Seoul Cafe Adventures

Seoul's Myriad of Themed Cafes 

My stay thus far in Seoul has consisted of an immense amount of walking and throughout my travels, I have noticed that every street will have at LEAST one cafe. It seems that regardless of the population density of the immediate area, there will always be a cafe nearby with an amazing ambiance and lovely drinks and desserts to enjoy. Living in Seoul has taught me that it is similar to other big cities in the sense that there is limited, very limited space, and therefore the living spaces are also smaller, which creates the demand for elaborate and large varieties of outdoor hangout spots. For this reason, Seoul's society saw this need from its people and fulfilled that demand by creating some of the best and most unique themed cafe experiences there are in the world. There are endless themed cafes to explore but I have chosen three from my visits so far to highlight. 

The three themed cafes include The 2D Cafe in Mapo-gu, Onion in Jongno-gu, and lastly a dog cafe also located in Mapo-gu. All three are very varied in their themes and all have their own unique charming points and reasons I chose to highlight them. To begin, the 2D cafe is a surreal experience when you first walk in. It almost feels like you have actually stepped into a cartoon and you are just the character inhabiting it. The 2D cafe falls under the funky, aesthetic, and instagrammable cafes that are a must-visit when in Seoul. There I ordered a warm hazelnut latte and a matcha roll cake that were both delicious, especially with such an interesting environment to enjoy them in! The next cafe, Onion is definitely also instagrammable, however, the ambiance of this location is very serene and encapsulates what I believe to be a treasured novelty of Seoul. That being the mixing of the modern city lifestyles with the traditional architecture. Onion was located near the Bukchon Hanok Village that is known for its stunning traditional architecture and those styles were heavily incorporated in the design of Onion. There they have a large selection of freshly made baked goods and unique drinks such as passion fruit aid and a local berry ade that I tried during my visit. Whilst enjoying their refreshments, you are able to view the small courtyard and surrounding scenery of plants. They even offer a section where futons and floor tables are setting options where you can extend the traditional experience further, as well as more common regular tables and chair seating. The last cafe visit was at one of Seoul's many Dog cafes that have a dozen dogs to keep you company whilst you enjoy cafe treats. This one, in particular, had so many different breeds that all hung out in an enclosed area where customers could interact with them. It was a lovely experience to play with the dogs and the owners were very attentive and constantly watching the dog's conditions. This one definitely falls under the category of animal-themed cafes in Seoul. Overall, Seoul has allowed me to experience the best cafes I have ever been to in my life, and I have yet to scratch the surface of exploring all the varieties in Seoul. I highly recommend popping into anyone that piques your interest slightly because if one doesn't entice you enough, the one immediately down the street just might!