Seoul Tea House & Cafe Guide

Being an Asian city, Seoul has both options, Tea house and cafes to indulge people. While I personally fond of tea, but I still love the vibes of a cafe. In Seoul most tea houses are traditional while they have some of the wildest cafes that you will see. Read about my most unique cafe I visited in Jeonju.

South Korea travel blog links

South Korea Travel Guide	Seoul Travel Guide	Busan Travel Guide	Jeonju Travel Guide	Incheon Travel Guide
Temples of South Korea	Seoul Cafe Guide	Busan Cafe Guide	Jeonju Cafe Gudie
South Korea Food Guide	Seoul Food Guide	Busan Food Guide	Jeonju Food Guide	Incheon Food Guide
South Korea Library Guide	Tea ceremoney at a traditional tea house		Cooking experience in Jeonju
Soju guide for South Korea	Seoul Tea House Guide		Moju making class in Jeonju, South Korea
Socks craze of South Korea			Experience of living in a hanok stay

Seoul Tea House Guide

Most teahouses in Seoul will have somewhat of a similar tea selection. In tiny tea houses always ask for their local tea varieties as these tea masters tend to create unique tea flavors. However, here are some of the most popular ones that you will find almost everywhere:

• Green Tea 녹차 – the most popular options are Ujeon (from the first harvesting/plucking) and Sejak (from the first or second harvesting/plucking)
• Ginger Tea 생강차 – perfect for cold winter days, ginger tea is consumed widely around Korea.
• Omija Cha 오미자차 – The name of this infusion is quite easy to remember as 오 means “five” in English. Omija can be served both hot and cold.
• Citron tea 유자차 – This is another very popular beverage, especially in the colder months. The infusion is made using yuja marmalade.
• Barley Tea 보리차 – If you’ve ever been to a Korean restaurant before and the water had a mild nutty flavor, chances are it was barley tea! You can find this tea everywhere in Korea. After coming back to India, I have this my go to tea.
• Jujube tea 대추차 – This is a very common beverage and you can find it at many cafés around Korea. Dried jujubes or a jujube syrup can be used to make this infusion.

1. Gyeongbokgung palace (경복궁): this is a cozy tea house located inside the palace area near a small pond. Its a general tea house attached to souvenier shop but the pond view makes it really inetresting.

2. Mokmyeok Sanbang (목멱산방): this is one of the teahouses in Seoul with the best views. It is situated halfway up Namsan Mountain and is surrounded by maple and pine trees. Besides traditional tea, you can also order traditional Korean food here. Address: 71 Toegye-ro 20-gil 

3. Sinyet chatjip: this is a traditional tea house in Insadong with wooden panels, wooden shutters, and ground sitting. This quaint tea house offers a variety of homemade traditional teas such as Daechu, Ssanghwa, Misan, and Ujeon. Address: 47-8 Insadong-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea.

4. Suyeon Sanbang (수연산방): this beautiful teahouse is located in the 1940s home of renowned Korean author Yi Tae-jun (이태준),  and run by his granddaughter today. However, the building itself is a piece of art. It is structured in the shape of the Chinese character 工, meaning work or labor. Address: 8 Seongbuk-ro 26-gil, Seongbuk-gu

5. Teastory | Beautiful Tea Museum (아름다운 차 박물관): Part museum, part shop, part school, and part tearoom, this hanok-style building aims to promote Korean tea culture in the heart of Seoul‘s Insadong neighborhood. The museum part of the teahouse goes into great detail about the history of tea in Korea, displaying utensils from the ancient Gaya and Joseon periods as well as items from abroad, such as China and Tibet. Address: 19-11 Insadong-gil, Jongno District

6. Monastary teahouse ( ): this is a teahouse located in the xx monastery serving refreshing drinks to visitors. The tea house is like any other but it was definitely very peaceful here. It could be because of the monastery and the overall vibe were just positive.

Seoul Cafe Guide

1. Cinnamoroll Sweet Cafe (시나모롤 스위트카페): if you love Sanrio than visit the Sanrio Lover’s Club Pop-Up (산리오 러버스 클럽) to access this cafe which is very pink and stuffed with sanrio soft toys everywhere. Kids love this place.
2. Meerkat Friends (미어캣프랜즈): One of the crazy cafe types I have seen is where cafe’s have animals that you can pet. most popular animal cafes in Seoul, Meerkat Friends (미어캣프랜즈) has not only meerkats but also raccoons and foxes. Address: 20 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (마포구 와우산로21길 20 2층)
3. Thanks Nature Cafe (땡스네이쳐카페): This cafe is home to two rather friendly sheep. If you’re in the area in the morning, you can even see the owner walking his sheep to the cafe. They’re adorable and fluffy and if you’re into animals, then stop in for a waffle and some bah bah bahing fluff. Address: Mapo-gu Seoggyo-dong 486 (서울시 마포구 서교동 486)
4. Sikmulgwan Seoul (식물관ph): is both a gallery and a cafe which means unlike the other greenhouses on this list, there is an entrance fee BUT that includes a drink so it’s not so outlandish. This is one of the most modern and prettiest of the greenhouse cafes I’ve visited so far. The cafe has tall palm trees and gigantic plants. Address: 590-1 Suseo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (서울 강남구 수서동 590-1)
5. Orangerie (오랑주리): is a really interesting space that was seemingly built right on the side of a mountain. The back wall of the greenhouse is rock face and the plants and water flow from the rocks down beneath the cafe outer walls to the stream that is in front of this greenhouse cafe. This cafe really takes advantage of the waterway and streams on the mountain which makes this greenhouse one of the more humid spaces we visited. Address: 414-1 Gisan-ri, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 기산리 414-1)
6. Hongdae Cafe (ㅎㄷ Café/ 홍대카페): Not only does this cafe feature an epic rooftop that looks out as far as Yeouido Island and could offer the best seat in the area for the sunset, but stop into 8-themed floors below to find everything from an LP jam session to a desert oasis, K-pop shows, and more. This culture space on the main bustling street of Hongdae is not to be missed. Address: 68 Eoulmadang-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (서울 마포구 어울마당로 68)
7. Anthracite (앤트러사이트 합정점): Set in an old shoe factory, this Anthracite in Hapjeong is just one of five that the Anthracite brand has created from unique spaces. This Anthracite is dark and moody with all of the mismatched appeal it could muster. The ceilings are high, the coffee and desserts delicious and there are plenty of places to sit and hide away to get work done or have a serious conversation. This factory turned cafe is giant so if you want a spot you’ll be almost assured to find seating in, then head here. Each Anthracite has a different vibe and aesthetic. Address: Mapo-gu Hapjeong-dong 357-6 (서울특별시 마포구 합정동 357-6)
8. 943 King’s Cross (943 킹스크로스): If you’re a Harry Potter fan, then dress up and head to 943 King’s Cross. This replica of the movie sets including Hogwarts Express and the flying broomsticks is all the fun you’ll want to have. You can even try some Butterbeer. Address: 24 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (마포구 양화로16길 24)