KierstenOn a recent day trip to the city, I was so excited to explore some of Korea’s thousands of cafes. Seoul’s Cafe in the City stood out immediately with it’s pink accents and bright flowers. Right across from the famous Coex mall and Starfield Library in Gangnam, it’s a great place to grab lunch, a morning coffee, or just hang out on a Saturday.
Address
39 Teheran-ro 87-gil, Samseong, Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea
Follow Them
@cafeinthecity_seoul on Instagram
Try This
Dutch Cube Latte
You Should Know
Cafe in the City was a filming location for a Kdrama called ‘She Would Never Know.’ The name was changed, but the storefront appeared in a season 5 episode.
About Cafe in the City
This Seoul cafe is relatively new. It opened in March of 2018 in the Gangnam district of Seoul right across from the famous Coex mall (home of the giant Starfield Library.)
They serve coffee, tea, and desserts in their gorgeous two story space. The cafe also frequently hosts events like a strawberry tiramisu no-bake class or a celebration for Baekhyun’s birthday (a singer in the Kpop group Exo.)
Cafe in the City Layout
The first thing that catches your eye about Seoul’s Cafe in the City is the pink door and flowery front window. Against the gray buildings, it really pops. There is a small outdoor patio out front with a few tables and umbrellas.
Inside, it’s a really large space. The first floor is divided by a long bar height community table lined with flowers. There’s greenery and flowers everywhere, which brings so much brightness to the cafe. To the left are a couple seating options.
Sit in front of the window and people watch or grab a couch and comfy chairs with a group.
On the right side, there is a bench seat lining the wall, along with smaller tables in front of accordion style window doors. The window doorway is lined with flowers for another stunning view outside.
The register and bar is at the back of the first floor with the menu on screens overhead. It’s in Korean and English so no worries about translating and the barista was super nice.
Just before you get to the register, on the right side of the cafe is the staircase leading upstairs, set against an accent wall that just makes your jaw drop.
Second Floor
The upstairs basically follows the shape of the building to form a large balcony on all sides.
You can look down onto the cafe below or sit near the window and look out over the streets of Gangnam.
I love to people watch so I could have stayed here all day sipping my latte. Next time I just might!
Cafe in the City Menu
This Seoul Cafe in the City menu is relatively small but has some great options. There are the usual espresso based options, which we chose. I got a vanilla latte and my husband got a dutch cube latte.
The dutch cube latte is dutch coffee frozen into coffee ice cubes. You get the cubes and a small pitcher of milk to pour over. As they melt, you get an iced latte!
For non-coffee drinkers, they do have milk based beverages like milk teas and matcha lattes. They also have milkshakes, lemonades, and specialty teas from Kew&Leaves Tea. This brand is run by Master Tea Blender Hyunjin Sung, an expert in the tea world. No matter what you drink, it’s worth a visit.
Food
The standout food item at Cafe in the City is the croffle. It seems to be a favorite in Korea and I mean, can you blame them?
This could be a brunch meal, but is also an excellent dessert. Aside from that, they have a selection of cakes and some pastries like tarts, croissants, and cheesecake.
If you’re looking for a more filling meal, they have all different kinds of sandwiches – grilled cheese, egg, etc. The food menu also changes to reflect seasonal offerings like strawberries or holiday flavors.
There’s so many cafe options in the city, but the next time you’re in Seoul, Cafe in the City is a must visit. You can get some great coffee and great Instagram shots – win-win!
Share with your travel partners:
If pink is your aesthetic,
check out this other pink cafe just south of Seoul
