Seocho roastery café with Victoria scone and babka: Mini Male

I was around Gyodae and stopped by Mini Male Roastery & Coffee Bar Seocho Gyodae Branch for coffee. I originally just wanted to try the signature Helsinki latte, but when I was searching for Seocho café dessert spots, the babka kept coming up too, so I ended up picking out proper bread as well haha.

Where is Mini Male Seocho Gyodae Branch?

Mini Male Seocho Gyodae Branch is really close to Exit 9 of Gyodae Station. You just walk a short way into the alley from the exit, and there are outdoor seats in front of the store too.

A Seocho café with the roaster in the room

Walking in, it was cleaner than I expected. The whole place is done in silver and gray tones, calm overall, but the big roaster in the back catches your eye first. At the Seocho Gyodae branch you can actually see the roasting space right inside the store.

Beans and drip bags are displayed on one side too, so if you like coffee you'll end up browsing. I imagine plenty of people come here specifically looking for Gyodae café specialty coffee — it definitely has more of a roastery character than a café that just serves coffee.

What's on the Mini Male menu board?

Coffee ranges from Americano to latte, flat white, and drip, with the Helsinki latte as the signature.

But honestly I think I spent longer at the pastry case than at the coffee counter haha.

There was a decent variety — babka, scones, cookies, egg tarts, and small pastries. If you're looking for a Seocho café bakery, this isn't a place to just drink coffee and leave.

What I picked: Helsinki latte, original babka, Victoria scone, petit pain au chocolat. I meant to get just one thing but ended up ordering four.

What does the Helsinki latte taste like?

The Helsinki latte is the signature menu item most people order when they come to Mini Male Seocho Gyodae Branch. Lots of reviews describe it as rich and nutty, and it's talked about more as a latte where you taste both the coffee and the milk's nuttiness together, rather than one with a strong sweetness like a vanilla latte.

It seems to be well known precisely because it isn't just sweet. There's a clear reason I went for Seocho café dessert and came out remembering the name Helsinki latte.

Original babka at Mini Male

Babka is a bread with filling twisted between its layers before baking. It's another item Mini Male is often mentioned for, and since it was my first time, I went with the original.

The dough is soft like brioche with sweet filling inside, so it's good to have alongside coffee.

Petit pain au chocolat, the small one to add on

The petit pain au chocolat is, as the name suggests, a small pain au chocolat. It's more compact than a regular one, so ordering it alongside other bread doesn't feel like too much.

There are a few small pastries like this, which is handy when you want to try several Seocho café desserts at once.

Worth it if you want coffee and bread together

Mini Male Seocho Gyodae Branch is a place where you end up grabbing a piece of bread rather than just having a coffee and leaving. Between the Helsinki latte and less common menu items like babka and scones, there was real fun in choosing.

It's close to Gyodae Station too, so I'll probably drop by again if I'm in the area. Next time I want to try drip coffee instead of the Helsinki latte, with a different babka. If you're after Seocho café dessert and want to browse both coffee and bakery, Mini Male Seocho Gyodae Branch is worth remembering.