Gwanghwamun cake café with 8 Blue Ribbons at the door: Center Coffee

Where is Center Coffee Gwanghwamun, and is it easy to reach?

Center Coffee Gwanghwamun is a café in the basement of 136 Sejong-daero, on the Cheonggye Plaza side. I was passing by Gwanghwamun and heard this place was listed on the Blue Ribbon Survey, so I rushed straight over to check it out ✏️ It's located toward Cheonggye Plaza, so it seems to be known as a Cheonggyecheon café too! Access is good — it's an easy walk from either Gwanghwamun Station or City Hall Station haha.

Weekend evening wait and the lit-up lobby view

I visited on a weekend evening, and for reference there was no wait, bb. Through the store's floor-to-ceiling windows the lobby opened up wide, and that open feeling was great from the start haha. Maybe because it was evening, the lit-up lobby view had a nice atmosphere, so I took photos the moment I sat down.

Coffee gift boxes and decaf specialty beans

The coffee smell hit me the second I walked in. On one side they were also selling these stylish coffee gift boxes, with packaging design sharp enough to make a great gift too~~

Since it's a store that uses decaf specialty beans, the bean variety was clearly a real coffee shop thing. Seeing that decaf options were thoughtfully covered too, I could tell this was a place that's serious about coffee.

The 8 Blue Ribbons at the entrance

The entrance was covered with Blue Ribbon stickers — 8 of them, no less 🌟 It's hard not to have high expectations for a café like that +_+ Just from the number of ribbons on the wall, you could tell how long and consistently this place has been recognized 😊

Center Coffee Gwanghwamun menu and kiosk ordering

There was a kiosk in one corner of the store, so ordering by kiosk was possible too! The tea flavors were really varied too — chocolate, black tea, citrus — and you could tell they use a range of beans like Ethiopia and Colombia. Each bean type even had its flavor characteristics explained, which seemed great for people with strong coffee preferences haha. And the desserts, don't even get me started on how many there were~~~

Just the cakes alone had several kinds on display, so I paused a moment wondering what to pick. Once I sat down, the wood-tone table and tray were set neatly, perfect for photos ✨ The lighting was soft too, so overall the café felt hip yet calm!

• Earl Grey lemon tart cake
• Orange Bianco
• Better Than Choco Tea

What does the Earl Grey lemon tart cake taste like?

The cake that arrived first was already a work of art visually — the Earl Grey cream piled up on top like soft, billowy clouds.

Cutting into a bite, underneath was a crisp tart crust, then a chocolate sponge layer, and in the middle a thin line of tangy lemon filling, so it was structured so each layer tasted different ☺️🌟

The Earl Grey cream's scent wasn't overpowering, just a faint hint of tea leaves, so it wasn't heavy — it melted in the mouth leaving a refreshing finish 😊✨ The chocolate sponge underneath wasn't dense but moist, so with every bite a deep cacao flavor spread through the mouth~~~~ If I had to pick just one dessert, this is the one I'd fully recommend!!

Orange Bianco and Better Than Choco Tea: how they tasted

The Orange Bianco had a whole caramelized orange slice sitting on top of the glass, and it was love at first sight the moment I saw it 🍊

Stirring with the straw and taking a sip, underneath the soft milk cream I felt the milky texture of a subtle coffee base first 🤍 Thanks to the caramelized orange on top, every sip carried that distinctive tart sourness of orange pulp 🤭🧡 The outside had a slightly burnt caramel scent while the inside still had juicy fruit flesh, so the drink itself felt like a whole dessert.

The Better Than Choco Tea I drank alongside it lived up to its name — the moment I took a sip, a rich, sweet cocoa scent spread out, heavier than chocolate itself~~ Yet it wasn't cloying, and a distinctive black tea freshness lingered afterward, so I kept sipping it without noticing.

Seats and atmosphere: good for a long stay?

Center Coffee Gwanghwamun is a café with generously spaced seating, good for staying a long time. The overall mood was calm too, and with the ample seat spacing it was a comfortable space to sit and talk for a while ✨ The staff were kind and attentive too, so I could relax and enjoy my time before heading out haha.

If you're near Gwanghwamun looking for a Blue Ribbon café with great cake, this is Center Coffee Gwanghwamun 🫶🏻