Cafe Highwaist Ikseon | Famous Dessert Cafe in Ikseon-dong
Enjoy delicious cakes and scones loved by K-Pop idols like BTS and BLACKPINK at Cafe Highwaist in Ikseon-dong!
Cafe Highwaist Ikseon is a very popular cafe in Korea, with ideal locations near famous tourist spots such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Insadong, and Ikseon-dong! This cafe is known for its delicious cakes, various drinks, and super cute designs. It is widely loved by both foreigners and Koreans; so much that even Korean celebrities order cakes from here!
BTS's Jimin even ordered a cake from here for Suga's birthday earlier this year. Since it's so popular, it does get quite crowded at times, so many people have had to wait in line just to get in. What exactly makes Cafe Highwaist so popular? Let's check it out!
If you'd like to check out Cafe Highwaist Ikseon during your trip to Korea, you can skip the line and get a free drink worth 10,000 KRW or less with the Creatrip Pass! Check out the links below for all information regarding the Creatrip Pass.
Creatrip Pass
For more info on the Creatrip Pass, click the link below for the blog!
To purchase the Creatrip Pass, click the link below!
Creatrip Pass 3rd Edition | Seoul
Creatrip Pass 3rd Edition | Busan, Jeju
Information
Creatrip Pass Benefits: Priority Pass + 1 Complimentary Drink (worth 10,000 KRW or less; with purchase of at least 20,000 KRW; additional free postcard with purchase of 30,000 KRW or more)
Hours: Every Day 9:00-22:00
Address: 18 Donhwamun-ro 11da-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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Why We Recommend It
Cafe Highwaist is a popular cafe among both Koreans and foreigners and is located in the Ikseon-dong area of Seoul. Many people line up to try the delicious desserts and enjoy its unique vibe.
The interior has a vintage style that looks like it's straight out of a fairy tale with cream-colored tones and cute decorative items!
Cafe Highwaist is known to have some of the best desserts in Seoul. Similar to the interior, the desserts are also designed in a vintage style with adorable characters.
Many famous K-pop idols have ordered or received cakes from Cafe Highwaist, such BTS's Suga, BLACKPINK's Jisoo, TWICE's Jihyo, Girls' Generation Yuri, Song Hye Kyo, and 2AM's Jinwoon. It's very popular among Korean celebrities, so the quality and taste is guaranteed!
Menu
Scotch Latte | 7,500 KRW |
Cream Latte | 7,500 KRW |
Apple Mango Ade | 7,800 KRW |
Earl Grey Milk Tea | 7,500 KRW |
Teddy Scone | 5,300 KRW |
Earl Grey Pink Lady Cake | 8,300 KRW |
*There are many other menu items available!
Our Visit
Cafe Highwaist is one of the most popular cafes in Korea. We made a visit to the Ikseondong branch, which is located near Gyeongbokgung Palace and Insadong, so it is loved by both foreign tourists and Koreans for its great location.
This cafe is considered one that must be visited at least once in Seoul! People line up in front of Cafe Highwaist to enjoy the unique vibe and delicious desserts.
Located on the Hanok street of Ikseondong, Cafe Highwaist stands out with its bright appearance. The vintage cream color scheme makes the place look very inviting and homey. Many people that pass by Cafe Highwaist will stop by to take a picture in front of it like this!
Cafe Highwaist is quite spacious compared to other Hanok cafes nearby, so there are plenty of seats. One of the highlights that makes Cafe Highwaist special is this space that is filled with warm sunlight and vintage decorations.
The Ikseondong branch is cute, cozy, and trendy! It's a great place to have a cup of coffee with a sweet dessert.
You can also take lots of cute pictures at any spot in the cafe. No wonder so many tourists like to spend time at Cafe Highwaist during their Seoul trip!
There are also many vintage mirrors like this in the cafe. Taking a mirror selfie like this is really popular on social media, making these mirrors considered as a photo zone!
However, the biggest highlight of Cafe Highwaist is the area where they display all the pastries. Here, you'll find a variety of scones and sweet cakes. It looks like a kitchen from a fairy tale!
