Ellie (엘리) is one of the many cafes in Ikseon-dong (익선동) that retained the older hanok structure of the building and transformed the space into a modern cafe. The mix between old and new is a common theme for cafes around Ikseon-dong and I’m kinda liking it. Places like this gives a somewhat nostalgic and homey vibes when I walk into it. Ellie is actually one of the cafe that I visited during my early days of Ikseon-dong exploration before the area was as popular as it is now. I remembered the things that I love from my first visit were the natural lighting that came through from the glass ceiling and the overall layout of the space. Their drinks and cake selections are pretty good and seatings are plenty inside the cafe. I usually came here on weekdays so seating wasn’t a big problem, but the place do get crowded during weekends and you might have to wait for an open spot.

Although there’s no soft cushioned chair available at this cafe that could make sitting down for a couple of hours more comfortable, I found myself coming back to this place on different occasions already just for the cozy ambiance. One time I came to read, the other time just to get dessert, and last time I was there was when I had a night cap with a friend of mine after having dinner in the area. The only downside is probably they closed kind of early on weekends so you have to move somewhere else if you want to hang out with your friends after 10.30.