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Seoul / Coffee notes

The Seoul house-roaster shortlist

These Seoul cafés serve house-roasted coffee, with hand-drip menus and bags to take home.

Filter Notes · 12 cafés · Map ↓

Fritz combines coffee with bread, Coffee Libre specialises in direct-trade coffees, and Lowkey is a good option for a roastery café in Seongsu.

The spread runs through Mapo, Yeonnam, Seongsu, Hapjeong, Apgujeong, Euljiro, Jongno, Gwanghwamun, and Myeong-dong, so this is a citywide choice list rather than one tight route.

Fritz Coffee Company

Fritz's Dohwa cafe combines roasting and baking in a converted 1960s house off Saechang-ro 2-gil. Wood, tile and seating across the old rooms frame the coffee bar and bread counter.

Fritz Coffee Company in Seoul
Fritz Coffee Company · Mapo-gu / Dohwa-dong

Ask which beans and filter methods are available on the day. The roasting programme also supplies retail bags if you want to brew Fritz at home.

House coffee and bread in a distinctive Seoul café.

17 Saechang-ro 2gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea
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Coffee Libre

Coffee Libre's Yeonnam cafe is a small alley shop with bean displays and an old herbal-medicine cabinet. The counter and retail coffee occupy much of the room.

Coffee Libre in Seoul
Coffee Libre · Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu

Espresso and single-origin brewed coffee are the main reasons to visit. Ask about the current beans and any upcoming public cupping before planning a tasting visit.

Direct-trade beans and hand-drip coffee from an established Seoul roaster.

20-5 Seongmisan-ro 32-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Lowkey Coffee

Lowkey's Seongsu cafe sits on Yeonmujang 3-gil, with a broad counter and basement seating. There is more room to sit here than at nearby standing-bar cafes.

Lowkey Coffee in Seongsu / Seongdong-gu
Lowkey Coffee · Seongsu / Seongdong-gu

Filter is a good way to explore the single-origin range. Espresso drinks provide a quicker option when you do not have time for a hand brew.

Filters and retail beans at the Seongsu roastery café.

6 Yeonmujang 3-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Coffee Tour Roasters

Coffee Tour's Gwanghwamun cafe is a small roastery stop on Sajik-ro 10-gil. The counter and bean shelf sit close to the limited seating, with much of the trade going out as takeaway.

Coffee Tour Roasters in Seoul
Coffee Tour Roasters · Jongno-gu / Sajik-dong

Choose hand-drip coffee to try the house beans, or order espresso if you need a quicker drink. Retail beans and brewing gear are part of the offer.

Hand-drip coffee and take-home beans at a small Sajik-ro counter.

12 Sajik-ro 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03169, South Korea
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Anthracite Coffee

Anthracite's Hapjeong cafe occupies a former shoe factory on Tojeong-ro 5-gil. Concrete, steel and a conveyor-belt counter remain visible, with more seating on the second floor.

Anthracite Coffee in Seoul
Anthracite Coffee · Hapjeong, Mapo-gu

Choose between blends and single origins, then ask which beans are available for hand drip. The filter menu is a useful way to compare the roaster's current coffees.

1F-2F, 10 Tojeong-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Namusairo

Namusairo occupies a hanok near Gyeongbokgung, with low eaves, timber and seating beyond the narrow-looking entrance. It is an easy coffee stop between the palace and Sajik-dong.

Namusairo in Seoul
Namusairo · Jongno / Sajik-dong

Ask for a bean recommendation if the filter list is unfamiliar. Describing whether you prefer fruit, florals or a fuller cup is a useful starting point.

21 Sajik-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea 03169
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Bunker Company

Bunker Company's Apgujeong cafe occupies two floors at 23 Eonju-ro 167-gil. Concrete, wood and a central coffee bar fill a converted house on a quieter street near Apgujeong Station.

Bunker Company in Seoul
Bunker Company · Apgujeong / Gangnam-gu

Coffee comes with information about the beans and the choices behind the blend. Ask about the brewing options; espresso is accompanied by carbonated water.

1F and 2F, 23 Eonju-ro 167-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Mesh Coffee

Mesh is a small roastery cafe near Seoul Forest, with a standing counter indoors and a few seats outside. Plan a short stop or a coffee to take towards the park.

Mesh Coffee in Seoul
Mesh Coffee · Seongsu-dong 1-ga / Seongdong-gu

Choose a single-origin filter coffee to explore the lighter roasting style, or ask which beans are on espresso. The small counter puts the brewing close enough to watch.

43 Seoulsup-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Center Coffee

Center Coffee's Gwanghwamun cafe occupies unit 105 in the basement of Seoul Finance Center. Wood tables and a deeper seating area make it a convenient indoor break near Sejong-daero.

Center Coffee in Seoul
Center Coffee · Gwanghwamun / Seoul Finance Center

The menu runs from espresso and flat whites to batch brew, single-origin hand drip and Geisha coffees. Ask which filter coffees are available before choosing a cup or a bag of beans.

B1, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Coffee Hanyakbang

Coffee Hanyakbang is tucked into a narrow Euljiro alley near Euljiro 3-ga. Dark wood, mother-of-pearl counters and antique medicine cabinets fill the small rooms, linked by stairs.

Coffee Hanyakbang in Seoul
Coffee Hanyakbang · Euljiro 3-ga / Jung-gu

Order hand-drip coffee here. The house roasting and brewed-coffee menu make it a useful stop for drinkers who prefer a fuller roast to the lighter styles found at many Seoul tasting bars.

16-6 Samil-daero 12-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Terarosa

Terarosa's Gwanghwamun cafe occupies the ground floor of K Twin Towers at 50 Jong-ro 1-gil. Bookshelves and broad tables make it a convenient seated coffee stop near the palaces and offices.

Terarosa in Seoul
Terarosa · Gwanghwamun / Jongno-gu

The Gangneung roaster serves hand-drip coffee, espresso drinks and retail beans. Ask about the single origins if you want to compare coffees rather than order a house blend.

50 Jong-ro 1-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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MANUFACT COFFEE CO.

MANUFACT's Yeonhui cafe occupies a compact second-floor room. The tables sit close to the espresso bar, so machine noise and barista activity are part of the visit.

MANUFACT COFFEE CO. in Seoul
MANUFACT COFFEE CO. · Yeonhui-dong

Start with a flat white or an Americano. Espresso drinks are the practical focus of this small room; ask about the current beans and hand-drip availability at the counter.

2F, 29 Yeonhui-ro 11-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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The coffee stops