Seoul’s Hot Spot Coffee Shops
As a night-owl writer and coffee enthusiast since high school, my greatest comfort since moving to Seoul, as well as the most surprising thing, has been the sheer abundance of chain coffee shops, as well as numerous independent cafes. And each coffee shop has its own unique personality. With that, I would like to share a bit about Seoul’s top five coffee shops from a customer’s perspective.
Angel-in-us Coffee
Photo credit: Ariunaa Joovoo
Angel-in-us (how can you not love that name?) is one of the most prominent coffee chains in Korea, and are fairly easy to spot in any given area in Seoul. There are two locations inside Seoul Station. They feature a large variety of coffee, tea, smoothies and juice drinks, as well as a rich array of desserts and sandwiches (pictured). My personal favorite are their mint chocolate cupcakes!
EDIYA Coffee
EDIYA Coffee is also one of Seoul’s most dominant coffee chains, as in one of those that can be seen on every other corner. In fact, there are three locations within walking distance of where I live in the Jeongneung area near Kookmin University! The name, “Ediya” is, in fact, derived from an Ethiopian tribe on an island where coffee is grown and harvested (see picture). Their coffee drinks are also very satisfying and bold, specifically their iced lattes and Americanos. They also offer a variety of frappe drinks, smoothies and bubble teas, as well as coffee and tea menu. Their desserts are also decadent, which is standard in most Korean coffee shops, I might add. The honey/butter/maple cream toasts (pictured) are positively to die for!
Keywest Coffee
Keywest Coffee is a design café that very much lives up to its namesake. This venue offers a South Florida ambiance with its signature décor, especially with their blue, papaya and mango-colored tiling, offset by green wooden planks, resembling indoor patios. Keywest offers a standard variety of coffee drinks and beverages, as well as some generous desserts. I personally recommend their coconut frappe, espresso affocato and key lime pie (pictured).
Tom N Toms Coffee
We locals refer to it as “Tom-Tom,” and like the other cafes, Tom N Tom Coffee offers a wide variety of coffee, beverages and juice drinks, both hot and iced. But what sets Tom-Tom apart, in my opinion, are the food items offered. Like Ediya and Keywest and Angel-in-us, Tom-Tom makes a fine honey bread toast with generous dollops of whipped cream; but their tiramisu (pictured) and soft pretzel breads are what keeps me coming for more.
Yoger Presso
Yoger Presso—a name that tickles my funny bone a bit, basically encompasses its amalgamation as a coffee shop and frozen yogurt and smoothie bar. You can go there for coffee; but if you crave a cool treat, especially with summer on the horizon, Yoger Presso is the ideal break. My personal favorite are any one of their fruit-topped frozen yogurt-topped smoothie “sundaes” (pictured).
Simply put, Seoul has no shortage of amazing coffee. Other honorable mentions to look out for include Cafe Bene, Holly’s Coffee, Twosome+, Bogner Coffee, Caffe Pascucci, Paris Croissant and many more. No matter the style, if you’re ever in Seoul, you’ll never be more than a stone’s throw away from great coffee!
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