Cafe Highwaist has many different kinds of scones and is famous among Koreans for having delicious scones. If you make a visit to Cafe Highwaist, don't miss out on the scones!
The cakes are also very popular for their vintage designs and delicious! There are a variety of flavors, ranging from chocolate cake and carrot cake to red velvet cake. You can pick the flavors you like best!
Instagram: BLACKPINK Jisoo / Girls' Generation Yuri / Song Hye Kyo
Another thing that makes the cakes at Cafe Highwaist special is that it is often gifted to idols and celebrities for their birthdays or other celebrations! On episode 7 of SUGA's YouTube show "Suchwita", Jimin gifted SUGA the Koh Young-hee cake from Cafe Highwaist! This particular cake is one of the most popular ones, as it boasts a simple but cute cat shape. It's perfect for SUGA!
You might have even seen these retro animal cakes appearing frequently with other Korean celebrities on social media as well! BLACKPINK's Jisoo, TWICE's Jihyo, Girls' Generation's Yuri, actress Song Hye Kyo, and 2AM's Jinwoon have all enjoyed cakes from Cafe Highwaist.
If you're in Korea, you can actually order these cakes from Cafe Highwaist right here on Creatrip using the link below!
After exploring the cafe and looking at all the desserts on display, we finally decided what to get. It took us a while to decide because everything looked so good! You can pick up a tray and tongs from the scone display area and take the scones you'd like, then bring it to the counter to order drinks and pay. If you want to get a cake, you can order it with the staff at the counter.
We ended up ordering the Earl Grey Milk Tea, Apple Mango Ade, Teddy Scone, and the Earl Grey Pink Lady cake. They were all so adorable and provided the perfect shot to upload on Instagram! With the Creatrip Pass, we were able to get the Apple Mango Ade for free since the other three items we ordered surpassed 20,000 KRW!
Earl Grey Milk Tea - 7,500 KRW
The Earl Grey Milk Tea is served in the cutest teddy bear bottle! You will also be provided with a glass of ice, so you can pour the drink in as pictured above. This drink is fragrant and milky, and has a strong Earl Grey tea flavor. It's best to have it with ice for a refreshing drink. If you like this bear-shaped bottle, you can even take it home as a souvenir!
Teddy Scone - 5,300 KRW
Since Cafe Highwaist is famous for its scones, we couldn't miss out on this Teddy Scone! There are many different types of scones available, but we chose the Teddy Scone because it is one of the best-selling scones at the shop; plus, it's absolutely adorable!
The Teddy Scone is an original scone with an icing design on top. It was soft, crumbly, and buttery! We really enjoyed it!
Apple Mango Ade - 7,800 KRW
The Apple Mango Ade is a favorite for many, especially in the summer, because of its cool and refreshing taste. It is sweet and slightly sour, and you want to make sure to stir it well before drinking it.
Earl Grey Pink Lady Cake - 8,300 KRW
The Earl Grey Pink Lady Cake is topped with a rich Earl Grey tea flavored cream with a moist pink cake base. This cake also has vintage vibes so it looks great in pictures!
You can also purchase cakes and drinks to go. The cakes are packaged in a super cute vintage pink box as pictured above!
At Cafe Highwaist, you can get desserts and beverages that are both beautiful and delicious. We could totally see why it's so popular! This cafe is also close to the Gyeongbokgung and Insadong area, so you can easily add a visit to Cafe Highwaist to your travel plans!
We really enjoyed Cafe Highwaist in Ikseon-dong, so we highly recommend making a visit to this location if you can! Plus, you can
How to Get There
Leave from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 6. Turn around so you're facing the exit and turn left into this alley.
Go straight ahead into the alley. When you reach the intersection, turn left.
You will come across a T-junction next. Continue walking into the alley on your left.
Go straight until you see the next intersection, then turn right into the alleyway.
Continue straight ahead for a little longer and you should see Cafe Highwaist on your right!
Creatrip Pass
For more info on the Creatrip Pass, click the link below for the blog!
To purchase the Creatrip Pass, click the link below!
Creatrip Pass 3rd Edition | Seoul
Creatrip Pass 3rd Edition | Busan, Jeju
