Gyeongju Stonewall Reader · 30 stories

Cafes in Seoul

I write about cafes I visit in Seoul. · Writes about: Books & stationery · Beauty products · Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Food & snacks · Stays

PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station Japanese spot: free parking, milk cream pudding, Ilpum

Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a Japanese restaurant serving kaisendon (seafood rice bowls) and sashimi bowls on the first basement floor of a building on Seocho-daero 74-gil, near Gangnam Station in Seoul, with 1 hour of free parking in the underground car park. The writer's family ordered the special sashimi bowl (39,000 won), kaisendon (26,000 won) and salmon sushi set (28,000 won), and enjoyed the free sides of chawanmushi, white kimchi and mini udon plus a milk cream pudding dessert. If price is a concern, the kaisendon at Ilpum Gangnam Branch is the best-value pick, with almost no difference in taste from the special sashimi bowl.

Written May 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Cheongdam hair salon tone-matched gray dye for a bride-to-be: Beorn

Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a hair salon on Seolleung-ro in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, that does both wedding hair color and gray coverage. A bride-to-be had her brassy, perm-damaged ends and the gray hairs on her crown evened out with a tone-matched dye by the deputy director, paying 210,000 won for chest-length hair. Thanks to gentle, careful application and a refreshing shampoo, Beorn Hair Cheongdam is the salon she has promised to return to for her wedding hair color.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Mexican restaurant in Daechi with a summer night terrace: Chilango

Chilango Seolleung Main Branch is a taco-plate Mexican restaurant on Yeoksam-ro 67-gil in Gangnam, Seoul, near Daechi and Seolleung Station. On Chilango's summer terrace, the writer shared a taco plate for two (49,000 won) with beef and shrimp, alongside a Stella draft beer, and the jumbo shrimp, guacamole and generous sauces and toppings stood out. With free parking, dog-friendly seating and a restroom where washing your hands is easy, Chilango is a hidden taco gem in Daechi.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulBars

Guinness draft pub in Bangi-dong, Seoul: gizzards with mom at Hope So

Hope So (홉쏘) is a draft beer pub and wood-fired pizza and pasta restaurant in Bangi-dong, Songpa, Seoul, near Bangi Station and Olympic Park. On a return visit with her mom, the writer drank a creamy Guinness draft and a Kozel Cinnamon and ate a mini wood-fired margherita (₩14,000), fried chicken gizzards with fries (₩20,000) and gambas pasta (₩19,000). Because Hope So keeps its draft beer so well, it is a must-visit dark beer spot in Bangi-dong for Guinness lovers.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Fruit cake shop in Gangnam: more fruit than sponge at Seasonique

Seasonique Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam is a fresh-fruit cake shop using animal-based fresh cream, located in Sweet Park on B1 of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam at Express Bus Terminal Station in Seocho, Seoul. The writer took home a Seasonique strawberry mango mini cake (₩35,000) on a weekend to share with family, and found it so packed with strawberries and mango that there was more fruit than sponge. Given the amount of fruit, the price is reasonable, and the Seasonique fresh-fruit cake is especially popular with older family members.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Quiet Sinsa Station work café: warm scone brunch at Butter & Shelter

Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa is a butter dessert café on Garosu-gil near Sinsa Station in Gangnam, Seoul, selling butter cookies, scones, Dubai chewy cookies and coffee. For brunch the writer ordered a warmed glacé scone (4,700 won), a Dubai chewy cookie at a 2,900 won promotional price and a hot Shelter Einspänner (6,000 won); the desserts are mostly sweet, but the coffee is smooth and the café is quiet enough to work alone. Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa is a Sinsa Station café worth revisiting for an unsweetened coffee paired with an original butter cookie.

Written Jun 11, 2026Sponsored
ProductGimjeongnam jeoBooks & stationery

Macro investing book for the FOMO era: Post-War Investment Strategy

Post-War Investment Strategy (포스트 워 투자 전략) is a Korean macroeconomics investing book that explains how international affairs, interest rates, exchange rates and oil prices connect to investment markets. The reviewer, who holds crypto and stocks, read Post-War Investment Strategy while anxious from FOMO and US-Iran war news, and says the book helped them see the bigger picture instead of short-term price moves. Post-War Investment Strategy suits investors who want to reset their direction through study rather than impatience.

Written Jun 14, 2026Product provided
PlaceGangdong, SeoulShopping

Gangdong egg shop for mushroom brunch with sturdy yolks: Fresh Farmer

Fresh Farmer Olympic Park Foreon Direct Store is a 24-hour egg shop in the Olympic Park Foreon underground arcade in Dunchondong, Gangdong, Seoul. After hearing the owner's explanation and tasting a boiled egg, the writer bought No. 1 free-range eggs and No. 2 animal-welfare eggs (No. 2 free-range eggs cost 7,900 won for 10), cracked them at home and cooked a mushroom brunch. The orange Fresh Farmer yolks held up even when poked with a finger, and the writer found the nutty egg taste of childhood again.

Written Apr 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Sinnonhyeon tteokbokki takeout at 4 p.m., cheesy leftovers: Deokjane

Deokjane Bangatgan (덕자네방앗간) is a Korean snack bar near Exits 9 and 7 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho, Seoul, serving tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) made with garaetteok rolled from rice in-house. After a wasted trip during the 14:30–16:00 break, the writer returned for the 4 p.m. reopening, took home Deokjane Bangatgan's tteokbokki and glutinous-rice sundae (Korean blood sausage), and, living nearby, also got potato salad packed separately. Verdict: Deokjane Bangatgan's tteokbokki holds up well as takeout, and the leftovers were still delicious the next day with melted pizza cheese.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

24-hour café by Sinnonhyeon Station: card printing & mocha, Selecto

Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch 24 Auto Brew Cafe is a 24-hour café in Seocho, Seoul, within a 2-minute walk of Sinnonhyeon Station, and it runs unmanned at night. For a late lunch, the writer had a chicken sandwich (7,000 won), a hot mocha americano and an iced Geisha americano (3,800 won each), then checked out the solo seats with outlets and the card-payment printer. Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon is a comfortable place to print instead of a PC bang (internet café), and a sandwich there covers a meal too.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulCafés

Konkuk Univ. café: ₩23,000 mango bingsu vs Shilla & Hyatt, Café Ohkam

Café Ohkam (카페 오캄) is a dessert café in a converted three-storey house, a 3-minute walk from Exit 2 of Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. Before a nail appointment, the writer ordered Café Ohkam's 23,000 won fresh mango bingsu (shaved ice). It came with about one whole mango's worth of fruit on milk ice and plenty of condensed milk. The indoor air conditioning was quite cold, so the rooftop seats would have been the better choice. Café Ohkam's mango bingsu costs far less than Shilla Hotel's, tasted better than Hyatt's and suits a student budget.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulShopping

Gangnam tailor: Italian vs English wool wedding suit, JJ Republic

JJ Republic Sinsa Main Store is a made-to-measure tailor shop in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. While preparing for her wedding, the writer had her brother-in-law's wedding family suit made at JJ Republic after a consultation on the difference between Italian and English wool. She chose a charcoal Italian-fabric suit (599,000 won), a blue custom shirt (59,000 won), brown lining and collar stitching (20,000 won extra). Verdict: even if it costs 100,000 won more than polyester, choose Italian or English wool.

Written May 30, 2026Sponsored