Ikovox Coffee

A strong smell of coffee immediately greeted me as soon as I stepped into this place. I guess it's a good thing since it is a coffee shop after all. Went to Ikovox Coffee (이코복스) in Itaewon (이태원) by the recommendation of Soozee, who said they have good coffee and good vibes here, which were true. The space is small, a little dark with hints of afternoon light coming through the windows here and there. Two gentlemen talking in the middle of the room, another gentleman was sitting on the counter waiting for his order, and the one that we sat next to was working on his laptop. I think this is a good place to chill, catch up with friends, or simply to read a book. Although when we were about to leave, the place suddenly got really busy, people were waiting for tables and looking for empty chairs. I think it's a weekend thing.

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A.blick Cafe

Seogyodong (서교동) neighborhood is one the neighborhoods that I usually go to if I want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hongdae. Feeling like drinking fresh juice on one of my outings with @inner.pastiche, we decided to check out A.blick (에이블릭), a cafe that sells detox juices. The place was pretty quite when we got there, only a couple of people were there—a guy working on his laptop and an older gentleman reading a book—while soft jazz music playing on the background. Went ahead and ordered their top two best selling juices, and they were delicious (and fresh). And the price wasn't that expensive compared to other places that sells detox juice. I think this place is perfect for studying or working. