Cafe Guide | HONGDAE

Hongdae is a dynamic and young neighborhood in Seoul, known for having being filled with shopping and entertainment for young people. Hongdae is also known for its delicious food and unique cafes. The endless options of cafes and dessert shops can be overwhelming, so we have organized the top cafe-hopping worthy cafes and dessert shops for you! Let's go and check them out!

Shinidoga
신이도가

Shinidoga is a traditional Korean Hanok cafe that is tucked away from the busy streets of Hongdae.

The cafe has a simple yet modern white interior that balances the historical exterior. When the weather permits, we recommend sitting outside in the garden and enjoying the nature. It feels like a mini getaway to the countryside without even leaving Seoul!

Like the cafe's architecture, their menu also creates a hybrid of both traditional and modern flavors. Shindoga mixes traditional Korean flavors such as black sesame with trendy universally loved drinks such as espresso and coffee. We tried their signature drink, the Passion Fruit Juice (7,600 KRW) along with the Black Sesame Latte (6,400 KRW). For dessert we decided on the Yokan Cake Set (9,700 KRW). Both drinks were delicious but we were especially impressed with the Black Sesame Latte!

Address: 서울 마포구 잔다리로 20-12
20-12 Jandari-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 11:00-22:00

Transportation: 10-minute walk from exit 9 of Hongik University Station

Butter Milk
버터밀크

Butter Milk is a popular brunch shop, especially known for their pancakes that tend to be thicker and fluffier than the usual pancakes. This brunch spot is popular amongst the locals and the shop closes early on when they are sold out so make sure to get their early to secure your spot!

We decided to order the Ricotta cheese pancake set (8,800 KRW) and the strawberry salad (7,000 KRW). The strawberry salad is only available from November to May, so make sure to keep that in mind when visiting. The sweet pancakes paired perfectly with the bacon and eggs and the strawberry salad was a tasty way to get our greens in for the day! This place has menus suitable for a nice brunch and afternoon tea, and provides them at a reasonable price. It has become a must-visit destination in Hongdae in the eyes of many Koreans.

Address: 서울 마포구 와우산로 130
130 Wausan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 10:00-17:00 (Closed on Wednesday)

Transportation: 10 minute walk from Exit 7 of Hongik University Station

Cafe Tora-b
카페 토라비

Cafe Tora-b is a small, yet extremely popular cafe in Hongdae, known for it's cozy warm interior and delicious desserts.

The main interior is based on a pairing of brown tones and wooden touches, creating a calm and homey vibe within the cafe.

Their most popular menu is the Pavlova dessert, which originally originates from New Zealand and Australia. Traditionally Pavlova is served with fruit toppings such as berries and bananas. Tora-b offers Pavlova with the traditional fruit and banana toppings but also offers Korean twist to with their signature Rice-cake Injeolmi flavored Pavlova. We decided to order the Rice-Cake Injeolmi flavor (9,000 KRW) and was not disappointed. The meringue and cream along with the nutty traditional Injeolmi flavor with the chewy rice cakes was delicious. If you are looking for a Korean take on Pavlova, make sure to try the rice cake and Injeolmi flavor! Along with the Pavlova, we also tried the Condensed Milk (6,500 KRW) and the Passion Fruit Ade (6,500 KRW).

Address: 서울 마포구 와우산로 29길 24
24 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 14:00-21:00 (Closed on Sundays)

Transportation: 4 minute walk from Exit 8 of Hongik University Station

Humming Bella
허밍벨라

Cafe "Humming Bella" is located in the downtown area of Hongdae, and due to its unique exterior, is unforgettable even after just one glance. This cafe is three stories high, with the first floor being the bakery and cafe area and the second and third floor consisting of seating. There is even an outdoor seating area for when the weather is nice!

Humming Bella prides themselves on refraining from using ingredients such as margarine, artificial additives and emulsifiers. They strictly use organic butter made from raw milk, and whipped cream and sugar cane to sweeten their pastries. Their dedication to the use of fresh ingredients shows as the pastries and desserts are delicious in taste.

After careful screening of all the shelves filled with cakes and pastries, we opted for the Real Chocolate Croissant (4,000 KRW) as well as the Cafe Latte (5,500 KRW). The Real Chocolate Croissant is their most popular menu known for it's chewy crust and creamy chocolate filling. If you are a chocolate lover, we recommend trying out the Real Chocolate Croissant! We promise you won't be disappointed.

Creatrip members can also enjoy an exclusive 10% discount at Humming Bella. Click here to download the discount coupon!

Address: 서울 마포구 독막로 7길 57
57 Dongmak-ro 7-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 11:00- 22:00

Transportation: 14 minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station

Cafe Aurora
카페 오로라

If you are looking for an aesthetic cafe, look no farther than Cafe Aurora!

Cafe Aurora is a instagram worthy cafe, with LED lights and colorful glass creating a hip and aesthetically pleasing environment. Every corner of the cafe is a instagram post waiting to happen! The LED light trend has been taking over in Korea and those that want to experience it firsthand should head over to Cafe Aurora!

The desserts and drinks even shared the same stylish and moderns aesthetics of the cafe! We got the Mango Hibiscus drink (6,000 KRW) along with the Einspanner (6,500 KRW). We also got the Lemon Pound Cake (3,000 KRW) and the Brownie Cake (3,000 KRW). The food and drinks were also just as insta worthy as the interior of the cafe. To anyone looking for a photo spot to spice up their instagram feed, we highly recommend Cafe Aurora!

Address: 서울 마초구 와우산로 139 1층
139 Wausan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 12:00- 21:00

Directions: 8 minutes on foot from Exit 6 of Hongik University Station

943 King's Cross
943 킹스크로스

Calling all Potterheads! Hongdae is home to 943 King's Cross, a Harry Potter-themed cafe!

