Lactose-free latte and chocolate salt bread at a Seochon café: Respire
In short
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a two-story bakery café on Hyoja-ro 13-gil near Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno, Seoul. On a weekend afternoon the bakery counter was almost cleared out, but one chocolate salt bread (4,300 won) was still left, and the latte (6,000 won) was switched to lactose-free milk at no extra charge. Thick chocolate, buttery bread and a crisp, caramelised base made the chocolate salt bread at Respire worth the trip.
Good to know
- Latte (switched to lactose-free)
- 6,000 won
- Lemonade
- 6,500 won
- Chocolate salt bread
- 4,300 won
- Milk swap
- Free swap to oat or lactose-free milk
- Seating
- 2nd-floor café with a 6-seat table, window seats and outdoor seats
- Pets
- Dogs allowed on the 1st floor and outdoor area only
- Good to know
- Americano refills available; Naver receipt review event gives a salt bread
- Price reference
- ₩4,300 ≈ $3.1 (2026-09-20)
as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon: a bakery café a short walk from Gyeongbokgung Palace
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a bakery café on Hyoja-ro 13-gil in Jongno, Seoul. I came to Seoul for a Backnumber concert and decided to sightsee too ٩(●˙▿˙●)۶ After visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace, I stopped by the nearby café "Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon."
Outdoor seats and where dogs are allowed at Respire
Respire Bakery Cafe is dog-friendly, though pets are only allowed on the 1st floor and in the outdoor space 🐶 The weather was nice and cool, so the outdoor seats were packed.
The entrance alone has such a cute vibe♡⊹˚
How much bread is left in the bakery zone on a weekend afternoon?
When I got to Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon's bakery zone in the weekend afternoon, it was nearly empty. I walked in thinking wow, the vibe of this café is amazing~~~ and then saw the empty bakery shelves and almost teared up 🥹 Since it was the weekend and afternoon, a lot had already sold out ㅠㅠ
There seemed to have been salt bread and campagne types too, so sad... I should come earlier next time. Luckily there was still some salt bread left, so I grabbed it right away 🥹 (this place is famous for salt bread ♥)
✅ The Naver receipt review event gives you salt bread 🥐
What the 2nd-floor seating at Respire Bakery Seochon is like
Respire Bakery Seochon has a 2nd floor café! The stairs going up are narrow, so watch your step. The 2nd floor has a 6-seat table and window seats with the windows wide open, which looked great too ☀️
Brunch menu and free lactose-free or oat milk swaps
▲ Here's the menu~~~ Brunch options are French toast, Respire toast, garlic shrimp sandwich, ciabatta sandwich, omelette sandwich, and a seasonal sandwich. Great for a proper brunch or just a light dessert :) And it's a nice touch that you can switch milk to oat or lactose-free for free 🫶
That gorgeous French toast...🥹💗 I have to try it next time
What we ordered at Respire and what it cost
Ta-da ✨
- Latte (switched to lactose-free) ₩6,000
- Lemonade ₩6,500
- Chocolate salt bread ₩4,300
The lemonade is so pretty 🍋 It was just the right amount of sweet-tart with the lemon flavor coming through nicely! The iced latte was also nutty and delicious.
How does the chocolate salt bread taste?
The chocolate salt bread (₩4,300) at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is seriously a must-try ㅠㅠㅠ It was so good 🥹💗 Honestly I hadn't expected much since there was another bread I originally wanted, but this ended up being amazing...?
The chocolate coating on the salt bread is thick, rich, and premium-tasting, and you could really taste the buttery flavor of the salt bread too. Nothing about it was lacking!
The crackly texture on the bottom of the salt bread was spot on too! I really want to eat it again.....
Wi-Fi, restrooms and free americano refills at Respire
The card they hand you has the wifi ID, password, and restroom location written on it, which was so convenient! And americano refills are available too!
If you're looking for a café in Seochon, a brunch café in Seochon, the best salt bread spot in Seochon, or a café near Gyeongbokgung Palace, head to 'Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon' 🏃♂️
Where it is
40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 효자로13길 40-7 레스피레
