I was running an errand near Gyeongbokgung Station when I stumbled on a new café — Formula, which had opened just this past May. (I hadn’t been to Seochon in a while, so I had no idea a space this stylish had shown up.)

There’s a good range of coffee and drinks. They also have a display object made to the exact size of a real tiramisu — a nice touch. There’s a separate roasting space, and beans are sold on-site too.

What I thought was a chair turned out to be a table built specifically for coffee — the kind of detail that shows real respect for the craft. The chairs themselves are just as distinctive as the tables. Even the floor is laid out with diagonal sectioning, so the design choices here don’t feel accidental anywhere.

The kitchen area is spacious, laid out so the baristas can move comfortably. That display shelf for the beans turned out to actually be a massive door leading into the roastery lab — it felt like uncovering a secret room. Wooden objects throughout give the space a warm feel, and even the lighting fixtures are made of wood. The legs on the chairs have a real sense of style too.

The chairs deserve special mention — they’re huge, sweeping, streamlined shapes, clearly custom-made, and must have taken a lot of work. I was shooting carefully to avoid getting other customers in frame, so I never managed to capture a full chair in one shot. Later, reading the description on their Instagram, I learned the chairs are shaped like the number “3” — representing Formula’s three locations: Haebangchon, Itaewon (Bogwang-dong), and Seochon. Looking again, the number shape suddenly became obvious. Turning a chair into an object like that — no wonder it felt so unusual. The chairs turned out to be the work of designer @soongujung.

Getting the curve of a number “3” right can’t have been easy — balancing the weight so the chair actually functions while keeping that flowing, elegant line intact clearly took real design effort.

On a nice day, the outdoor seating looks like a great spot to enjoy a coffee. Between the indoor space and the outdoor area, it’s a fairly large café overall.

Seochon is full of old buildings, so I’d mostly come across small, cozy cafés tucked into tight spaces — it’s nice to see a café here with this kind of open, spacious layout.

Honestly, I got so caught up in the space itself that I barely focused on the coffee. Next time, I’ll make sure to try the filter coffee and pick up some beans.

If you’re looking for good coffee in Seochon, a café with striking new furniture and design, or a spot to sit and talk with a group — Formula Coffee Atelier is worth the visit.

Info

Opening hours: 8:30am ~ 7pm(weekday, Tuesday off)   11am ~ 7pm(weekend)

Prices: ₩5,500won ~ 9,000won

Address: 99, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (near seochon)