Seochon café near Gyeongbokgung with decaf caramel crème: Respire
In short
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a bakery café in a white two-story detached house in Jongno, Seoul, about a 15-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station toward the former Blue House. Dropping in during a walk near the Blue House, brunch was already sold out, so the order was a decaf iced americano, a decaf caramel crème, sweet pumpkin ciabatta, and garlic cream cheese salt bread. The caramel crème and the garlic cream cheese salt bread were the standouts at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, so come early if you are after brunch or bread.
Good to know
- Location
- 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Respire)
- Getting there
- About a 15-minute walk from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station toward the former Blue House
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
- Parking
- Not available (the lot in front of the building belongs to the presidential security service); use a nearby public parking lot
- Pets
- Allowed
- Seating
- 1st and 2nd floors, outdoor seats, 2nd-floor window bar table
- Ordered
- Iced americano (decaf), caramel crème (decaf), sweet pumpkin ciabatta, garlic cream cheese salt bread
as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026
I was taking a walk near the former Blue House after a long while and stumbled on a pretty café. Totally unplanned — a spontaneous café stop, haha.
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon / 📍 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea / ⏰ Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00 / 🚗 No parking / 🐶 Pet-friendly
How to walk to Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon from Gyeongbokgung Station, and where to park
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is about a 15-minute walk from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station, heading toward the former Blue House. It sits just inside a parking lot, so look for the spot with lots of cars and you'll find it easily.
There's a parking lot right in front of the building, which might make you think it's for café customers — but it actually belongs to the presidential security service, so parking there isn't allowed for visitors. Public transit is really the best option, and if you do drive, use a nearby public parking lot.
The exterior is a white, two-story standalone house, giving it more of a European house feel than a typical storefront café. It contrasts nicely with the hanok houses and stone walls around it, making it a great photo spot. 🤍
There are also outdoor seats, so on nice days you can enjoy your coffee outside. Perfect for weather like this. 🌿
Inside Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon: the 2nd-floor window bar seats
The interior overall had a warm, vintage feel. White walls and wood furniture blended together naturally, giving it a cozy, comfortable vibe.
Plants, small decorative objects, and soft lighting scattered throughout really gave Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon its own distinct feel.
Seating runs from the 1st to the 2nd floor. The 1st floor has neatly arranged bread displays, and by the tables the folding doors were wide open, giving an airy, open feel.
On the way up to the 2nd floor ⚠️ watch your step on the stairs ⚠️
The 2nd floor is quieter than the 1st, with a bar table by the open windows that looked great for solo visits. There actually were people working alone there. I liked the quiet vibe so I sat on the 2nd floor and enjoyed a relaxed meal. ☺️
Check the pet policy and review event info too!
Menu at Respire: brunch sold out, and the popular breads gone too
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon has a variety of brunch dishes and salt breads, plus coffee and tea. Unfortunately, when I visited, the brunch menu was completely sold out, so ordering it wasn't even an option, and many of the popular bakery items were gone too. ㅠㅠ
If you want to try the brunch or a wider range of breads, I'd recommend going a bit earlier!
I ordered: iced americano (decaf), caramel crème (decaf), sweet pumpkin ciabatta, and garlic cream cheese salt bread!
How the decaf caramel crème, sweet pumpkin ciabatta and garlic cream cheese salt bread tasted
The iced americano had no acidity — nutty and smooth.
The caramel crème has house-made caramel cream on top and coffee underneath, and one sip and I was completely won over! 😍 The caramel cream was so soft and sweet it made you forget the coffee's bitterness. Stirred together, the balance is even better and tastier. 👍
The sweet pumpkin ciabatta had a plain, chewy ciabatta exterior, while the inside — with cheese and sweet pumpkin — was so good I kept reaching for more. 🎃
The garlic cream cheese salt bread — a buttery, salty salt bread with a subtle garlic aroma and soft cream cheese — was rich and nutty, delicious. If you like garlic, you'll definitely love this. 🧄 It was so good I ended up eating most of it myself... haha. This place really is a coffee and bread destination!! So delicious, exactly my taste!! 💕
I bought extra to take home, and even the packaging had such a nice feel to it, don't you think? Haha 🍞🥐🥯🥖
Who will like Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon?
If you want a café that really captures the feel of Seochon, along with a variety of coffee, brunch, and bread options, I'd recommend Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon! It's the perfect date course — a good meal, then a walk along the Gyeongbokgung stone walls to the café, haha. I want to try the brunch and other breads soon, so I'm planning to come back!😆
Where it is
40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 효자로13길 40-7 레스피레
