Haero coffee

Today I came to Seongbuk-dong to meet a friend, and took the chance to revisit Haero Coffee — a place I’d been to before and remembered as a really lovely space.

While looking for the café, wondering if it should be around here somewhere, a small sign came into view — the café itself sits tucked inside the alley.

Between the modern buildings around it, a hanok with a tiled roof feels almost exotic. Seongbuk-dong seems to have quite a few hanoks like this one still standing. As it turns out, this place is also a Blue Ribbon-listed restaurant/café.

From the entrance, the space is full of hanok charm — standing in front of the door, I half expected to have to call out “iri oneora” (“come here”), the way people did in the Joseon era.

I ordered a warm, hearty latte, and enjoyed it in the quiet, unhurried atmosphere of the space.

Traditional furniture and objects are blended with a modern sensibility, making for a genuinely appealing space. The small, charming bar area displays a range of goods, beans, and desserts. Filter coffee is available too, with a choice of beans. A wooden-framed display case pairs well with the hanok setting, and they also sell beans and drip bags — the packaging comes in a range of colors, which makes it fun just to browse.

An antique clock and seasonal decorations round out the atmosphere nicely. There’s also a central courtyard (jungjeong), which looks like it would be a lovely spot to enjoy coffee outdoors in spring or fall.

There’s a mother-of-pearl cabinet (jagaejang) that looks like something out of a grandmother’s house, and an octagonal table and stools reminiscent of a traditional soban tray table — traditional elements paired with modern practicality that make the hanok café stand out even more.

The long bench is finished with a traditional Korean rush mat (wanggol mat) material, which brings to mind the wooden floor of a hanok.

Info

Opening hours : 11am ~ 10 pm


Drink Prices: ₩5,000 – ₩6,500 


Address : 19-3, Seongbuk-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea