Seongdong café at 7pm for mascaberry, dark chocolate latte: Notldun

I met a friend I hadn't seen in a year and we went looking for a café near Seoul Forest — that's how we ended up at Notldun, known for its upscale desserts. The mascaberry, dark chocolate latte and strawberry latte were all so refined, drinks and desserts alike, that I'd honestly recommend this Seoul Forest café for gifting on a special day too.

Notldun's table of contents

• Café location, walkable from Ttukseom and Seoul Forest stations
• Comparing mascaberry, dark chocolate latte and strawberry latte
• Upscale dessert packaging that's perfect as a gift
• Wrap-up — and the pistachio festival cake for next time

Café location, walkable from Ttukseom and Seoul Forest stations

Notldun is at 11 Seoul Forest 2-gil, 1st floor, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Both Ttukseom Station and Seoul Forest Station are within walking distance, so it's easy to reach from either side. It's open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM, with last order at 9:30 PM. Apparently "Notldun" means "our gift, our talent" in French — I found it striking that the name itself carries the idea of a gift.

I expected only a few cramped tables, but there were actually more seats than I thought, and the atmosphere made it easy to chat comfortably. Plenty of people were taking food to go, but quite a few were also enjoying their drinks, desserts and cake right there in the café.

The interior has a calm, upscale tone, so the space itself was just as photogenic as the desserts.

Comparing mascaberry, dark chocolate latte and strawberry latte

We ordered the mascaberry, dark chocolate latte and strawberry latte. The mascaberry was ₩13,500 and looked luxurious from the first glance — the tartness of blueberry blended with soft cream made every bite satisfying.

The dark chocolate latte had a clearly rich, deep chocolate flavor that came through beautifully. The strawberry latte had bits of real strawberry pulp, so the natural fruit flavor really stood out — each drink felt made with care.

What time do you need to go to catch the signatures?

📍TIP We visited around 7pm and quite a few of the signature desserts were already sold out. If you really want to try the popular items, I'd recommend going a bit earlier in the day.

Upscale dessert packaging that's perfect as a gift

You know that moment when you can't decide what to buy someone for a special occasion? Looking at Notldun's desserts, that dilemma seemed to solve itself naturally. Every dessert was so pretty and refined that the recipient would surely be pleased, both in looks and taste.

Even the financiers and madeleines come with their own dedicated packaging, so bringing them to a friend's housewarming, an engagement gathering or a get-together would come off as really thoughtful.

Not just the cakes but even the baked pastries are packaged so neatly that it's no hassle to carry them, and the recipient would surely feel it was something special.

Wrap-up — and the pistachio festival cake for next time

In short, Notldun was a Ttukseom / Seoul Forest café where both the drinks and desserts felt upscale and perfectly gift-worthy. It was also a great place to sit and chat comfortably with a friend I hadn't seen in a while.

I couldn't try the signature this time since it was sold out, but it made me want to come back and definitely try the pistachio festival cake next time. I'm totally into pistachio these days, so I'm already looking forward to it.

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for an upscale café near Seoul Forest or Ttukseom Station
• Anyone trying to decide on a dessert gift for someone
• Anyone looking for a comfortable place to catch up with a friend

If you're out near Ttukseom Station, I'd recommend stopping by Notldun. The desserts look great and taste great, making it a perfect pairing with a walk through Seoul Forest. What matters more to you when buying café desserts — the packaging design or the taste?