Seongsu café near Seoul Forest for financier selection: Notldun

Lately I've been having fun working my way through Seongsu cafés one by one, and this time I visited Notldun, right in front of Seoul Forest.

Notldun, a Seongsu café, had great atmosphere from its clean white tones and huge windows, but what really stood out was the dessert display in the showcase.

From the petit gateaux to the financiers, everything looked carefully made, giving it more of a hotel dessert café feel than a typical café.

If you're looking for a café to rest at after walking around Seoul Forest or checking out Seongsu pop-ups, the location was pretty ideal too.

Notldun's location and hours — right in front of Seoul Forest

Notldun is located at 11 Seoulsup 2-gil, 1st floor, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It's easy to reach from Ttukseom Station and the Seoul Forest area, so it was convenient to fit into a route after eating in Seongsu.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with last order at 9:30 p.m. From Friday to Sunday, it's open until 10:30 p.m. with last order at 10 p.m.

Since Seongsu has so many pop-up stores, people often put their names down for waiting and look for nearby cafés in the meantime — this seemed like a good option for that. Since it's open late, it also works well as a spot to grab dessert after an evening walk through Seoul Forest.

If there's a wait, you can register using the tablet in front of the store, and takeaway apparently has no wait at all. Whole cakes and petit gateaux can also be reserved ahead of time for takeaway, which seems useful when you need a dessert for a special occasion.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, white tones, and a photogenic mood

Even before I stepped inside, the first thing that caught my eye was the huge window. It's a floor-to-ceiling window, so you can see clearly into the interior from outside, and once inside, there was no stuffy feeling at all — just openness.

The interior was decorated cleanly and simply, mostly in white tones. There wasn't too much decoration, which actually made the desserts and the space itself stand out even more.

The natural light coming through the windows was great too, so visiting during the day was good for photos. I also liked being able to enjoy coffee and dessert while looking out at the Seongsu scenery through the window.

On one side of the store there were a lot of autographs left by celebrities who had visited, giving off the vibe of an already fairly well-known Seongsu café. If you're looking for a date spot, the space itself is clean and has good atmosphere, so it's worth adding to the course.

Petit gateaux and financiers that make you agonize the moment you see the showcase

What caught my attention most at Notldun was, of course, the desserts. Looking at the petit gateaux in the showcase, I found myself agonizing over which one to pick — each one was quite intricately shaped.

The colors and decoration were so pretty that they looked less like something to simply eat and more like small works of art. Personally, the level of visual finish reminded me of desserts you'd see at a hotel café.

There's also a drink menu, and I liked that decaf is available. Even people who feel uneasy drinking coffee late at night can still enjoy a drink alongside their dessert.

After much deliberation, I ended up ordering the financier selection instead of a petit gateau that day. The kitchen visible beyond the showcase looked tidy as well, so it was fun looking around the store while waiting for the dessert.

Notldun, worth remembering as a Seongsu date course

When I received my order, the mood I'd felt walking in continued right through. Even the way the dessert was presented felt clean and refined, putting me in a good mood before I even took a bite.

Seongsu has so many distinctive cafés that it's not easy to leave a lasting impression through pretty interiors alone. Notldun felt different in the way its white-toned space, natural light, and intricately made desserts came together naturally.

Being so close to Seoul Forest is a particular advantage — rather than visiting just for the café alone, it works well as part of a course with a walk through Seoul Forest, a Seongsu date, or a pop-up store visit. On a nice day, it might also be good to take dessert and drinks to go and head over to Seoul Forest.

If you like pretty desserts or are looking for a photogenic space, this should be quite satisfying, and it also suits anyone looking for a café with good atmosphere for a date. I'm still going around exploring Seongsu cafés, but Notldun has such a clear identity — from the dessert visuals to the space itself — that it's a place I think I'll remember next time I'm near Seoul Forest.