Jung-gu bakery café for warm lattes and pain au chocolat: Lemangdoré

A three-floor bakery café between Cheonggyecheon and Seoul City Hall

I visited Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun, a large and popular bakery café on Mugyo-dong Street between Seoul City Hall and Cheonggyecheon Stream. It has delicious baked goods and an atmosphere that is nice for visiting alone, so I stop by now and then whenever I am in Gwanghwamun. This large café occupies all three floors, and its exotic yet clean white building immediately catches the eye. It is easy to reach by public transport, but there is no dedicated parking, so use a nearby public parking lot or the SFC Mall parking lot.

Inside, the space was just as clean as the exterior, with two kiosks ready on the left.

There is plenty of relaxed seating on the first floor,

as well as a display where you can buy coffee beans and merchandise.

Bakery items still available on a weekday evening

Lemangdoré is known for its beautiful interior and good coffee, but its carefully made baked goods cannot be left out. I visited around 6 p.m. on a weekday, so many items had sold out, but thankfully a few of my favorites were still there. There was Lemangdoré's signature pistachio croissant, chausson aux pommes (a French apple pastry), and pain au chocolat with its elegant layers of crisp crust. This pastry-loving girl was happy.

What are the coffee menu and seating like on each floor?

The menu at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun, a Seoul City Hall and Gwanghwamun café known for its bakery selection, offers plenty of choice across categories: espresso-based coffees with different beans to choose from, non-coffee drinks, and teas. As you would expect from a high-quality coffee brand, there is everything from single-origin specialty coffee to hand-drip coffee, so coffee lovers can have fun choosing what to drink.

After ordering, I went up to the second floor.

Unlike the first floor, which is arranged in a bar style, the second floor has a variety of table arrangements, and the third floor is great for private events. Make use of the tucked-away spaces throughout according to your purpose. There are plenty of outlets, making it good as a workspace, and there is group seating too, so it could work well for meetings. Each floor at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun has its own fresh and different atmosphere.

The crown-shaped madeleines in the corridor to the restroom also catch the eye.

A warm latte and two pastries

My order arrived at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun, where I had come to enjoy some sweet time to myself.

As the cold wind started blowing, I had been craving a warm latte. The rich, nutty latte at Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun was completely my taste.

The two baked goods looked even more delicious than they had in the display case, with their glossy, crackly pastry texture visible even to the eye.

The chausson aux pommes was delicious, with sweet stewed apples and crisp pastry! They call it a French apple pie, though I have never actually tried one while in Paris.

But the pain au chocolat I ate every day during my trip to Paris is honestly even better at Lemangdoré. I strongly agree with the description of its crisp crust layers as elegant.

A good stop for a Cheonggyecheon date

If you are planning a date around Seoul City Hall, Gwanghwamun, or Cheonggyecheon Stream, Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun has beautiful street views through its huge windows! It is a lovely place to enjoy coffee and bread, so do pay it a visit.