Jongno-gu is the historic heart of Seoul, containing Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong's antique street. The area balances ancient and modern — traditional Korean restaurants, teahouses, and street food vendors operate alongside contemporary galleries and specialty coffee shops. Eating here feels like a connection to centuries of Seoul food culture.
EATCame here after seeing it online. When I arrived, there was a long queue and no vacant tables, which definitely raised my expectations. It wasn’t bad — but it also wasn’t that impressive. The bread is chewy with cream inside, and they do have some unique flavors. Texture-wise it’s decent, but overall it didn’t really wow me. For me, it’s something you try once just to see what the hype is about. Not necessarily a place I’d keep coming back to. If a place is famous, I expect it to really amaze me — not just ride on a trending wave.
Lots of different flavors to try, both for the cakes and the coffee. Really spoiled for choices! The service is also very good, with lots of attention to detail (you get scissors to cut the bag, etc.) Very highly recommended.
A popular cream-filled donut bakery from Jeju, now located near Gwangjang Market. Visited on a Saturday at around 1pm and waited about 20 minutes to order. Came back at 2pm for seconds and waited another 20 minutes, so queues are consistent during peak hours. The process is straightforward: line up, choose from around 15–20 cream-filled donuts on display, pay, and your donuts are individually wrapped in plastic. A free box is provided for takeaway orders of eight donuts. Paper bags cost around 800 KRW. Drinks are ordered and paid for at the counter, and dine-in customers carry their tray upstairs. What we ordered: Sweet potato cream donut (3,100 KRW): delicious, light, and well-balanced. Omegi tteok matcha red bean butter donut (5,800 KRW): rich, hefty, and very satisfying. Seoul special edition salted pollack roe mayo donut (4,200 KRW): unfortunately forgettable, though chosen to offset the sweetness. Tangerine cream cold brew (6,000 KRW): pleasant flavor, but the drink was small and felt overpriced. Important notes: this is not a barrier-free space. There are many steps and stairs to access upstairs seating, which is first-come, first-served. The single mixed-gender restroom also requires stepping up and is not accessibility-friendly. Staff were efficient but not particularly friendly.
Korean blogger posts. Links open original posts on Naver.
