FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon • 펠트커피 청계천점

FELT Coffee (펠트커피) is a Korean coffee brand that has made a name for itself in the Korean coffee scene. Started as a roasting factory in 2015, FELT Coffee has been supplying high quality coffee beans that are sourced directly from farmers around the world to coffee shops across the country. They also have opened well-designed cafes where customers can enjoy their specialty coffee made by experienced baristas in a more casual setting. 

FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon (펠트커피 청계천점) is one of the two locations they have in Seoul where you can go to for their good cup of Joe. Located alongside Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천)—a 3-minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5 (광화문역 5번출구)—the spacious cafe has a clean, modern, minimalist interior that’s decorated with wooden furnitures and eye-catching deep red floor-to-ceiling theater curtains that are covering the walls.

I came here on a rainy Wednesday night after grabbing dinner at a nearby restaurant and the place was pretty quiet. Given that the cafe is surrounded by office buildings and tourist attractions that usually close in the evening (and it was raining) the lack of crowd was understandable. The cafe’s probably busier during morning or daytime I’d imagine. My friend’s coffee was pretty good and so was my Black Milk Tea. We stayed for a bit to talk and for introverts like us, the atmosphere of the quiet cafe was actually pretty enjoyable. 

With the majority of cafes in Seoul that usually open pretty late, FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon (펠트커피 청계천점) is one option you can go to if you want to grab a morning coffee because they open at 8 am. Their coffee is pretty good and you can buy their beans to take home or for souvenirs if you are visiting Seoul.

 

FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon • 펠트커피 청계천점

Address: 서울 중구 청계천로 14
Telephone: 02-3789-5946
Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-21:00 | Sat-Sun 10:00-21:00 | Last Order: 2045

Instagram: @felt_seoul
Felt Coffee Website

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Protokoll Roasters Yeonhui • 프로토콜 연희점

Protokoll Roasters Yeonhui (프로토콜 연희점) is a specialty coffee roastery cafe that is located in Yeonhui-dong (연희동). 

“PROTOKOLL is a specialty coffee roastery whose name originates from the German word meaning “storage” and “record.” It is a space that captures the process of documenting through the lens of coffee.

Records are preserved in thick notebooks, in moments of contemplation, and in the act of putting pencil to paper—remaining in all visible and invisible forms over time. From roasting profiles and extraction recipes to individual sensory impressions, we create a diverse archive shaped by every coffee experience.” —Protokoll

I found this place when I was doing my research on cafes around Yeonhui-dong area and the interior of the cafe was what first caught my attention. The cafe occupies the second floor of a pretty spacious building and is set up like what feels like an open floor architect firm. The coffee bar is made out of wooden architect drawers and their coffee and desserts display/cashier is set up on a drafting table. Pretty nice setup. The main seating area is filled with 8 sets of table of four with additional single seatings along the side walls next to the windows. The wooden furnitures combined with the metal chairs, study lamps and concrete walls really give the whole space a clean and modern vibe. 

The place has been on my cafe-to-go list for a while but since their menu is very coffee-centric, I thought it’s probably better for me to go with a friend who drinks coffee rather than alone so I can find out if their coffee is good. And the day finally came when my friend who works at a coffee bean company happened to be in Seoul and asked me to bring him and his colleagues to a good coffee spot. And so I took them to Protokoll Yeonhui, wanting to hear what they think about their coffee. 

We went on a Monday around 2 pm and the place was full. I was honestly surprised since it was a weekday (later I found out it’s even busier during the weekends so be prepare for that if you’re planning to visit). There was a wait list going on so we put our name down for a table. While waiting, I noticed that there were a lot of people who are studying/working on their laptops. Given how the cafe is set up, I guess it makes perfect sense why this place is popular for remote studying/working. Good thing we didn’t have to wait too long because 15 minutes later, we got a table. 

Since I don’t really drink coffee, I ordered their Earl Grey Classic (₩4,000) and it was good. I think cafes in Korea have great teas in general. The rest of the group ordered their Cafe Latte (₩6,000) with different kinds of coffee beans they have in rotation. The group’s verdict was they all think that Protokoll’s cafe latte was pretty good and the ratio between the coffee and the milk was great. The group gave an 8/10 rating for their coffee orders so I guess my coffee spot recommendation was a success.

If you’re looking for a great coffee spot or a place where you can study or work around Yeonhui-dong area, Protokoll Roasters Yeonhui (프로토콜 연희점) is definitely a good option to check out. 

 

Protokoll Roasters Yeonhui • 프로토콜 연희점

Address: 서울 서대문구 연희로 109 2층
Telephone: 0507-1389-6159
Hours: Everyday 09:00-22:00 (Last Order 21:30)

Instagram: @protokoll.roasters
Protokoll Website

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House of Vinyl Mangwon • 하우스오브바이닐 망원점

House of Vinyl Mangwon (하우스오브바이닐 망원점)—just as the name suggests—is a vinyl cafe located in Mangwon (망원동) neighborhood in Seoul. The cafe occupies a house-like building with interior set up just like a cozy vintage living room, making coming here feel like visiting a friend’s home. In the main area of the cafe, there’s a record player, sound system speakers and a shelf between the speakers with their current nine picks of vinyl records on display. Next to and above the window that lets in natural light into the space, there are more vinyls that are stored neatly as a part of their in-house collection. 

What makes this cafe unique is on top of the fact that you can listen to LP records that are playing on rotation, guest can also request one song per person to play during their visit (although this is subject to availability and if they don’t have the requested song on their LP collections, they’ll play the digital format for you).

