Seongnae-dong brunch café with a fig prosciutto plate for Mom: Damgeum

Why Damgeum in Seongnae-dong for a brunch date with Mom

Damgeum is a brunch café on Seongnae-ro 18-gil in Seoul's Gangdong area, and it was the spot for round two of my rare one-on-one date 💕 with my mom. We had a little time before our hair salon appointment, and I was craving brunch, so we ended up at Damgeum.

From the park view through the big windows to the stylish interior and the tasty brunch, it completely won over both me and Mom. (Best of all, Mom said it was delicious, and I felt so proud... haha 🧡) I'll walk you through the atmosphere, menu, taste and my thoughts on this Seongnae-dong café, so have a look if you're curious.

How to get to Damgeum and where to park

Damgeum is a 15-minute walk from Exit 3 of Dunchondong Station, and there are 2 parking spaces right next to the café. We went by subway, and it was a bit farther than I expected. There's a bus stop nearby, so I'd recommend taking the bus rather than the subway ⭐

With 2 parking spaces right next to the café, visitors coming by car can use it comfortably too. (If they're full, please use the Olympic Park North Gate 2 parking lot.)

What is the inside of Damgeum like?

The inside of Damgeum is decorated with props and an atmosphere that feel like a little slice of Europe, with open terrace seats and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the park. Ta-da ✨ everyone, just look at the inside of Damgeum. Isn't the mood amazing?! The owner's sense of style is really something. I could tell from the outside, but the interior was the real deal.

I took a half day off on Friday and came straight over, yet there were so many customers... (How does everyone know about places like this? I was the only one who didn't 😂) By the time we were finishing up, the crowd thinned out, so I could take photos of the interior at my leisure 😎

From the open terrace seats to the park view through the big windows, Damgeum was just perfect for spending a relaxed time!

Damgeum's menu and what we ordered

Damgeum's menu had a wide range, from brunch dishes to desserts, drinks, coffee, gelato and wine. Shall we take a look at the menu? 👀

• ☕ Iced americano
• ☕ Iced almond latte
• 🥪 Fig prosciutto plate
• 🥪 Classic panino

We came for lunch and café time in one, so we ordered a generous spread, and the look of it... was seriously amazing 👍🏻

How are Damgeum's iced americano and iced almond latte?

Damgeum's iced americano had a nicely balanced acidity and body, and the iced almond latte was slightly sweet but nutty. Let me rate the drinks first..🧐 The iced americano was neither too sour nor too burnt, so it went well with the food.

The iced almond latte came through a little sweet, but the smooth milk, nutty almond and the bitterness of the last shot all worked well together.

Damgeum's classic panino: good even if you dislike eggplant

Damgeum's classic panino is a hot panini filled with hand-prepared grilled eggplant, homemade basil pesto and homemade oven-dried cherry tomatoes. I was craving brunch so badly, and after a lot of deliberating I came here... and the dishes turned out better than I expected!

The classic panino had eggplant inside, but there was no eggplant smell at all, and at first I wondered if it was mushroom. (Even I, who don't like eggplant, found it delicious 👍🏻) With plenty of vegetables and fillings between crisp bread, it was light yet simple, a brunch dish anyone can enjoy with no hits or misses ✨

Damgeum's fig prosciutto plate: the must-order dish

Damgeum's fig prosciutto plate has fresh new-harvest Yeongam figs, crisply toasted sourdough, homemade cream cheese sauce and prosciutto, a sweet-and-salty combination. Figs are really hot right now, aren't they?! I ordered it out of curiosity, and this... really... you have to eat it.

The tangy yet sweet cream cheese spreads strongly over the crisp bread and finishes with the sweetness of the fig, and it was so clean?! The figs were a highlight, and the homemade cream cheese was a highlight too. My mom also loved this one and said it was so good 💕

Would we take Mom back to Damgeum in Seongnae-dong?

The atmosphere is great, the coffee is good, and the brunch dishes were all so delicious that even my mom, famous for her picky taste, said she'd like to come once more. I came after agonizing over my brunch craving, and it was satisfying!

Olympic Park is nearby too, so it's a really great date course. Be sure to visit once ⭐