Anybody living in Seoul knows that life very often rarely slows down. Between studying, working, and meeting up with friends, it's hard to find the chance to to take a break. But when that chance does arise, one place that comes to mind is Cafe Neulbo, or Cafe Sloth in Yeonnam-dong. Today we will review a cafe where taking things slow is the default and relaxation is only a doodle away!

Information

Location: 서울 마포구 동교로 51안길 26 2F
26, Dongyo-ro, 51an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Directions: 20 minutes from Hongdae Station Exit 3 by foot

Hours: W - F 2pm - 10pm (8:30pm: Last Order); Sa - Su 1pm - 9pm (7:30pm: Last Order); M - T Closed

Why We Recommend It

Since this is a drawing cafe, anyone can be an artist while they enjoy some delicious drinks.

You can make a one-of-a-kind keychain and give it to a friend or a loved one.

Instructions are provided in multiple languages!

You can try the handmade roseade and rose tea which has a fragrant smell from the use roses!

Our Visit

Since the cafe is on the second floor, it may be a bit difficult to find at first if you don't know what you're looking for. Luckily, there is somebody waiting to show you the way!

When you find the adorable sloth waving you in, you'll know you found the right place.

Cafe Neulbo, also known as Cafe Sloth, is not simply a cafe, but also an art studio. When you walk inside, you'll be greeted with the unique interior of various paint brushes hanging. The way the art tools become the piece of art really gives an energy of creativity from the moment you walk in.

The cafe itself is not very large. When you walk in, you are able to see the whole space, but the decor gives you a sense of the atmosphere that the owner wanted to create. The artistic touches in addition to the owner's personal touch of sloths throughout the cafe give the place a unique touch as well.

Since the cafe is quite small, seating is very limited. There is a table near the window, as well as a table for two, and a table for four placed strategically in the open space. 

Of course the most popular seat is the window seat so if that's where you'd like to sit, make sure you come early enough to beat out the competition!

The theme of this particular cafe is healing and relaxing, so what better way to do so than to gain inspiration peering out the window while you draw your heart's desires?

The menu (which we're pretty sure is hand-drawn 🤩) is hung on the wall. After you've ordered and found your seat, you can start to think about what kind of keychain you would like to make. 

While you can make a unique design of your own, if you are struggling for ideas, there are books of designs that you can refer to.

When our drinks finally came, they seemed like the perfect visual element to compliment our assortment of color pencils, ready for us to you. Our drinks of choice were the Roseade and the Cream Matcha. 

The cafe's signature drink, the Roseade (6,000 KRW), so so delicious that we could understand why the owner strongly recommended it.This drink is a perfect choice for those who don't prefer sweet beverages. The Roseade was the perfect combination of sweet and sour, with a beautiful fragrance thanks to the roses.

The Cream Matcha (6,500 KRW) was also too amazing to put down. Similar to an einspanner, the drink is supposed to be enjoy by sipping the bitter matcha flavor through the sweet cream to create the perfect combination of flavor. The two flavors continued to mix different with every sip, creating a unique taste to be enjoyed until it was gone. 

After enjoying a bit of our drinks, we finally decided to start drawing! The special paper that is used to make the keychains is normally 7,000 KRW but after receiving a 10% discount, we only paid 6,300 KRW.

First, you attach the special paper to the picture you are going to draw. Then you can use the markers to make an outline of the picture.

After you have finished tracing the picture, next is coloring! You can choose to use paint or color pencils, whichever you are most comfortable with. Remember, you can choose from the pictures that the cafe provides, or create your own masterpiece, so have fun with it!

Next, you can cut the image into whatever shape you want. The main purpose of this process is to cut off the edges so when the paper is heated, it doesn't have any sharp edges. 

Once you've cut it into the desired shape, now it's time to bake it!

The process of baking the paper is really fascinating. It only takes about 30 seconds of the paper being heated up for it to shrink and harden into the final shape that will become your keychain!

Once it's cooled down, you can take it out and put it on a hook and done! You've got you very own keychain.

When you first put your drawings in the oven, they may appear very light but after they are heated, the colors will darken and brighten to give you a vivid result. The whole process was very soothing and super satisfying so it's definitely a great place to go if you need to take the stress away for a couple hours!

We hope you enjoyed our review of Cafe Neulbo and we can't wait to provide you with more content on the various places to visit in Seoul. Make sure you to follow our Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook so you can stay up to date on all the great places to visit in Korea. And if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us help@creatrip.com.