In this blog, I shall discuss the various cafes I have been to study and blog throughout my trip in Seoul.
Studying is often stressful at times, needing to commit loads of time and effort into creating quality work. However, in Korea, studying is very eventful, taking me to new artsy cafes all around Seoul. I hope this blog post gives you better insight on the cafe culture in Korea.
Coffine Gurunaru
I walked a block around DMCville and found this new café. It was a basic chain coffee shop with black tables and chairs inside the building. This place is a franchise, having multiple locations around Seoul. I got the vanilla latte for around 4,500 KRW and studied there for a couple of hours. During that time, a wide range of customers came into the store from adults to families with kids.
Paik's Coffee
This store was located inside a business building in Digital Media City; it is like a regular small coffee store but stands out with their cheap prices and bright yellow aesthetics. I got a banana smoothie for around 5,000 KRW and studied there for hours. There were many empty tables available for customers. They played K-pop songs from artists like Jay Park which was a fun plus to listen to while studying.
A Twosome Place
This café is located everywhere in Korea, being like a second Starbucks. They sell all the regular coffee drinks like americano, cappuccino, etc as well as delicious cakes. Andy and I tried the tiramisu and red velvet slices for around 5,000 KRW to 6,000 KRW. Our favorite out of those two was the tiramisu cake for its fluffy and delicious taste. Whenever I study at my location right across the street of DMCville, there are many people studying/working in the café. I usually study for about two hours; for some reason, after that time limit, I am unable to connect to the Wi-Fi on my computer, so I decide to head elsewhere.
Dok-dabang 독수리다방
Its great location right outside Yonsei University in Sinchon makes this place amazing! Next to Holly's Coffee on the twelfth floor, the atmosphere of this café is very home-like and cozy, having a huge library inside available for customers to read while drinking their coffee. They have plenty of tables and lamps for lights; in addition, they have a great view outside on the roof, being a quiet place apart from the hustling of the Sinchon area. It would be a great place to study at night during the springtime or fall. I got their signature Dabang coffee for around 6,500 KRW. This café also provides refills for drinks: I got a refill of iced americano for around 1,500 KRW. If you need a place to study, I would highly recommend this café.
Location: 서울시 서대문구 창천동 31-4 독수리빌딩8층
Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Changcheon-dong, 31-4 Dok-suri Building (독수리빌딩), level 8.
콩볶는집 ("Bean-roasting House")
Right after dancing, I headed downstairs to this café to work and study. The entire place is decorated with cat décor from the artwork on the walls to the coaster for my drink. I got the iced grapefruit ade and the iced lemonade when I visited two times; both drinks were great, not being too sweet/sour with the right amount of flavor. The entire place is filled with wooden tables and chairs, giving a cozy feeling. I believe that the owner of the place is a couple, seeing the same faces both times I went.
Location:
서울 마포구 서교동 395-135 1층
395-135 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (1st floor)
Gracebell Cafe
This café, located less than a block away from Just Jerk Dance Academy in Hapjeong, is very artsy, being decorated with the Gracebell characters. There is also as a mini store within the café that sells items with the characters on it. Before going to a dance class at 9:00 pm, I got the special summer drink which was an iced latte with an ice cream scoop for 6,000 KRW for my hours of studying. It was pretty delicious, with each bite of the ice cream being frosty; each drink is also served with a small character cracker. There are usually not a lot of people inside the café, being very quiet which is perfect for studying. If you head to this café, make sure to check the bathroom; it's perfect for a mirror selfie with cute décor in pastel colors.
Location:
20, Yanghwa-ro 10-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
마포구 양화로10길 20, Seoul, Korea
Mahogony Coffee Company
Located in Korea's Times Square on the third floor, it is very convenient for people to grab coffee on-the-go or to stay and relax. After shopping around Times Square (which was quite massive), I got an iced grapefruit ade and stayed to edit my blog for hours before heading on my way. It was quite busy there, but thankfully I found a seat. In addition, they also have some bakery items on the side. The aesthetics of the place is very dark with their black-colored walls and tables. Consequently, the place is decorated with lights to illuminate the place. There is also a cool exhibit with eye-droppers filled with coffee dripping into large beakers.
Location:
Seoul Seoul-si Yeongdeungpo-gu Yeongdeungpodong4-ga 441-10
Zapangi
This café is truly the definition of an Instagram-worthy café with their great aesthetics. The meaning of Zapangi is vending machine, hence their pink door imitating a vending machine. They have all the things necessary to go trendy, such as lit neon signs, sweet specialty drinks, and cute tin cups. I got the Aurora (Mocha/Chocolate) which costed 7,500 KRW; it was basically an iced mocha drink served in a pink cup topped with a special whip cream and chocolate pearls, creating the aesthetics for a perfect Instagram post. The location does not have many tables, so it would not be ideal for long studying periods. It is a very cute place, perfect for drinks and pictures.
Location:
망원동 400-2 해오름 주상복합
400-2 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Cafe Cellista
Before and after dancing at 1Million Dance Studio in Gangnam, I headed to a nearby cafe to work on my blog and studies. It attracted me due to its wooden and simplistic aesthetic of brown, black, and white. I got the iced grapefruit ade and the mango yogurt smoothie for about 6,000 KRW each. They have lots of couches around as well as outlets for those studying on a laptop (like me). This place is not crowded at all, only having a few customers inside for both times I went. The only downside is the early closing time of 21:00; I didn't even realize that it was passed the time and was asked to leave. However, this place has a nice atmosphere perfect for studying.
Location:
Cafe Cellista 카페 첼리스타 서울 강남구 봉은사로 43길 18 18, 43-gil, Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul