Gwanghwamun café for fig financiers: Center Coffee

Getting to Center Coffee Gwanghwamun on B1 of SFC Mall

After having dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) near Euljiro 1-ga Station, we walked for about 15 minutes to get coffee and soon arrived near Gwanghwamun Station. There are so many cafés around Cheonggyecheon Stream that it is fun to pick one! Today’s café was Center Coffee Gwanghwamun, located on B1 of SFC Mall ☕️

It is about 176 m from Exit 5 of Gwanghwamun Station and Exit 4 of City Hall Station, on B1 of SFC Mall. Hours are 07:30–21:00 Monday through Friday and 11:00–21:00 Saturday and Sunday.

It was my first time at SFC Mall, and there were lots of restaurants underground. Follow the entrance into SFC Mall, and you will find an escalator right away—just take it down.

After taking the escalator down, keep going to the left and you will find Center Coffee.

The building itself was so clean, and the lighting was so pretty that I had to take a photo 📸 haha

At first, I thought it might feel stuffy because it was underground, but the café has floor-to-ceiling windows. You can see inside clearly from outside, and it did not feel cramped at all.

Center Coffee Gwanghwamun, CENTER COFFEE.

A warm interior with floor-to-ceiling windows and wood tones

The atmosphere was really warm. The interior was done in wood tones, and since it was chilly outside that day, it felt especially nice to come into such a cozy space.

The four-leaf-clover-shaped chairs were so cute that I wanted to sit in one, but they had no backs, so I passed haha.

The Center Coffee counter was completely open, so I could watch all the coffee-making. There were two staff members, and both were kind 🤗

You could order at either of the two kiosks or directly from a staff member at the counter.

Coffee of the day and light meal options

Center Coffee Gwanghwamun is a specialty café focused on the essence of coffee, and they say even the decaf is as flavorful as regular coffee. They also had a Coffee of the Day, or batch brew, which is served only until 15:00, so keep that in mind! Sadly, I visited at 8 PM and could not try itㅠㅠ The Greek yogurt bowl + Coffee of the Day set is also available only until 15:00. Just a heads-up 🙏

The Greek yogurt bowl was ₩7,500 and the ham and cheese panini was ₩8,500. They seem like nice options for a simple lunch, too.

Fig baton financier and iced Americano

There was a wide selection of desserts, including fresh cream cake, chocolate cake, Earl Grey lemon tart, financiers, pound cake, and butter bars. From these, I ordered the fig baton financier.

While waiting for my coffee, I looked at the specialty coffee gift sets and coffee beans. The drip-bag gift set is made up of Center Coffee’s three signature blends. There was a decaf option as well, so it would make a nice gift for someone who cannot have caffeine!

This café has received as many as eight Blue Ribbons..🎀 I think I found a hidden gem for coffee and desserts 😊

The iced Americano was ₩5,400 and the fig baton financier was ₩4,000. The financier was fascinating because it did not have the shape I was used to seeing. Next time I bake, I should buy a mold like that and give it a try.

The financier was not overly sweet and was so delicious. The pieces of fig in the middle also went really well with the coffee. There are many cafés near City Hall Station and Gwanghwamun Station, but Center Coffee Gwanghwamun was a nice café to pause and rest alone or with someone special in a calm, minimal space. I hope you get to enjoy coffee and a little breathing room in busy central Seoul ☕️