Jongno bakery picnic breads and coffee buns: Munhwa Bakery

Heading to Munhwa Bakery for Cheonggyecheon picnic bread

Cheonggyecheon on a beautiful day just can’t fail. This was the day of the 2026 Hanwha Fireworks Festival, September 5, so I went to Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵) to pick up bread for a picnic while waiting for the fireworks that evening. It’s close when you get off at Exit 3 of Jongno 3-ga Station. Off I went to this famous Jongno 3-ga bakery! But like a fool, I got off at Euljiro 3-ga Station instead—thankfully, the lovely weather meant I got to look around as I found my way there.

A Jongno 3-ga bakery with a visible waiting line

Once you’re nearby, you’ll know exactly where Munhwa Bakery is without looking for it. Unlike the other shops, there’s a waiting line out front haha. People call it one of Seoul’s top three bakeries, and yep, it really is. The funniest thing while I waited was that every passerby seemed to know this bakery.

??: What do they sell here? Oh, I know this place. I heard it’s good. I’ve wanted to try it too.

I heard that conversation two or three times.

Bread! I think that one simple Korean word does catch your attention haha. English is everywhere these days, so seeing Hangul used like this felt somehow very Korean, and it made me happy.

The line moves quickly because it’s takeout only

Just so you know, this is a takeout-only place. There’s no space to eat inside. I often think how nice it would be if there were a café where you could have your takeout bread with coffee (should I open one...?).

It’s open every day from 11 AM to 8 PM, but judging by the line, there might not be much bread left if you come late in the afternoon. If there’s something you really want, I think it’s best to visit in the morning.

Maybe because it’s takeout only, the line disappears in no time. So even if the line outside looks long, don’t be scared—just get in it 😎 While waiting for my turn, I looked at all the bread and thought, what is thisㅠㅠ Everything looked delicious, and I wanted to say, “I’ll take one of everything from here to there!” I’ve been really into cream lately, so the injeolmi bread looked incredibly good too. But I thought it might be hard to eat at a picnic, so I passed.

Choosing an onion bagel and picnic breads

As someone who has already tried it, I can confidently say the onion bagel is ridiculously good. The cream cheese isn’t moist and dense; it’s fluffy and so delicious. The bagel itself is crisp, so the texture is wonderfully rich. If they sold the cream cheese separately, I’d buy it right away (drizzle it with honey and it’s heaven).

But looking around, it seemed not only the shopping arcade interior but also the menu was similar to Mandong Bakery: walnut bread, garlic bread, onion bagels, coffee bread, and so on. My favorites at Mandong Bakery were the basil tomato bagel, onion bagel, garlic bread, and coffee bread, so I absolutely picked those three, then added walnut bread because I expected a soboro-like flavor. Looking at this now, I should have added the white bean paste bread and chestnut loaf too... And I should have picked two coffee breads hahaha (get two coffee breads, whisper whisper).

Moist garlic bread cut fresh on the spot

Once you tell them which breads you want packed, they prepare them right there. This is the famous garlic bread. If you ask for it packed, they cut it on the spot. No wonder it stays so moist.

The bread felt so substantial and heavy that I couldn’t even imagine how good it would be. As I took photos like this, people passing by peeked over, recognized the place, and went into the bakery haha.

My favorite coffee bread with the night view

I thought this might have been the nicest weather we’d had all year. Was it really summer? Seasons, unlike people’s hearts, somehow changed overnight. The sun set sooner than I expected. Yum yum, my favorite coffee bread with the night view.

The breads disappeared faster than the chicken

We properly tucked into them at the picnic. Everyone loved them, asking where I’d bought such delicious bread. The breads vanished so quickly hahaha. They were even more popular than the chicken.

• Coffee bread
• Onion bagel and garlic bread
• Walnut bread

The coffee bread was so soft and tender, the kind that just slides right down your throatㅠㅠ I already mentioned the onion bagel; the garlic bread was wonderfully moist and chewy, filling your mouth with the sweetness of condensed milk. Honestly, every single one was so good at Munhwa Bakery that it felt pointless to separate first place from second.