Seochon bakery café with bread sold out by 5:30pm Saturday: Respire
In short
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a brunch bakery café on Hyoja-ro 13-gil near the Blue House in Jongno, Seoul, with outdoor seats under a lilac tree. Arriving at 5:30pm on a Saturday, the bread counter at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon was completely sold out, so the visit came down to an Americano at 5,500 won and a matcha latte at 6,500 won at an attic-like second-floor window seat. To actually taste the bakery at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, go as early in the day as you can.
Good to know
- Address
- Respire, 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- Getting there
- About 13 min walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3 / about 5 min walk from the Hyoja-dong bus stop
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
- Parking
- The lot in front of the café is for Blue House staff only and cannot be used; nearby Singyo Public Parking Lot costs 3,000 won per hour
- Sandwiches
- Omelette sandwich 8,500 won / seasonal sandwich (fig), cucumber dill, garlic shrimp, basil jambon 10,500 won each
- Toast and salad
- French toast 15,500 won, Respire toast 15,500 won, seasonal salad 15,000 won
- Bread
- Salt bread 3,000 won
- Coffee
- Americano 5,500 won, Respire latte (signature), caramel crème and Einspänner 6,500 won each, salt summer latte 8,000 won
- Happy hour
- Weekdays 08:30–12:30, omelette sandwich + coffee set for 10,000 won
- Seating
- Indoor seats on the first and second floors, plus outdoor terraces to the left and in front of the shop
- Price reference
- ₩10,000 ≈ $7.4 · ₩5,500 ≈ $4.1 · ₩6,500 ≈ $4.8 (2026-09-15)
as written by the visitor on Sep 5, 2026
I went to Respire Bakery Cafe near the Blue House in Seochon! Respire is known for its outdoor seating under a lilac tree and its bakery menu — sandwiches, toast, and more. Let me introduce it in detail!
Where is Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon, and what are the hours and parking?
Respire Bakery Cafe is located at 40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, right near the former Blue House. It's about a 13-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3, or about a 5-minute walk from the Hyojadong bus stop.
- Hours: Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00 / Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
- Parking: the lot in front of the café is for Blue House staff only and can't be used by customers, but the nearby Singyo Public Parking Lot is available (₩3,000/hour)
There's also outdoor seating on the left side and front of the shop, so on a nice day or when the morning sun is warm before lunch, sitting outside with a sandwich sounds lovely *_*
Through the curtain: the entrance and interior of Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon
Walking in, the café doesn't reveal itself all at once — you have to open a small curtain first. Kind of exciting, actually!
A cozy interior that feels like it could be in a small French town! But wait — do you see the bread shelf on the right...?
Saturday at 5:30pm: every bread at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon was sold out
I got to Respire Bakery around 5:30pm on a Saturday, and all the bread was already sold out... T_T ugh.
Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon menu, prices and the weekday happy hour
🍽️ Menu
- Seasonal sandwich (fig) — ₩10,500
- Cucumber dill sandwich — ₩10,500
- French toast — ₩15,500
- Respire toast — ₩15,500
- Omelette sandwich — ₩8,500
- Garlic shrimp sandwich — ₩10,500
- Basil jambon sandwich — ₩10,500
- Seasonal salad — ₩15,000
- Salt bread — ₩3,000
☕ Coffee
- Respire latte (signature) — ₩6,500
- Salt summer latte (summer season) — ₩8,000
- Caramel crème — ₩6,500
- Einspänner — ₩6,500
- Americano — ₩5,500
There's also a Respire happy hour on weekdays from 8:30 to 12:30, where you can get an omelette sandwich and coffee set for just ₩10,000 haha. If you're stopping by on a weekday morning, this deal seems really solid.
Omelette jambon sandwich / seasonal French toast (the fruit changes with the season!) / garlic shrimp sandwich / jambon sandwich — if you check out Respire Bakery Cafe's Instagram, you'll see all these gorgeous bakery items, every single one looking so delicious...! Please, please visit as early as possible so you don't end up empty-handed like me.
The gift boxes were so pretty too — if you're in Seochon anyway, packing a variety of breads as a gift seems like a great idea!
First floor and the attic-like second floor at Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon
A cute, carefully decorated first floor! Follow the narrow staircase up and there's a spacious second floor with tables too.
The vibe upstairs! It's got a slightly attic-like, cozy feeling wafting through the air.
How do the Americano and matcha latte taste?
I ordered an Americano for ₩5,500 and a matcha latte for ₩6,500. The Americano was smooth with no bitterness and a subtle coffee aroma came through nicely; the matcha latte had a lot of milk in it, so it was soft and sweet!
It was a bit of a shame not to enjoy them alongside any bakery items, so I'll just have to come back again hehe.
This is the view if you sit by the window! There's a parking lot right in front, but as mentioned, that lot is only for Blue House staff — customers can't use it. The nearby Singyo Public Parking Lot is available instead at ₩3,000 per hour!
Is Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon worth a visit? Final verdict
Overall, I really liked the cute, warm atmosphere of Respire Bakery Cafe! The first floor feels snug and charming, while the second floor is a bit more spacious and relaxed — so it's worth picking a spot based on your mood.
And if bakery items are your main goal, don't visit late like I did — go as early as possible haha. I ended up not getting to try a single piece of bread, so I'm already planning my next visit lol.
If you're wandering around Seochon and looking for a café with a good atmosphere, this place is worth a stop! Now that the weather's cooling down, I want to sit on the outdoor terrace next time~!
Where it is
40-7 Hyoja-ro 13-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 효자로13길 40-7 레스피레
