Seochon café brunch with basil jambon: Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon

With autumn approaching and cool breezes blowing in the mornings and evenings, I just didn’t want to stay home. So I popped over to Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, a popular Seochon brunch spot, for some fresh air and a delicious brunch before work 🍂🥐

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon: location and getting there

Hours are 08:30–18:00, with Friday and Saturday hours extended to 19:00. Parking is unavailable, and the café recommends Singyo Public Parking Lot.

It is a 13-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3. If you arrive by subway like I did, I recommend transferring to bus 1711, 7018, 7022, or 1020 for just two stops—it cuts down the walking time considerably, haha. The lot in front of Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is for Cheong Wa Dae staff, so café visitors cannot park there 😥 Hyoja Public Parking Lot is a five-minute walk away, for reference :)

Respire Bakery Cafe, known for salt bread

After years of trial and error inspired by a love of salt bread (a buttery salted roll), the owner found the ideal recipe and opened in Mangwon-dong in 2021. It became known as a true salt-bread destination, and now has branches in Mok-dong, Seochon, and Ulsan, producing and selling 16,000 salt breads a month.

Respire means “to breathe” in French. After moving from Mangwon-dong to Seochon, the café says it wants to give visitors the perfect rest, true to its slogan of being a space for respite—somewhere special where old and new sit together against the beautiful scenery of the Gyeongbokgung walking trail.

The terrace and second-floor window seats

The space blends Seochon’s quiet charm with a European vintage feel, making everything feel wonderfully unhurried. There is outdoor terrace seating too, and in cool weather like this, I think it may be even more popular than the indoor seats.

Respire Bakery Cafe has two entrances: one by the outdoor terrace seating, and another directly at the front. It was the same color as the wall, so I walked right past it at first, haha.

Inside, it felt like the mood of the film Little Forest—like opening a café in my own hideout in a small village. The open space did not feel stuffy, and since there were not too many tables, it was relaxed and comfortable rather than crowded. Still, the shop felt a little small for such a well-known Seochon salt-bread and brunch spot. I visited around noon on Sunday, and nearly every seat was taken.

Take the stairs visible as soon as you enter and there is more seating upstairs. There were lots of guests on the second floor too, so I only photographed part of it.

Most tables seat two to four, but there is one six-person table upstairs. The window seats looking outside are Respire Bakery Cafe’s famous prime spots. From there, you can see the Gyeongbokgung walking trail at a glance—just perfect for Seochon brunch.

Salt bread sold out at Sunday noon and restocking time

I came downstairs right after getting a seat, but breads were already starting to sell out one by oneㅠㅠ Maybe I arrived too leisurely because rain was forecast and I assumed there would not be many people? 😥 The salt bread had sold out long before... There were still various breads made with salt bread and ciabatta left, so disappointingly, I chose other breads instead.

Salt bread costs ₩3,000 for one or ₩5,000 for two. If it had been available, I definitely would have bought two... On the day I visited, I was told it would be restocked at 1 p.m. If you really want salt bread, it seems best to ask about the baking time before you go 🤞

Brunch menu and what I chose

• Ice cream French toast ₩15,500 — limited to 20 daily
• Respire toast ₩15,500
• Basil jambon sandwich ₩10,500
• Garlic shrimp sandwich ₩10,500
• Omelet sandwich ₩8,500
• Seasonal salad ₩15,000
• Add an Americano +₩4,500 — ₩1,000 discount

Respire Bakery Cafe is famous for salt bread, but it is also known for brunch near Gyeongbokgung in Seochon, so I made brunch today’s main event. Since I thought I would be hungry after work in the evening, I also picked out a snack—or late-night bite—for myself.

Today’s order: basil jambon sandwich, Americano, and pollack roe potato salt bread

Takeaway and event information

For takeaway, up to three items are packed free in a paper bag. If you would like box packaging for four or more items, a four-item box is ₩1,500 and a six-item box is ₩2,000. The box packaging is pretty too, so it would make a nice gift for people around you.

Take part in the review event and you receive one salt bread; participation is limited to once per group.

Visit on a weekday morning and an omelet sandwich with coffee is ₩10,000. I am so jealous of people who live near Seochon~ I will have to aim for a weekday next time 😆

The generously portioned basil jambon sandwich

The basil jambon sandwich had much more food than I expected, which really surprised me. The potato chips tasted like the snack we all know, but the crispness was on another level. Seriously, they were so crisp, as if they had just come out of the fryer 💕 Usually brunch leaves me pleasantly full, but I rarely think, “Wow, I’m stuffed!” At Respire Bakery Cafe, brunch alone made me really full.

The ciabatta was nicely crisp and chewy, making it easy to eat. The salty jambon and fragrant basil worked so well together; it was delicious on its own and with the sauce served alongside. Since the portions are generous, I saw other people order one brunch dish to split between two, then buy one extra bread to share. The breads are large and generously filled too, so one brunch dish plus one bread seems just right for two people.

Pollack roe potato salt bread and Americano

The pollack roe potato salt bread was ₩4,800. Potato salad gets an added savory umami note from salted pollack roe, and it was packed generously with potato filling. Since the salt-bread base itself is delicious, it still tasted great even much later, haha.

The Americano was nutty and smooth. A Korean morning just does not feel right without an Americano, haha. One free coffee refill is available too 💕

It was such a nice place to spend unhurried time in Seochon and enjoy delicious brunch for the first time in a while. It suited the cool breezy weather so well that I naturally thought I should introduce it to people around me. With its lovely atmosphere and wide range of tasty food, I recommend Respire Bakery Cafe to anyone having a Seochon date, wanting a little healing time, or looking to enjoy brunch at a leisurely pace. If you want to spend a relaxed day in Seochon in cool weather, you really should visit at least once 😊