Coffee has become a serious matter in South Korea. Its popularity has surged in recent years, with many choosing its contemporary iterations over traditional tea. The shift encompasses changes beyond brewing to the evolution of cultural identity and representation in the country — especially among younger generations, whose relationship to café culture is stronger than ever.
Cafés have become multifunctional, all-hours spaces, often designed by top architects and designers. And while Seoul remains the country’s coffee capital, cities like Jeonju and Busan have seen its popularity explode among experience-seeking drinkers. With the number of roasteries in the country exceeding 10,000 and cafes surpassing 100,000, coffee has come to represent more than just a drink. It’s a social ritual.
Here is a list of our favourite spots to inspire your next trip to East Asia’s most sought-after destination.
Gach
This moody café in Seoul’s Sungin-dong district honours the city’s traditional leathercraft industry with a modern twist. Designed by local firm Gizi Associates, the space blends contemporary joinery with traditional craftsmanship from the historic surroundings. The studio tapped local artisans to create a tactility in the decor that adds depth and character. Leather, wood and earthy lighting foster a feeling of belonging.
Seven Island Coffee
Coffee is served with sea views at this breathtakingly calm café on Gadeokdo Island, Busan, which draws inspiration from the seven surrounding islands. The design, incorporating seven interconnected blocks, each with its own unique coastal view, won a Prix Versailles award last year for the designers, Irim Architecture and ANG Architecture. There’s a moody first floor that feels submerged in the earth and a breezy second floor with a bright openness. The space doubles as an art and music venue with a slate of exhibitions and live performances.
ANArKH
A short distance from Seoul, this café in Uijeongbu-si is a masterclass in minimalism. Studio Eccentric and its research branch, Eccentric Design Lab, crafted the space like a Zen sanctuary, with lush greenery, white interiors and a black stone pool at the centre. By day the two storeys, arranged over 2,480 square metres, are inundated with natural light through monumental glass walls. There’s a bakery on the ground floor, and in the evening the second floor transforms into a cocktail bar with cosy seating pods in a darker, moodier palette.
Ozbe Cafe
Coffee-lovers and architecture buffs overlap at this Andong-si café designed by KKOL Studio. The four-storey wave-shaped structure contrasts raw concrete with maple hardwood for warmth, enhanced by abundant daylight flooding in through towering windows. What sets this café apart is its multifunctional layout: a fruit market on the first floor, offices on the second and lounge areas the third and fourth levels.
Coffee Nap Roasters
An indoor-outdoor space with a quirky vibe, Coffee Nap is popular with foodies in Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong district. It was designed by local Studio Maoom with an interior hill crafted from 7,000 red bricks, so visitors can climb up, bask in the natural light and enjoy the urban landscape while sipping the in-house signature blends.
Café Lebom
Webtoon, South Korea’s manga culture, comes to life at Seoul’s Seongsu district at the recently launched Café Lebom. A comics-themed destination designed to maximise sunlight by local studio unseenbird, it offers 2,422 square feet of industrial-style minimalism. Modular panels and wooden furniture, arranged against a backdrop of off-white and steel, allow for multiple seating configurations for thematic events and pop-up exhibitions. The coffee’s pretty great too.
