's a spacious Hongdae café near Yeonnam-dong.

It's still September so it's a stretch to call it fall weather, but it does feel like autumn is starting. The sky's turning that clear blue and leaves are beginning to fall here and there. Of course it's still early days, and it's way too hot during the day.

A Yeonnam-dong alley walk that ends at Central Site Yeonnam

After eating, I wandered the alleys of Yeonnam-dong for a bit and did some shopping. After a long walk I stopped at this Hongdae café, Central Site Yeonnam, a Yeonnam-dong café. It's full of coffee — various brewing methods, hand-drip included.

There's high-end coffee packed with deep aroma and flavor, so it's great for conversation, and just as good for sitting alone and focusing on something. Also great for savoring the rich smell of coffee solo and soaking in autumn to your heart's content.

Where is Central Site Yeonnam, and what are the hours?

• Location: 29-1 Yeonhui-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 08:30–22:00
• No parking on site
• Pets welcome
• Groups accommodated

Walking in, it looks like the seasonal ice cream has started too. Now I'm curious how that tastes.

Parking and how to get to Central Site Yeonnam

Central Site Yeonnam is a Hongdae café that welcomes pets and offers delivery too. There's no parking on site. Most people use the slightly farther public lot or a private lot about a 1–2 minute walk away.

You can also drive and park at the nearby public lot. It's not a facility-type public lot but street-side public parking. It's a bit of a distance — about 5 minutes on foot.

Private lots tend to be pricier and the fee keeps climbing the longer you stay. If you're taking the bus, get off at the 'Yeonnam-dong' stop and walk up toward the GS25 — you'll see it right away. By subway, exit 3 of Hongik University Station, then walk along the main road past the Donggyo-dong intersection toward Yeonnam-dong.

What is on the menu at Central Site Yeonnam?

There's Geisha and other specialty coffees, along with espresso, americano, café latte, flat white, cappuccino, vanilla bean latte, oat latte, and more. There's also Hatch matcha latte, triple chocolat, peach and passionfruit, iced tea, and various teas. You order and pay first, then find a seat — and staff bring everything to your table themselves, which is nice.

You can also buy beans and cold brew here. You can smell all of them, and they carry specialty beans from around the world, testing dozens of green beans to build a lineup that fits the shop. Beans from Ethiopia, Costa Rica and other good origins are roasted and ready to go. The cold brew is made in-house and sold on site.

A lot of today's desserts were already sold out in the fridge. They'll get restocked, of course, but that's how fast things turn over at this Yeonnam-dong coffee favorite.

What we ordered, the prices and the review event

There's also a review event — post a review and tell the barista, and you get a Central Site drip bag or a chunky chocolate cookie. Here's what we ordered:

• Ethiopia Tamiru 74158 Natural COE #5 — ₩11,000
• Colombia Campo Hermoso Caturra Honey Grape Dosto Coffer Inteation — ₩10,000
• Classic tiramisu — ₩8,500
• Total ₩29,500

The grinding and pouring looked so refined, machines busily working away.

Ethiopia Tamiru COE #5 vs Colombia Honey Grape: how they taste

Since a professional roaster manages the beans directly, there's a wide range of espresso and milk variation menus too. The Ethiopia Tamiru 74158 Natural COE #5 is a well-balanced bean with a subtle, gentle coffee aroma, while the Colombia Campo Hermoso Caturra Honey Grape Dosto Coffer Inteation has that grape-like note from its fermentation processing alongside the bean's own character.

Paired with specialty beans, the coffee here tastes genuinely upscale and special — a standout Yeonnam-dong café.

We were going to drink the Colombia Campo Hermoso Caturra Honey Grape Dosto Coffer Inteation iced, but as it was brewed hot first, the aroma carried through — and according to the staff, the fragrance is actually richer and fuller when hot compared to iced. Sure enough, you could really feel that deep, fermented grape aroma.

First the coffee is warmed and you get that rich smell as it's brewed. You can watch the demo right in front of you with beans you picked yourself. The aroma is wonderful, and it makes it even clearer just how special this coffee is.

Seating floor by floor: second-floor hall and third-floor rooftop

The first floor of Central Site Yeonnam is where you order and where the drinks are made.

From the first floor you carefully head upstairs. There's no elevator, just stairs, to reach the second or third floor.

The second floor is a hall with natural-mood tables, good as a meeting spot for two or three people to gather and chat. Since it was past lunch hour, it had emptied out a bit. Sitting by the window and spending the day focused on something would be lovely too.

Climbing the stairs toward the third floor, you spot framed art and then a wide-open space. The third floor also has a self-serve bar and is filled with tables and chairs across a big area.

The third floor is a rooftop. With tree branches visible right there, the third floor has its own stylish mood too.

Two specialty coffees served iced

The big, solid square ice cubes stand out. It's a specialty coffee with a nutty, relaxed quality and good balance.

We sipped the Ethiopia Tamiru 74158 Natural COE #5 and the Colombia Campo Hermoso Caturra Honey Grape Dosto Coffer Inteation cold and refreshing, iced style.

This is top-tier, premium coffee with outstanding flavor and body. Floral notes and fruity flavors came together evenly for a distinctive taste. Sitting by the warm, sunlit window with delicious coffee was such an enjoyable time. The aroma builds slowly but that inherent richness keeps coming through with every sip. Taking it slow, one sip at a time, the harmony of flavor and aroma opens up a whole new world for your palate.

How was the classic tiramisu at Central Site Yeonnam?

Central Site Yeonnam's traditional classic tiramisu slice (₩8,500) is excellent in taste, aroma, look, and texture alike.

The meeting of soft tiramisu cream and rich dark chocolate gets cozier and cleaner the more you scoop them together. Being handmade, it tastes distinctly good, and one small spoonful just melts in your mouth.

The softness of the mascarpone cheese really stands out, and the sponge underneath, soaked with espresso, shows the true character of a proper tiramisu.

Central Site Yeonnam is a brewing and hand-drip specialty shop — a Yeonnam-dong café with a deep, distinctive coffee aroma set in a space full of Yeonnam-dong's charm. The taste is solid and the roomy space makes it easy to linger, so I highly recommend it.