Seoul has so many cafés and bakeries that it’s hard to know where to start. These are the best cafés in Seoul we tried on our trip, from light-roasted coffee and tiramisu in Mullae-dong to hanok cafés in Jongno, viral salt bread in Seongsu, and a pâtisserie in Hannam-dong. I’ll be honest about the viral ones, too: some live up to the hype, and some are more about the experience than the taste. If you only have time for one neighborhood, start with my Mullae-dong guide.
Café Layered Bukchon – Bukchon, Jongno
Café Layered Bukchon had so many things I loved. Its branding, full of dog illustrations that look like sketch doodles, was one of my favorite parts. When you get there, the pastry options you can pick up on a tray are overwhelming. Everything looked good. I was intrigued that the basic bread, with no fillings or toppings, was their top seller, so of course I had to try it. It really deserved the spot. However, the best thing I had here was the fresh orange iced tea. It’s served with an orange ice ball, similar to bingsu. On a hot day, this was the refreshing drink that made everything feel better and recharged me to walk around Bukchon.
Mullae Banggu – Mullae-dong
Our first stop in Mullae-dong, Mullae Banggu serves light-roasted coffee. I had the hot americano and my boyfriend had the iced one, both incredible. The desserts, though, deserve even more praise: the tiramisu was, in my opinion, perfect. If you are like me and prefer a light tiramisu, not too sweet and with no taste of alcohol, this is the one. My boyfriend told me it was the fastest he’s seen me finish a dessert, and I believe him. His order was an espresso pudding, which was basically a jelly espresso shot, also light and perfectly balanced. The store also hosts a creative workshop and sells merchandise like art prints, hats, T-shirts, and sweaters.
Rust Bakery – Mullae-dong
We came here after Mullae Banggu. It’s the type of bakery with a lot of choices, where you pick your pastries yourself on a tray. They use sourdough, and I got a chocolate bread with chocolate and butter filling. The coffee was also good, and the building has two floors with many different areas to sit.
Cheongsudang Bakery – Ikseon-dong, Jongno
Cheongsudang is definitely a viral place on many “Instagrammable” café lists for Seoul, which is usually a red flag for me, as many of these places aren’t as good as advertised. This is NOT the case here. It’s in a super aesthetically pleasing hanok, with a koi fish pond in the center of one of the rooms, and the desserts and drinks are just as beautiful. The taste doesn’t disappoint, either: I had the matcha cream latte and the strawberry cake and loved both. Matt had a cold fruit drink and the soufflé. The soufflé takes 20 minutes to bake (which they told us when we ordered), but it was worth the wait. The batter was soft and freshly baked, and it was served with nuts and maple syrup on top.
Nuvola – Seocho
We came here after our first meal in Seoul, BBQ Yul. I had the apple mango and matcha flavors, and the gelato was super light. The cups came with fruit arranged in a smiling face on top, which made it even better. According to their website, they use fresh ingredients to make artisanal gelato, and you can taste it. It was the perfect dessert for a hot day after a big Korean barbecue meal.
Jayeondo Sogeumppang (Salt Bread) – Seongsu
OK, this might be the most viral one on the list. We went to the Seongsu branch the first time and to the other location the second time. If there’s a line, it moves quickly because they only sell one thing, and people don’t take long to order and pick it up. I’ll be honest: the first time, we liked it, but our expectations were SO high from the way people talked about it online. The second time, we liked it more. Was it a difference in taste or just expectations? I’m not sure, but it’s definitely worth trying. It’s a good snack after or during shopping, and I appreciate that it’s salty (most snacks end up being sweet).
Nudake – Seongsu
Nudake is inside Haus Nowhere, the super famous and aesthetically pleasing building in Seongsu. It’s on the 5th floor and, just like every shop there, has incredible design all around, from the high ceiling to the decor. When you sit down, they serve you little metal squares with a hole in the middle, where you can smell and decide which tea you’ll have. The desserts have an interesting look as well. I’ll say we liked some of it and didn’t like the rest. It’s a place you’d go for the experience and ambience more than for the taste of the dessert itself.
