Brunch café near Gyeongbokgung Station: salt bread jambon at Respire

Today I finally went to Respire Bakery Cafe, a Seochon bakery brunch spot I've had my eye on for ages. The friend I was having a meal with wanted to go here, and I got picked as a sponsored reviewer, so off we went! As you'd expect from a place already saved on my map, it was so good. Next time I'm coming back to take away some salt bread 🥐✌🏻🤎

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon: location, hours and wait

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is at 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, behind the Cheongwadae Sarangchae. It is open Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00 and Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00.

I went at 11:50 on a weekday and we were the last ones let in. There's definitely a wait around lunchtime.

What are the exterior and outdoor seats like?

Respire is a pretty white building right in the middle of a parking lot. It's so close to the parking lot that it surprised me a bit. Not in front of the parking lot, just inside it, lol.

Outside, they've put up moody menu photos and info. The lettering is pretty too.

There are seats outside too. I thought they made quite good use of the space. It was too hot to sit there, but once the weather eases up it would be perfect for zoning out. It has a bit of a toenmaru (wooden porch) feel.

Cute little props greet you at the entrance too. There's a natural feel everywhere, so it felt less like a shop and more like visiting someone's home. Or a country villa?

Respire's 1st and 2nd floor interior vibe

Here's why I said villa! The whole interior is done in wood tones, with plants here and there.

The counter and kitchen are so pretty. It was my favorite spot in the café, the one that shows off the vibe best. Being tucked deep inside Seochon, it's full of a relaxed atmosphere.

The café has two floors, and this is the 1st. See why I said it feels like it's in the middle of the parking lot? Haha. The parking lot view is a little funny, but with sunlight and breeze coming through the big windows and a stone wall in the distance, it's plenty healing!

Judging by the props alone, it feels like a big café somewhere on the outskirts of Seoul. Namyangju, Pocheon, somewhere around there...

This is the 2nd floor. It's a bit smaller and more private! It looked just right for working or chatting here too.

A spot I really coveted for studying or reading,, next time I'm definitely coming at a quiet time to zone out!

Respire's menu

Here are Respire's brunch and drink menus!

This seems like a total bargain. Great for coming alone and quietly chilling.

The bakery menu is right by the entrance, and it made my eyes go wide. As a salt bread specialist, it had lots of salt bread options first of all,

and also ciabatta, cream buns and more! Everything looked really good, but I held back :(

What we ordered

• Basil jambon sandwich (brunch)
• Chocolate cream cheese ciabatta (bread)
• Seasonal salad
• Decaf iced americano

We ordered 1 brunch item, 1 bread, 1 salad, and a decaf iced americano for the drink!

How does the salt bread basil jambon sandwich taste?

Respire's basil jambon sandwich is made with salt bread! I figured I knew what to expect and took a bite, and it was a shockingly good taste 🤎 My friend and I both went wide-eyed.

First, the salt bread flavor hitting the roof of your mouth is insane. The buttery aroma rushes in, it's salty, and the slightly crisp texture shatters satisfyingly! And the ratio of jambon (Korean-style ham), basil cream and arugula is truly perfect, I'm crying. So good.

The cross-section is perfect too, right? It's packed with thick jambon, the basil cream isn't greasy at all, and the arugula is in a good proportion, so it was easy to cut. When a sandwich is too thick it collapses as I cut it and stresses me out, but not this one, so I love it.

Is the chocolate cream cheese ciabatta very sweet?

Respire's chocolate cream cheese ciabatta is mild, not very sweet or dense. I ordered it because a blog review said it was delicious 🍫 With a name like that, it's hard for it to be bad. It's a violent name, honestly.

The ciabatta is soft and fluffy, and it isn't just full of chocolate but mixed with cream cheese, so it's not too sweet or heavy and I kept reaching for more!

Inside, it's filled with chocolate cream cheese like this. But it's not the super dense, tongue-numbing sweetness of the chocolate baguettes trending lately. If you want that, you might be a little disappointed? But it was just right for my taste 🤤

What's in the seasonal salad?

Respire's seasonal salad was oddly the most expensive item on the menu. But wow, they really threw all the good stuff in. Lots of arugula with basil dressing, and the cheese on top is sweet and soft and honestly the best,,,

The blueberries are tasty too, but the cherry tomatoes are stevia tomatoes (extra-sweet ones), and I think they really pulled the whole flavor together. A perfect palate cleanser! ✌🏻

Would I go back to Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon?

Respire, a Seochon–Gyeongbokgung brunch spot, is especially a salt bread place. After the salt bread sandwich, I decided I had to come buy salt bread,, I came as a sponsored reviewer, but it was already one of those places saved on my map. If you're visiting the Seochon–Gyeongbokgung area, definitely stop by!