Gwanghwamun café rainy-day mom meetup on the 2nd floor: Lemangdoré

It was raining all day when I met a friend in Gwanghwamun. With the gloomy, wet weather, I wasn't in the mood for a long walk — I wanted somewhere comfortable to sit and talk. This time I went to Lemangdoré, a Gwanghwamun café between City Hall and Gwanghwamun stations. I'd loved the atmosphere and desserts here before, so I came back with a friend!

• Hours: Daily 08:00–21:00
• Address: 17 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 1st/2nd/3rd floors

How to get to Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun sits at 17 Mugyo-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul. It's an easy walk from Euljiro-1(il)ga, City Hall, or Gwanghwamun stations, which makes it a great spot for a Gwanghwamun or City Hall date. Best of all, it's close to Cheonggyecheon stream, so on nicer days you can stop by after a stroll.

A 3-floor café perfect for sitting out the rain

On a rainy day like the one we visited this Gwanghwamun dessert café, it was great to spend time warm and cozy inside. The café spans 1st through 3rd floors, so the interior is much bigger than it looks from outside.

The modern, sleek interior with its red accents was still lovely. There are seats on the 1st floor too, but that's mainly where you order, and the 2nd floor is much bigger and more comfortable — so we just ordered downstairs and headed up to talk.

The bakery case lineup

Walking into Lemangdoré, the variety of baked goods catches your eye first. From croissants and pain au chocolat to madeleines and financiers, there's a wide range on display — every single piece looked so pretty and delicious that I stood in front of the case for a long time deciding.

2nd floor seating, a 10am meetup

The 2nd floor of this Gwanghwamun dessert café felt even cozier, with more room to spread out. Since both of us meeting up are married moms, meeting at 10am meant we could relax over coffee and chat without rushing. We both love Fritz Hansen furniture, so that made it even more comfortable, haha. I hate walking in the rain, but looking out at the rainy street made me crave warm coffee and something sweet — and this Gwanghwamun dessert café fit the mood perfectly.

What we ordered

This time at Lemangdoré, we ordered a warm Americano, an iced Americano, a latte, and a pistachio croissant.

Warm Americano and iced Americano

Maybe because it was raining, I was especially craving a warm Americano. Wrapping my hands around the mug warmed me up after getting slightly wet in the rain, and it put me in a relaxed mood too. My younger friend went for the iced Americano, haha — it cut through the sweetness of the desserts cleanly and paired well with the pistachio croissant. An Americano really is the perfect match for dessert here.

A latte with pretty latte art

The latte at Lemangdoré came with beautiful latte art, and it photographed so nicely once we set it on the table. It's soft and nutty, so even people who find strong coffee too intense could enjoy it easily. As long as my stomach doesn't act up, a latte is always something I don't regret ordering.

Pistachio croissant, ₩8,800

This time I picked the pistachio croissant, whose green color caught my eye. It cost ₩8,800, and the top was fully covered in pistachio cream and crushed pistachios. Just looking at it, you could sense how rich and nutty the pistachio flavor would be.

This is one of the signature dessert items at this Gwanghwamun dessert café, so it was the one I was most looking forward to. The outside was thickly and evenly covered in finely chopped pistachios, and the inside held soft pistachio cream. The moment I cut into it with a knife, I could feel the crisp, flaky layers of the croissant. One bite in, the buttery pastry and the distinct nuttiness of pistachio went perfectly together. It wasn't too sweet, but paired with morning coffee, the sweetness made for a genuinely happy flavor.

Morning vs. lunchtime, seating situation

Outside it was gray and damp, but warm coffee and sweet dessert made the meetup feel even more atmospheric. There were no other customers in the morning, but by the time we finished chatting, the place had filled up — it turned out to be lunchtime already.

This was a record of a relaxed chat over good bakery treats and coffee at Lemangdoré, a Gwanghwamun dessert café that's great for lingering near Gwanghwamun or City Hall.