Café Kitsuné – Gangnam
Café Kitsuné is inside Maison Kitsuné, a fashion store, and has an open front area with a fox sculpture, where it’s nice to sit and enjoy your treat or drink. I tried the matcha and, honestly, it wasn’t that strong, maybe too milky. The drink my boyfriend ordered, though, was amazing and refreshing. I would get that and skip the matcha next time.
Abebe Bakery – Jongno
Abebe has a wide variety of filled donut flavors. It’s from Jeju and very popular. There was a line, but it went by fast. We got a few different flavors to try. They were good, but not my number one place in the area. If you like this kind of donut, though, you will enjoy it. One thing to note: since we were trying a bunch of flavors, I only took a couple of bites of each, and many had a different flavor in the middle that I didn’t get to and only realized later.
Miltoast – Ikseon-dong, Jongno
I came here after Abebe Bakery and, honestly, regretted not coming here first, because this is the style of dessert I prefer and I was pretty full by then. If I could recommend an order, I would prioritize Miltoast. I had the French toast with whipped cream and strawberry, and it was light and delicious. This is a very popular place, and I’ve seen it in many videos, but there was no line and the ambience was great.
Passion5 – Hannam-dong
Passion5 has both a pâtisserie and a bakery. We focused on the pâtisserie side, with refined French-style pastries, éclairs, and chocolates. I had the strawberry cake and a coffee, and it was a nice place to relax before walking around more of the area, which is full of nice shops.
Seoul’s café scene is big enough that you could spend a whole trip just hopping between bakeries and dessert spots. If I had to pick favorites, I’d go back to Mullae Banggu for the tiramisu, Cheongsudang for the hanok and the soufflé, and Miltoast for the French toast. The viral spots are worth a visit too, but go with open expectations and you’ll enjoy them more. Which café are you adding to your list first?
More Seoul Travel Guides
- Mullae-dong: the cool café neighborhood in Seoul
- Where to Drink in Seoul: The Best Cocktail Bars
- Things to Do in Insadong, Seoul: Souvenirs and Traditional Korean Food
- Incheon Airport to Seoul: Limousine Bus Guide (Plus My Air Premia Flight Review)
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Cafés and Bakeries in Seoul
It depends on what you’re craving. For light-roasted coffee and a perfect, not-too-sweet tiramisu, go to Mullae Banggu in Mullae-dong. For a soufflé in a hanok, go to Cheongsudang. For a light French toast, try Miltoast in Ikseon-dong. And for a tray of pastries with a refreshing orange iced tea, visit Café Layered Bukchon.
Mullae-dong is great because Mullae Banggu and Rust Bakery are close to each other. Jongno has the most to choose from, with Café Layered Bukchon (near Anguk Station), Miltoast, Abebe Bakery, and Cheongsudang. Seongsu has Jayeondo Sogeumppang (salt bread) and Nudake.
Some are. Cheongsudang appears on many “Instagrammable” lists, and it lived up to them: the hanok is beautiful and the food tastes as good as it looks. The salt bread at Jayeondo Sogeumppang is worth trying, and we liked it more the second time. Nudake is more about the experience and the design than the dessert itself.
Mullae Banggu in Mullae-dong. It’s light, not too sweet, and has no taste of alcohol.
Sometimes, but they moved fast for us. The salt bread line goes quickly because they only sell one thing, and the Abebe Bakery line also went by fast. There was no line at Miltoast when we went
What's the difference between a bakery and a pâtisserie in Seoul? A bakery, like Rust Bakery, usually sells bread and pastries you pick yourself on a tray. A pâtisserie, like Passion5 in Hannam-dong, focuses on refined French-style pastries, éclairs, and chocolates.
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