Hongdae soufflé café with wide tables for a day out with mom: Petrico

I went out toward Hongdae and stumbled onto what might be the most perfect dessert café I've ever been to, haha. I love dessert and have been to a bunch of famous soufflé places, but this one was on a completely different level! This is the story of my visit to Petrico, the buzzy new Hongdae café that's become a dessert must-visit — I went for the pancakes. No eggy smell at all, and insanely fluffy — genuinely tastier than the soufflé I had in Japan, twice over. I was shocked.

Where is Petrico, and what does the café look like from outside?

Petrico is a soufflé pancake café at 75 Jandari-ro, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul — right between Hongdae and Hapjeong. There's this huge café that appears out of nowhere, and I was checking the map going "wait, is this really it?" haha

Inside Petrico: the wood-tone room that won my mom over

Petrico greets you with a clean first impression — wood-tone interior and pretty flower vases everywhere. I visited with my mom that day, and she hates crowded, chaotic Hongdae cafés, but she loved this place, and kept asking how a café like this ended up in Hongdae. She was shocked, haha (honestly, so was I).

The atmosphere was so good I was amazed... at one point I actually wondered if I'd wandered into a furniture showroom by mistake. Mid-photo, I double-checked the map to confirm this was actually a café.

Walking in, you immediately get this trendy, modern vibe! The soft lighting mixed with natural sunlight means every photo turns into a keeper, haha. The tables are spaced out generously, so it never feels cramped — perfect for actually relaxing.

They've also got roomy shared tables set up, great for a group chatting session!

Petrico menu and prices

• Fruit soufflé — ₩18,000
• Pear & lime granita — ₩7,500
• Chocolate banana soufflé — ₩17,000
• Platter soufflé pancake — ₩19,000
• Lime tart — ₩8,500
• Vanilla bean cheese tart — ₩8,500
• Classic soufflé pancake — ₩14,000

The 18,000 won fruit soufflé that beat the ones I ate in Japan

Fruit soufflé, 18,000 won. The insane visual of Petrico's soufflé pancake — the dish everyone's talking about at this Hongdae dessert spot — finally arrives, and I just gasped...

It comes fully loaded with blueberries, banana, and whipped cream — a perfect complete plate! That softly browned surface alone makes your mouth water, doesn't it?

The pillowy texture is so soft it looks fluffy just from the photo!

The nutty, rich americano pairs perfectly with the sweet dessert, haha. I almost forgot to mention the coffee while raving about the soufflé pancake, but Petrico's coffee is genuinely top-tier too... at this point I'm curious what kind of person the owner is...

A café that nails dessert, coffee, and atmosphere all at once — I feel like I haven't seen one of those in years. If they can keep this dessert and coffee quality consistent, this might genuinely become the number one café in Hongdae, ugh.

Drizzling on the syrup. The sweet maple syrup soaks in smoothly and the flavor just explodes!

You can see the moist air pockets through the cross-section — it genuinely melts the second it hits your mouth, haha.

Scoop up a bite of the soft whipped cream with your fork and it's pure happiness! The cream isn't too sweet and tastes refined, so it never gets tiring even by the last bite! I savored every last piece slowly since I didn't want to waste any of it! If they keep this quality up, this has genuinely become one of my favorite spots ever, haha.

Who should visit Petrico?

Petrico's soufflé pancake — the standout dessert at this Hongdae café — is honestly amazing, so go before word spreads even more and the lines get longer! Try their fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth authentic soufflé and you'll be a regular for sure, haha.

I'm definitely planning to come back soon with a group of friends to experience that fluffy taste again!