# Gwanghwamun café for choosing beans by smell over lunch: Center Coffee - By Junseo M. (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-supper-slate/) - Written Sep 7, 2026 - Updated Sep 14, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Jung-gu, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [简体中文](https://superchart.com/zh-cn/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [繁體中文](https://superchart.com/zh-tw/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [Tiếng Việt](https://superchart.com/vi/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [ไทย](https://superchart.com/th/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [Bahasa Indonesia](https://superchart.com/id/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [Bahasa Melayu](https://superchart.com/ms/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) · [Español](https://superchart.com/es/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/index.md) ## In short Center Coffee Gwanghwamun is a specialty coffee café on the basement floor of SFC Mall in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. After lunch, the writer smelled the beans in person before choosing, then ordered an iced americano, a hot americano, and an Earl Grey lemon tart, and browsing the bean and drip bag gift section was fun too. It's a great spot for a coffee break during lunch hour in Gwanghwamun. ## Good to know - **Location**: B1 105, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul (basement floor of SFC Mall) - **Weekday hours**: 07:30 - 21:00 - **Weekend hours**: 11:00 - 21:00 - **Ordered**: Iced americano, hot americano, Earl Grey lemon tart - **Amenity**: Self-serve water station inside the store *as written by the visitor on Sep 7, 2026* I was looking for somewhere to grab coffee after lunch in Gwanghwamun and ended up at Center Coffee Gwanghwamun. It's famous for its coffee, so I was curious, but once I got there, I found the fun wasn't just the coffee — browsing the beans themselves was a treat too. This time I ordered an iced americano, a hot americano, and an Earl Grey lemon tart. Let me show you one by one. ![First photo from visiting Center Coffee Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-01-cmmrc-900.webp) ## Location and hours of Center Coffee Gwanghwamun - Center Coffee Gwanghwamun - B1 105, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul - Weekdays 07:30 - 21:00 - Weekends 11:00 - 21:00 It's on the basement floor of SFC Mall! There are other well-known coffee spots down there too, but this one will catch your eye first. ![Entrance of Center Coffee Gwanghwamun on the basement floor of SFC Mall](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-02-1dkxl-900.webp) ![Exterior of the Center Coffee Gwanghwamun storefront](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-03-1yu1l-900.webp) ## What's the vibe like inside? The whole store had a clean, calm feel. Since it's in the Gwanghwamun office district, there were plenty of office workers around, and it seemed like a good place to grab a coffee after lunch or just take a short break. ![Clean, calm interior of Center Coffee Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-04-99qx5-900.webp) ![Seating area and atmosphere of the store](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-05-hq1qh-900.webp) ## You can smell the beans yourself before choosing This was the surprisingly fun part about Center Coffee — you can actually smell the beans in person. With so many different bean types, instead of just picking from the menu, you get to sniff them and choose the one that suits your taste. I'm no coffee expert, but smelling the beans like this made me want to compare them one by one. If you love coffee, browsing the beans here is genuinely fun. ![Bean display where you can smell the beans yourself](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-06-1jbmd-900.webp) ![Corner with various types of coffee beans on display](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-07-4mruq-900.webp) ## Beans and drip bags for gifting too On one side, there was also a nice selection of beans and drip bags perfect for gifting. The packaging was clean and simple, so it would make a nice light gift for a coffee-loving friend or coworker. If you're in Gwanghwamun and looking for a coffee gift, it's worth checking out the beans or drip bags. Honestly, while browsing, I almost bought one for myself. ![Display of beans and drip bags for gifting](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-08-t393b-900.webp) ![Drip bag gift corner with clean packaging](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-09-2j834-900.webp) ## The menu lineup There was coffee, a range of other drinks, and desserts, and you can choose your coffee by bean, so anyone who loves coffee can pick according to their preference. ![Coffee menu board at Center Coffee Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-10-13afz-900.webp) ![Menu showing drinks with a choice of beans](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-11-lzjbd-900.webp) I thought only the coffee menu was extensive, but the dessert selection was bigger than expected too. There were tarts and cakes that go well with coffee, perfect for office workers who feel like coffee alone isn't quite enough after lunch. Everything looked clean and pretty, which made choosing surprisingly hard. In the end, we went with the Earl Grey lemon tart. ![Dessert showcase with tarts and cakes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-12-tpm36-900.webp) ### Self-serve water station There was also a separate spot inside the store where you can pour your own water. You often need water while drinking coffee, so it was nice to have this self-serve option. Little details like this made it feel like a comfortable spot for office workers to stop by for a quick coffee. ![Self-serve water station inside the store](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-13-hgm82-1200.webp) ## How did the order taste? We ordered an iced americano, a hot americano, and the Earl Grey lemon tart this time. Iced and hot americanos arriving together — no problem at all! ![Two americanos and the Earl Grey lemon tart](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-14-frq7e-900.webp) ![Ordered coffee and dessert on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-15-grrfh-900.webp) ### Earl Grey lemon tart We ordered the Earl Grey lemon tart because coffee alone felt like it wasn't enough. The subtle Earl Grey aroma combined with the fresh tang of lemon made it cleaner-tasting than expected. It wasn't just sweet — it paired nicely with the americano, and it's a combo I'd recommend if you want a coffee and dessert together. ![A cup of hot americano](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-16-176q1-900.webp) ### Hot americano The hot americano let the bean aroma come through a bit more than the iced one. It was nice to sip slowly and enjoy the coffee's own flavor, so if you're someone who likes how the taste changes with different beans, the hot version is worth trying. ![A cup of iced americano](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch-17-6ehkv-900.webp) ### Iced americano Lastly, the iced americano. It was clean and easy to drink without feeling heavy. Not too bitter or thick, with a subtle coffee aroma — perfect for a post-lunch coffee. Exactly the kind of coffee you'd want during lunch hour in Gwanghwamun as an office worker! ## To sum up Center Coffee turned out to be a place where you come for a coffee and end up browsing the beans too. What I especially liked was being able to smell the beans in person, and there's a good range of gift-friendly items like beans and drip bags, so coffee lovers will enjoy browsing here. If you're looking for a place to get coffee after lunch in Gwanghwamun, I'd recommend this café to office workers. Next time, I want to try coffee made with a different bean. - A good café for Gwanghwamun office workers to stop by during lunch hour - You can smell the beans in person and choose one that suits your taste - A good range of gift items like beans and drip bags - Recommended combo: iced americano + Earl Grey lemon tart ## Where it is - Center Coffee Gwanghwamun (센터커피 광화문점) - B1 105, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 중구 세종대로 136 B1층 105호 - 37.5684246, 126.9782701 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%84%BC%ED%84%B0%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%20%EA%B4%91%ED%99%94%EB%AC%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5684246,126.9782701,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-supper-slate/gwanghwamun-center-coffee-bean-aroma-lunch/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt