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Seoul is one of my favorite cities in East Asia with its colorful spaces, delicious food, and mix of modern and traditional. There are tons of neighborhoods to explore for days on end, as well as thousands of cafes and hidden places to check-out. Without further ado, here’s a list of several of my favorite spots in Seoul, South Korea.

Cafes

Cafe Onion: Cafe Onion seems a tad out of place upon first glance, as the surrounding streets are lined with factories and auto-repair shops. However, this space was originally a metal factory which was later converted to a supermarket and restaurant. Now, the cafe’s long communal tables, huge windows, concrete walls, comfy nooks, and garden make for a hip spot to enjoy coffee and desserts amongst company.

Seoul Coffee 1945: I fell in love with this cafe in passing, as its Hanok-themed design has a gorgeous wooden interior with minimalistic dark tones. Not only aesthetically pleasing, Seoul Coffee 1945 also serves tasty bread, coffee, tea, and ice cream. Their butter-bread (literally butter stuffed in bread) is a must-try item, but I personally loved their cube ice cream affogato.

Artistic Spaces

Dongdaemun Design Plaza: The meaning of “Dream, Design, and Play” is woven into the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). This architecturally-savvy space is home to various exhibitions, fashion shows, forums, conferences, and events, but also includes shops and cafes. I loved the vibe here and the massive, curvy buildings were super cool to photograph. Fessonia, a cafe, is located inside one of the buildings and serves a variety of global coffees—their iced coffee was quite refreshing on a hot summer day.

Ssamzigil: Located in the Insadong area of the city, Ssamzigil is a colorful and artsy shopping center filled with cute shops, quirky cafes, and unique art pieces. The stairwells, walls, and floors are lined with paintings and murals. It’s the perfect place for photoshoots and shopping.

Traditional Places

Bukchon Hanok Village: Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional oasis in Seoul. While there are shops and cafes dotting this area, more of the buildings and streets have been preserved. There is a greater sense of what much of South Korea used to look and feel like, which can be experienced by spending some time respectfully wandering around the village. 

Ikseon-dong Hanok Village: Modern meets traditional in this 100-year-old village in the Insadong district. It’s an old neighborhood, but has recently become a space filled with artsy touches as the narrow, maze-like streets are lined with trendy cafes, restaurants, and shops. Even with the influx of modernism, the area retains its traditional charm and design. I could have spent hours upon hours wandering around here!

Restaurants

Gogung: Bibimbap is hands-down one of my favorite Korean dishes. It’s simple yet delicious and nutritious. Gogung is known for its Jeonju style bibimbap, in which the rice is cooked with beef broth and the bowl is piled high with different toppings. Not only is the food good here, but the restaurant itself is beautiful and reflects traditional roots.

Tosokchon Samgyetang: This beautiful traditional restaurant is known for their ginseng chicken soup soup. Here, a whole roasted chicken is included in the soup. There’s rice in the broth that mixes with the chicken skin fat and oils, while the ginseng and other aromatic flavors add to the soup’s wonderful taste. Like most Korean restaurants, you’re given kimchi and other banchan before ordering. This is the perfect meal to warm your soul during the cold winter months.

Read about more places to visit, food to eat, and get some travel tips on my Seoul Travel Guide! Follow [this link] to access my personally created travel guide and explore travel guides by country [here].

All of my guides are based on my personal experiences and typically only include things that I feel are worthy of doing or seeing, especially if you’re limited on time. My Instagram also highlights some of these travels, so be sure to [follow me] for visual snapshots of my adventures.

Peace & happy travels,

Tay