Two bingsu at 7:30pm in a Seongsu Station dessert café: Childish

Seongsu has so many cafés that it's honestly hard to decide where to go. This time I wanted to introduce a spot near Seongsu Station with a slightly special dessert menu. Living all the way at the other end of Seoul, my close friends and I planned a holiday dessert-crawl day, and we ended up at Childish in Seongsu-dong!

Childish hours and how to find it near Seongsu Station

• Open 11:00 – 21:00
• Closed every Monday
• Reservations possible via their Instagram

The building and street outside Childish

Tucked into a Seongsu alley, Childish has a clean yet distinctive exterior that catches your eye. The big Childish logo on the building's facade made it easy to find even on a first visit.

By the entrance stood a standing sign with photos of the signature menu items, so you could tell at a glance what they serve. Overall it had a casual, stylish vibe with a touch of that Seongsu-dong hip energy.

Inside Childish: atmosphere and seating

Step through the door and green plants everywhere make it feel like stepping into a tiny garden. Light green floors and chairs blend naturally with wood-toned tables for a warm, comfortable feel overall.

There was a variety of seating, from window seats to larger group tables, and cute props and plant decorations scattered around made it fun just to look around.

What we ordered on a 7:30pm visit

Arriving at 7:30pm, we were told that only the salted taiyaki (붕어빵, fish-shaped pastry) was available, which was a bit disappointing. But since we'd come for taiyaki anyway, we ordered 5, one for each of us.

We also ordered a very tempting-looking ube bingsu (shaved ice dessert) and a mango bingsu, plus one drink each! I picked the milky cream latte, and my kid chose the yakult slush.

What sets Childish apart from other Seongsu cafés

This is a place I wanted to introduce to Seongsu-dong café-goers because it focuses on both flavor and healthier ingredients rather than just sugary desserts. Childish makes its bakery items in-house, and the salted bread uses rice flour and 100% dairy-fat unsalted butter, made low-gluten — apparently good even as a snack for young kids.

Desserts made from such good ingredients — so how did they taste?

All the drinks arrived. Can you tell each person's personality from what they ordered?

Yakult slush (5,000 won)

This is the yakult slush my kid picked. Doesn't it look super refreshing? Maybe because we'd been walking a lot before arriving, but my kid drank it right down.

Milky cream latte (5,900 won)

Here's the milky cream latte I chose. Piled high with soft cream, it's sweet-looking from first glance.

The chewy yet soft cream blended with a deep coffee flavor, and the cocoa dusted on top added a gentle bitterness so it wasn't overly sweet. Thanks to the creamy texture, it was a latte you could enjoy almost like a dessert.

Salted taiyaki (4,500 won each)

The taiyaki was baked warm and hot, with butter melting right into it, giving off a really nutty aroma.

Golden and crispy outside, fluffy inside, with the salty, nutty taste of butter adding a richer flavor than regular taiyaki! The sweet taiyaki paired with the salty butter also went really well with coffee.

Ube bingsu (20,900 won)

Out came a deep purple ube bingsu. Isn't the color so mysterious? Along the side of the shaved ice there's plenty of ube jelly.

Pouring on the syrup that comes with it maximizes the flavor. Make sure to pour it on! (Not like me, who added it too late...) It's soft and sweet — like eating chocolate.

Mango bingsu (22,900 won)

Snow-fine, soft milk ice topped with a whole sweet mango — that's the mango bingsu.

The ice itself is soft with a gentle milky sweetness, and the well-ripened mango's sweet, tangy flavor made it truly delicious! Scooping up mango and ice together, it melted in the mouth for a genuinely happy bite.

Final verdict: who should visit Childish

If you're looking for a café near Seongsu Station and want something a bit different from ordinary desserts, give Childish a try.

With in-house-made bakery items and milk-based bingsu, it's a place that shows off desserts made Childish's own way, making it a solid stop on a Seongsu-dong café tour. What stood out to me most personally was how much care goes into the ingredients for every single item on the menu.

On a day when you're craving good dessert in Seongsu, if you're searching for a Seongsu café, Seongsu dessert spot, or Seongsu-dong taiyaki, I'd recommend Childish!