Gwanghwamun café for tea and Basque cheesecake: Lemangdoré

The weather has been soooo nice lately, right?! The sky is clear and the breeze is cool, so I took a little trip to Gwanghwamun for the first time in ages. And when you're in Gwanghwamun, it has to be Kyobo Book Centre!!! I looked around at books, then searched for a café nearby where I could do a little Japanese study, which I've been working on lately.

But the sun was still pretty hot during the day. ㅠㅠㅠ I was thirsty and needed somewhere to take a break, and Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun, which I'd visited once before, suddenly came to mind—so back I went!

A Café I Returned to in Gwanghwamun

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun (레망도레 광화문점) is a café on Mugyo-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, and it is quite large, spanning the first through third floors.

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is at 17 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, on floors 1–3, and is open daily from 08:00 to 21:00. It sells coffee, tea, non-coffee drinks, baked goods, and desserts, making it a big café near Gwanghwamun Kyobo Book Centre that is great for reading or studying.

I remembered the plentiful seating on each floor and the lovely mood by the windows from my last visit. There were quite a lot of people again this time, too.

Still, because the space itself is so big, it did not feel too cramped. There were even two kiosks...!!!

Some people were chatting with friends, while others were reading alone or looking at their laptops. I came to study a little Japanese too, and the gentle hum of people actually made it a comfortable place to spend time. It seems like a decent choice for anyone looking for a Gwanghwamun café to read or study after stopping by Kyobo Book Centre.

White Temple Tea and Basque Cheesecake

First of all... my eyes went wild in front of all those desserts... haha. Last time I had something like a country loaf? This time, something different!!

And since I had work the next day, I decided not to drink coffee that day.

Instead, I ordered a tea called White Temple that I had been curious about.

It is a tea with notes of jasmine, pineapple, mango, and more. Rather than being intensely fragrant and flashy, it blended delicate floral and fruity aromas, so it was easy to drink cleanly. It was also a lovely tea to sip slowly while reading or studying.

And ordering only tea feels a little sad, doesn't it? Hahahahaha. I've been completely into Basque cheesecake lately, so I just could not pass it by this time either. I agonized over it and the financier... but in the end?!

In the End, I Ordered Basque Cheesecake and a Scone Too!

The cheesecake was really soft. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Rather than dense and rich, it had a texture that melted softly, and it was such a great match with the delicate White Temple tea.

A bite of sweet, soft Basque cheesecake followed by a sip of tea made my mouth feel refreshed! The tea-and-dessert pairing worked even better than I expected, and I was pure happiness... haha. I made sure to finish that scone too!

A Spacious Large Café Across Three Floors

I think one of the biggest strengths of Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is definitely its generous space. Divided across the first, second, and third floors, it offers varied seating, and the window seats are especially nice for relaxing while looking out at the view.

Even on busy days, it seems fairly possible to find a seat, so it looks good for anyone seeking a large café in Gwanghwamun. There were people quietly reading alone, chatting with friends, and working on something on their laptops. With autumn weather like this, it was truly a great place for a little change of pace.

Seeing everyone spending time in their own different ways made me feel relaxed for no reason, too. If you are looking for somewhere to take a break after browsing Kyobo Book Centre in Gwanghwamun, or for a Gwanghwamun café dessert spot where you can enjoy tea instead of coffee, Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun may be worth a visit. Next time, I want to try coffee with a different dessert too :)