Weekday Seochon bakery café: fresh salt bread and iced latte at

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon (레스피레베이커리카페 서촌) in Seochon, Jongno, Seoul is open 08:30–18:00 on weekdays and 09:00–19:00 on weekends.

Today I visited Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, a café said to be a real salt bread hotspot in Seochon, with really good baking. Salt bread (a buttery roll with a salted, crisp bottom) is trendy right now and tons of places make it, but apparently the one here is a little special. I was curious about the taste, so I went straight over to find out.

Where is Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, and is there parking?

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is in Hyoja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, near Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3. Hyoja-dong in Seochon is a quiet, charming neighborhood that lots of people come to wander around.

There is a spacious parking area in front of the café, so parking is easy.

I thought the café suits Hyoja-dong really well. Starting from the exterior, that calm, quiet atmosphere carries right through into the café.

Weekday atmosphere and seating at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon

I went on a weekday. On weekends it gets crowded and apparently lots of people sit outside with a coffee, but the outdoor area was lovely and quiet on a weekday too.

Once I stepped inside, the calm mood felt even stronger. The various wooden interior touches gave it a warm feel.

There were lots of little decorations, so I looked around at this and that as I made my way inside.

The sunny 2nd floor and Hyoja-dong view tables

The café has two floors, and with the warm sunlight coming in, the whole place felt cozy.

From tables overlooking Hyoja-dong to windows all around letting in warm sun, there were plenty of spots that looked perfect for tea with a nice dessert.

The seating was varied too, from tables where everyone can sit together to spots where you can have a coffee alone.

What bread does Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon have?

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a bakery café in Seochon, Jongno, Seoul, and it sells a really wide range of baked goods, led by salt bread.

They bake a variety of breads themselves, and you can eat warm bread right on the spot. I hear the bread is so good that it's very popular with customers.

Besides salt bread there were lots of other baked goods, and it was honestly hard to decide what to eat.

Do they do gift packaging?

I was told many people order the bread to go as gifts, because the bread is just that good. The packaging boxes fit the café's style too, very cute and pretty.

How are the fresh salt bread and iced café latte?

At Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, I ordered a strong café latte together with the salt bread.

First, true to its reputation as a Seochon salt bread hotspot, the salt bread was really good. I ate it fresh out of the oven, and I loved that the outside was super crisp while the inside kept that soft, fluffy crumb.

The beans in the café latte I drank with it were deep and rich. The aroma filled me up and I could taste the full depth of the coffee.

Is Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon worth a visit?

Having had salt bread with a cold café latte at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon today, I can see why it's so popular. As a salt bread hotspot, it served me a salt bread much tastier than the ones I've had elsewhere.

The café latte was a fantastic partner for the salt bread. If you're looking for a salt bread spot in Seochon, please do stop by Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon.