Coffeest: Seoul's best kept coffee secret.
Seoul's Coffee Scene
I'd first heard about the coffee scene in Seoul long before making arrangements to visit the city, and when I arrived I was overwhelmed with the amount of independent coffee shops lining the streets, subways and bars.
There are well above 10~ thousand coffee shops alone in Seoul, with the fast majority being independent.
After reading a few reviews, and the fact it being ranked in one of the top 10 coffee shops to visit, I visited a small shop called "Coffeest".
A short walk from Gwanghwamun Station (10 - 15mins) you will find this marvel. The area in itself around Gwanghwamun Station is fantastic, lots of cool independent shops, bars and street art.
The menu is basic, with paninis, cakes and muffins, however the coffee is terrifyingly awesome.
The decor inside is temporary-Japanese/Korean twist, with Korean antiques stretching back 100's of years. The staff are excellent, and the owner trained in England, thus having a thorough grasp in English.
The menu is in Korean, but you'll get the jist of how to order.
If it's one thing about Korea I've learnt: they take a profession and they do it damn well. For example, most Italian restaurants in the city only employ chefs trained in Italy, Japanese Restaurants are the same, with chefs only trained in Japan. The same applies for coffee, most baristas have to have more than 4+ years experience to work in the top coffee shops in Seoul, and most are trained within Europe. Having said that, ANY coffee that I've had in Korea has been an absolute marvel.
In comparison to UK and US standards, this is a close call to the Italians themselves.
I beg anyone to visit this place if they come here.
Directions: Subway to Gwanghwamun Station, leave from Exit 7. At the exit, do a 180 degrees turn and turn left at the intersection. Walk in the direction of Seoul History Museum. Walk about 300m and turn right at the intersection to the Salvation Army building. You will see a "Buy the way" shop on your right. Continue walking along the road for another 400m. Coffeest is located right across the road. 종로구 신문로2가 1-335
(Jongno-gu Sinmunro-2ga 1-335) Seoul, South Korea 02-725-5557