943 King's Cross is an interactive space as well as a cafe! Each floor of the cafe is decorated with different themes and every corner is a photoshoot waiting to happen. Visitors can also enjoy trying on Harry Potter costumers on the fourth floor of the cafe as well.

The desserts and drinks are also Harry Potter themed! For example, we tried this birthday cake that Hagrid gave Harry! The Witch Cake is (17,000 KRW) but Creatrip members can get a 10% discount! Click here to download the discount coupon.

Address: 서울특별시 마포구 서교동 양화로 16길 24
24 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 11:30- 21:00

Transportation: 8 minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station

Rachel's Kitchen Hongdae

라헬의 부엌 홍대점

Rachel's Kitchen is a cute cafe particularly known for their Souffle pancakes in Hongdae!

The general aesthetic and vibe of the cafe and is cute and antique with light pink and white tones! We went on a weekday but the cafe was still very crowded due to it's popularity.

We decided to try the chestnut souffle pancakes (15,000 KRW). Souffle pancakes is one of the recent food trends that have been a popular menu in many cafes. Unlike traditional pancakes, souffle pancakes are much more thicker and fluffier! The fluffiness comes from the souffle techniques used when making the pancakes as opposed to regular pancakes. We also tried the grapefruit juice (6,500 KRW) and the green grape ade (6,900 KRW).

Address: 서울 마포구 서교동 번지 1호 333-6
333-6 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11:30- 21:00 Fri-Sun: 11:00- 22:00

Transportation: 4 minute walk from Exit 7 of Hongik University Station

C27
씨27

If you are craving some amazing cheesecake, make your way to C27!

C27 is a spacious cafe with a unique and quirky interior. For example, you can take pictures with larger than life utensils and a railway that makes it's way throughout the cafe! The cafe is filled with many photo zones, perfect for those that want to have a photoshoot!

Along with the amazing interior, C27 is known for their pudding cheesecake (4,900 KRW), which are thicker than the traditional cheesecake! Like the name suggests, the cake is a unique mixture of both textures of pudding and cheesecake, which almost felt like melted chocolate. The cheesecake was sweet and paired well with an iced americano!

Address: 서울 마포구 양화로 161 3층
3F, 161 Yanghwa-ro, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 11:00- 22:00

Transportation: 1 minute walk from Exit 2 of Hongik University Station

Lovin' Her
러빈허

Lovin' Her is a cafe known for hosting K-pop idol events at their cafe. There are events held year round at Lovin' Her where fans organize fan events to celebrate their favorite stars! For example, it is common in Korea for fans to come together to celebrate their favorite K-pop idol's birthday, many of these events have been held at Lovin' Her.

When we went, the whole interior was decorated for NCT Chenle's birthday celebration! The cafe was playing NCT's music and a video projector was playing NCT's music videos. Those that are curious as to how the dedicated K-pop fans celebrate their beloved idol's birthdays and would like to experience this fan culture should make sure to check out Loving Hut Cafe! Creatrip members can get a 10% coupon. Click here to download the discount coupon.

Address: 서울 마포구 신촌로 6길 22
22 Shinchon-ro, 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: Weekdays: Varies by event, Weekend: 10:00- 20:00

Transportation: 3 minute walk from Hongik University Station

Thanks Nature Cafe

If you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, take a trip to Thanks Nature Cafe! This cafe is home to many cute sheep that usually can only be found on farms and way out in the countryside. The owner of this cafe said that he was inspired to open this cafe after visiting a nature-themed cafe in Daegwallyeong Sheep Ranch in Gangwon-do. Now, visitors do not need to make the trip all the way out and can enjoy nature and sheep here in the heart of Seoul!

These sheep are extremely friendly and the cafe allows visitors to feed, pet, and take photos with the sheep! The cafe is very spacious and the interior design is cute, creating a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for visitors. This cafe is truly unique- when will you ever have the opportunity to munch on delicious desserts and pet sheep at the same time!

Speaking of delicious desserts, Thanks Nature Cafe offers a variety of desserts ranging from bingsoo, toast, waffles, and ice cream! We opted for the ice cream waffle (8,500 won) and the seasonal watermelon smoothie (6,500 won) and orange ade (5,500 won).

There is truly nothing more therapeutic than playing with sheep and eating delicious desserts!

Address: 서울 특별시 마포구 홍익로 10
10 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 12:00- 21:00

Transportation: 4 minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station

Cafe PICNIQ
카페 피크닉

As the name suggests, Cafe PICNIQ is a picnic concept cafe in Hongdae. The cafe has a large terrace and a yard area to give off a picnic themed atmosphere.

On the weekday, it was pretty empty, but on the weekdays, this cafe tends to get really packed and busy so make sure to plan your visit accordingly! This cafe is pet friendly as well and many people bring their pets. You can often spot dogs running around the yard with children.

We got the Strawberry Latte (5,500 won), Almond Spener (5,500 won) and the Picniq Souffle (16,000 won). The Strawberry latte was made from a delicious and sweet strawberry jam and the Almond Spener was topped with a delicious, nutty and creamy almond ice cream. The highlight was the Picniq Souffle, which consisted of two fluffy slices of slouffe and a soft cream sprinkled in the most aesthetically pleasing way. The souffle was surrounded by seasonal fruits such as bananas, green grapes, raspberries, and oranges. This is one dessert you must try in Seoul!

Address: 서울 마포구 창전동 서강로 13길 22
22, Seogang-ro 13-gil, Chanjeon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hours: 10:00- 22:00

Transportation: 8 minute walk from Exit 6 of Hongik University Station

We hope you can enjoy your time! If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below or send us an email at help@creatrip.com. You can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook to stay updated on all things Korea!