Jongno café for baumkuchen gifts: The Baum Gyeongbokgung
In short
The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is a dessert café in Jongno, Seoul, one minute on foot from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2. I tried coffee and several baumkuchen varieties; their creams and toppings gave each one a different texture, and the hanok-inspired space was a calm place for a short break.
Good to know
- Address
- 1F–2F, 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 종로구 자하문로 13-2 1층, 2층)
- Getting there
- 1 minute on foot from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2
- Hours listed in the original post
- Monday–Sunday, 10:00–22:00
- Gift options
- Individually wrapped items, two-piece mini baum packs, and six-piece plain and melon mini baum gift sets
- Seating
- Two four-person window tables and two three-person tables on the first floor; two- and four-person tables plus group seating on the second floor
- Restroom
- First floor; separate facilities for men and women
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
I had coffee and baumkuchen at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch (더바움 경복궁점) near Gyeongbokgung Station. The display case held individually wrapped desserts and gift sets, while the baumkuchen for eating in came in a range of varieties with different creams and toppings.
How close is it to Gyeongbokgung Station, and when is it open?
The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is at 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is a one-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2 and occupies the first and second floors. The hours listed in the original post are 10:00–22:00, Monday through Sunday. The post also advised checking closures and the schedule again before visiting.
What baumkuchen gift sets are available?
The display case had desserts that looked suitable for gifting. The Soft Baum Set was described as plain or torte baum with two mini baums, while the Hard Baum Set came with plain or chocolate baum and two small baums.
There were also plain soft baumkuchen, torte chocolate baum, and plain and chocolate hard baumkuchen. I also looked at other varieties, including Eifel Baum and chocolate Eifel Baum.
White chocolate and chocolate cute Spitzen, regular baum, and Hori-An were available as well. Mini baum came in two-piece packs, offering an option beyond full-sized baumkuchen.
Mini baum was available in plain and layered melon, and six-piece plain and melon gift sets were also on sale.
There were watermelon baumkuchen, yanggaeng baum, and yanggaeng choux-cream baum. In addition to standard baumkuchen, I could choose varieties made with different ingredients.
How are the gift sets and main menu items priced?
I have reproduced the numerical price notation from the original post. The original post does not separately explain the currency unit.
- Soft Baum Set: 31.0 / Hard Baum Set: 27.0
- Plain soft baumkuchen and torte chocolate baum: 22.0 each
- Plain and chocolate hard baumkuchen: 18.0 each
- Plain and layered melon mini baum: 4.5 each
- Two-piece mini baum pack: 9.0 / Six-piece plain and melon gift set: 27.0
- Americano: 5.0 / Café latte and cappuccino: 5.5 each
What desserts and drinks can you have at the café?
Drinks included Americano, latte, Einspänner, cold brew, milk tea, tea, ade, and smoothies. Seasonal specials listed were watermelon juice, watermelon smoothie, and Melona smoothie, and the menu also included baum affogato and baum ice cream.
The dessert menu included plain and custard baum. Their price notation in the original post was 5.5 and 4.5, respectively.
The signature baked baum came in strawberry, chocolate, cheese, and green tea, each listed at 4.0. Basque cheesecake was listed at 8.0.
The brûlée varieties were apple custard, dark chocolate, and matcha custard. There were also fondant chocolate, fondant cheese, and plain milk; all of these were listed at 7.8 in the original post.
What were the seating and atmosphere like on each floor?
The first floor also had seating in the middle, along with two four-person tables by the window. The restroom is on the first floor, with separate facilities for men and women.
Across from the window were two three-person tables. There was more seating upstairs on the second floor.
There was also group seating for several people. I was not able to confirm its exact capacity.
The second floor had two- and four-person tables. The neatly arranged café interior retained a hanok atmosphere. Its old-fashioned character and modern mood came together in a calm space.
How did the baumkuchen I tried differ in flavor and texture?
The Americano was smooth and easy to drink.
The mini baum had softly textured layers. It was mildly sweet and went well with coffee.
The top of the custard baum’s soft baumkuchen was baked crisp like brûlée. I could taste the sweet outer layer alongside the soft custard inside.
The fondant cheese baumkuchen had whipped cream and cream cheese inside soft baumkuchen. The cream was rich, but the cream-cheese flavor was subtle, so it did not feel like an overwhelmingly cheesy dessert to me.
Baumkuchen was the base, but the cream and toppings changed the flavors and textures. It was enjoyable to choose according to my preference, and because individually wrapped items and gift sets were available, I thought it was worth considering for gifts too.
It was a good place to take a short break with coffee and several kinds of baumkuchen in a hanok-inspired setting.
Where it is
1F–2F, 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 자하문로 13-2 1층, 2층
