Local places · 393 stories
Cafés in Korea, told firsthand by local bloggers — with photos and Google Maps.
Benetto (베네또) is a brunch café serving grilled sandwiches and coffee near City Hall in Nam-gu, Ulsan. I visited with my husband and children on a weekend and spent ₩28,500 on two sandwiches and two lattes; the portions were filling and the atmosphere was quiet. There was no dedicated parking, and many sandwich options were already gone when we arrived after lunchtime.
MUG (카페 먹) is a bakery café in Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, with a gallery, garden, and forest views. I tried cinnamon rolls and injeolmi (soybean-coated rice cake) bread and explored the gallery and garden; the rolls were chewy outside and moist inside. The bread was memorable, but lemon cream cheese was the only cinnamon roll flavor left at lunchtime.
Selected Nicks is a multi-level dessert café near Gangnam Station in Seoul. I paired chocolate banana tiramisu with milk tea and a vitamin blueberry drink, then looked around the rooftop and varied seating. Selected Nicks is a lovely pick for a sweet dessert break and unhurried downtime.
Fluffy Bake Shop is a bakery café near Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. I packed up salt bread, madeleines, and egg tarts, and loved their crisp yet moist texture, plus the free parking and baby chair. A lovely stop for dessert and coffee near Gongdeok Station.
Cheongchuni Oranda Dongmun Market Main Branch is a dessert shop in Dongmun Market, Jeju, where you can taste and choose from several kinds of oranda. Its gamtae oranda was not overly sweet, with a subtle seaweed note at the finish, and individual wrapping and gift boxes made it easy to give away. Verdict: a handy Jeju souvenir snack for sharing.
Cafe Dunchi is a café and watersports center on Namdaecheon in Yangyang, Gangwon. I had strawberry and mango smoothies with my children, then took a roughly 30-minute boat ride near Naksan Bridge; parking was easy, but the weekend wait was about 90 minutes rather than the estimated hour.
Hands Coffee Gumi Goa-eup Branch is a spacious café in Goa-eup, Gumi, with high ceilings, two floors, and dedicated parking. I had the Hands House Brunch for a late breakfast-lunch and enjoyed its snappy sausage and mild ciabatta. With several guests using strollers during my visit, it felt comfortable for families.
Baegya Coffee is a large bakery café beside Sajeunjin Beach in Gangneung. I explored its rooftop observatory and had a corn cream shot latte, iced Americano, and condensed milk bread; the varied floors and amenities were useful, though some bakery shelves were sparse during my visit.
Gyeongju Tokyo Pie is a small takeout-focused handmade pie shop just off the main Hwangridan-gil alley in Gyeongju. I bought a ₩26,500 six-piece apple pie gift set for our accommodation and as a travel souvenir; the flaky pastry and large crisp apple pieces stood out, though some flavors had sold out after lunch.
Ugly Tongue is a café in Yeonsu, Incheon, where I ordered a Diet smoothie and a decaf Americano. The smoothie let its ingredients come through rather than tasting intensely sweet, but ₩15,000 for one was a lot.
The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is a two-floor baumkuchen café on Jahamun-ro in Jongno, Seoul. I tried several varieties with an Americano and liked their soft layered texture and restrained sweetness, though I ordered too much to finish alone and packed up the rest.
Mimi Coffee Mill (미미커피방앗간) is a café in Sunseong-myeon, Dangjin, where I tried the MIMI Cream Latte and chestnut tiramisu. The latte was nutty and less sweet than I expected, while the tiramisu was a dessert I kept thinking about afterward.
