cafe BonDn Today I visited Café BonDn, a place I’d fallen for after seeing photos of it online. My first impression was the sheer number of photos covering the walls. Black-and-white photos were packed edge to edge, and they seemed…

Seoul Station is where you catch a KTX train out to the provinces, but one block away — in the quiet, hillside neighborhood of Huam-dong — there’s a small cluster of cafés most travelers walk right past. Huam-dong sits at…

The Gyeongui Line Forest Road sits close to both Sinchon and Hongdae, which makes it one of the easier green stretches to fold into a morning in Seoul. After a walk along it, there’s nothing better than sitting down for…

The Gyeongui Line Forest Park (경의선 숲길) is one of Seoul’s better urban transformations — an old elevated railway turned into a long, narrow strip of green that now runs through Hongdae, Yeonnam-dong, and Mapo. It doesn’t announce itself. It’s…

Seongbuk-dong is one of Seoul’s quieter, more historic neighborhoods — a hillside district near Hanseong University Station known for grand old villas, foreign embassies, and a slower pace than the city center. It’s also home to a small but distinctive…

If you find yourself wandering through the historic, winding alleys of Seochon (just west of Gyeongbokgung Palace), there’s a spot worth seeking out. If you believe that coffee is more of a science and an art than just a morning…

Hit coffee Roasters This is a famous coffee place near Hongdae Station. True to its name, Hit Coffee Roasters (히트 커피 로스터리) has become a major “hit” among coffee purists in the Hongdae area. Located in a quieter pocket of…

Tucked away in the quiet neighborhood of Daeheung-dong, near the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, Gwajabang (과자방) is a premium dessert boutique that has gained a cult following for its exceptional French-style pastries. The name translates literally to “The Confectionery Room,”…

The sign outside In Korean, the word ehae (이해) means “understanding” — and this café genuinely lives up to its name. It’s a space built for contemplation, quiet conversation, and the slow appreciation of a well-made cup of coffee, tucked…