Casual Cafe Crusades

There’s a joke I crack often with my friends in Chicago about how in my neighborhood, if you walk down a main street for ten minutes, you’ll probably pass about 12 churches and 10 corner (convenience) stores. In Seoul, the same can be said if you replace churches with cafes. And for reference, I love cafes. Here’s a picture of my folder of the same açaí bowl I’ve been getting from my favorite cafe in DC since 2024:

And yes, these are all different days.

One thing everyone in my life knows about me is that the bond between me and a good latte is unbreakable. I am extremely strict about coffee, and for that reason, Korea has unfortunately left me frowning in the middle of a variety of cafes.

Don’t get me wrong, I find the cafe culture in Seoul to be very interesting. It hurts my soul that a majority of non-chain shops don’t open until 10 A.M. or later (most workers don’t have time to sit down at cafes until their lunch breaks around noon, so opening early isn’t always profitable), but it isn’t something I take issue with. Besides the prospect of profitability, many cafe owners opened their shops to be free from the restrictions of office life, so they enjoy being able to sleep in. I stand with them!

I do, however, take issue with how much mediocre coffee I've had at the loveliest cafes. The decor? Beautiful. The vibes? Unmatchable. The staff? Sweet as pie. The ades and juices? Indescribably refreshing. From my fellow correspondent Felicia Pace: “The matcha? A crime.” And the coffee? Is…well, it’s always drinkable! Unless it's an iced americano.

Dramatic complaining aside, I have found so many cafes here with incredible drinks and employees that I am going to miss dearly. No matter how much my friends have heard me complain about the work I had to put in to find amazing coffee (and matcha!), my work paid off. Here are a few of my favorites and my routine orders!

1. Thanks, Oat (Anguk) — Granola & Nuts Yogurt Bowl & a Vanilla Latte (I used to order their Strawberry Matcha Latte, but it isn't on the menu anymore </3)
2. Butterscotch Euljiro — Butterscotch Coffee & Choco Salt Bread
3. DOLDOL — Hot Cafe Latte w/ Vanilla Bean Syrup & Oatmilk
4. ALLDSE — Matcha Latte & a Brownie w/ Ice Cream
5. GaE Seoul — Ube Latte

I mentioned earlier that many independent cafes open later, but early risers aren’t completely out of luck! Thanks, Oat, Butterscotch, and DOLDOL all open at 8 A.M. And chains are open early too! I recommend Paik’s Coffee (best bang for your buck), Brewda Coffee (sparse locations, but great coffee), and if you have a few more coins to spare, A Twosome Place and Molly’s are quite decent. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind: "chocolate lattes" are just kind of... hot chocolate? Or iced hot chocolate? I don't really understand. Anything with strawberry purée is going to taste good, but know that a "strawberry latte" just strawberry purée with milk. You've gotta add that shot of espresso to those yourself! And to reiterate Felicia's words, if you are extremely picky about matcha, I'm sorry to inform you that you need to just book a flight to Kyoto.

A quick last note: Things in Seoul open close very quickly. One day, a place will be full of customers with music playing loudly, and you’ll have finally found the perfect vanilla latte! The next, the place will be completely empty, as if a cafe was never there. Ask me how I know. I’ve recommended places that I’m confident (and deeply hopeful) will be open for a long time, but make sure you check they are still open before heading over! And please support them so they stay open forever and ever!

If you visit Korea (hopefully for study abroad :D), I hope you're able to check out the places I recommended, and that you also discover your own favorites.