There are about 18 seats that are spread around different corners of the cafe, with almost all of them are for 2-person party. And since the place is not too big, they do impose a 1.5 hours usage time and a 1-person-1-drink-order rule for visiting patrons. For the menu, they serve coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea and a selection of desserts including a pretty uncommon option, the Pavlovas. Due to the pretty loud music playing inside the cafe, noise level at this place is pretty high. While it’s not too busy during the weekdays (at least when I was visiting), the cafe can get busy during the weekends with people lining up to get a seat inside the space. 

With the significant rise in popularity of vinyls these past past couple of years, House of Vinyl Mangwon (하우스오브바이닐 망원점) definitely has its own appeal and charm to LP as well as music and coffee enthusiasts and makes it a unique spot to visit in Seoul. 

 

House of Vinyl Mangwon • 하우스오브바이닐 망원점

Address: 서울 마포구 희우정로16길 23 1층
Telephone: 0507-1321-9546
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 22:00

Instagram: @houseofvinyl_mangwon

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Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae • 흑화당 홍대점

Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae (흑화당 홍대점) is a Korean premium tea and dessert house that first became popular because of their Taiwan-inspired drinks such as Brown Sugar Milk Tea (흑당 버블밀크티) and Boba Milk Tea (버블 밀크티). On top of that, the South Korean franchise also sells coffee, tea fruit drinks, and ice cream that are made with high quality ingredients and local Taiwanese recipes. After gaining popularity in the local market, Heuk Hwa Dang began their international expansion in 2019 and has now opened additional outlets in Japan, Malaysia, and the US.

I first found Heuk Hwa Dang a couple years ago when I was craving for some boba milk tea when I was visiting Seoul. Although milk tea options are usually present in majority of cafe menus in Seoul, finding boba milk tea spots is actually pretty hard back then (there’s more options now in Seoul, but still nothing compared to the options we have in South East Asia or China in my opinion). And so when I found this spot, I was super happy because their milk tea is good AND their boba is also good (if you know, not all places can have both). Since their menu is based on Taiwanese recipes, their milk teas actually taste like the ones you’d find in Taiwan. Their signature ‘Brown Sugar Bubble’ (boba)—which is boiled fresh every 4 hours—also has the right taste and chewiness that I like.

🧋  Jasmine Bubble Milk Tea 쟈스민 버블 밀크티 ₩5,700 • 9.5/10

The tea is fragrant, the ratio of milk and tea is great, the boba is delicious and it tastes like Taiwanese style bubble milk tea. Overall, a solid Jasmine Bubble Milk Tea. Other menus I usually get from this place are the Green Bubble Milk Tea (녹차 버블 밀크티) and the Black Bubble Milk Tea (홍차 버블 밀크티). Both are also solid options in my opinion.

The cafe itself is not very big in this location. Seatings are limited to about 12 seats inside so most people usually do takeouts if they’re buying just drinks. Also, in case you didn’t know, some cafes in Korea don’t allow you to use takeout cups to sit inside the cafe (they’ll serve your drink in regular cups/mugs if you do dine-in). So if you order for takeout, you really need to leave the cafe and enjoy your drinks outside. This place is one of those places. 

What I like about this location is that it’s actually located in the middle of Hongdae (only 132m from Hongdae Station exit 9 홍대입구역9번출구) so it’s pretty easy to get to. And it closes pretty late (11:30 pm) compared to other cafes in general so I can usually get my boba fix after dinner. 

If you’re looking for a good boba or milk tea spot in Seoul, would definitely recommend you to try this one.

 

Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae • 흑화당 홍대점

Address: 서울 마포구 어울마당로 115-2 1층
Telephone: 02-322-1636
Hours: Everyday 11:00-23:30

Instagram: @heuk_hwa_dang

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3F Lobby Seoul

Walking into 3F Lobby is like walking into the reception area of a small independent architect’s studio. The only difference is the said reception area has been transformed into a cafe where people can walk in, get a cup of coffee (or milk tea in my case) and hang around the space for a bit, even if you’re not a client of the architect.

Located on the third floor of an unassuming walk-up in Yongsan neighborhood (용산구), the cafe’s concept is clearly stated by the tagline printed under the logo on their signage—‘hand drip coffee brewed by architects’. The idea is simple, straightforward and a very good use of the space that they have considering that the architects only use one corner of the room for their private working studio. The rest of the modest space is furnished with minimal modern unique furnitures that give visitors both a collaborative atmosphere where you can discuss your ideas with your table mates as well as a private intimate mood if you want to be left alone with your thoughts. 

Earl Grey Milk Tea (얼그레이 밀크티) ₩6,800 | 8.5/10

I ordered their Earl Grey Milk Tea and was surprised that it was served with an ice ball. I thought that was a nice touch to the presentation of the drink. The milk tea was good and not too sweet. The ratio of the milk and tea was just how I like it. They also give a cube of brownie on the side with the drink which was a nice surprise. 

Other than coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea, and desserts, they also serve Whiskey and Highball on the menu. Since the place is a bit small, it can get a tad noisy when all the tables are fully occupied. I also have an inkling that this place might be busy on the weekends seeing that there are chairs lined up in front of the cafe for people who are waiting for a table (I went on a weekday so it wasn’t a full house. But considering it’s a weekday, the place was pretty packed). But all and all, this was a cool space to check out if you’re looking for a cafe to hang out at around Yongsan area.

 

3F Lobby

Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로15길 19-19 3층
Telephone: 070-8865-1919
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12:00-22:20 | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

Instagram: @3f_lobby

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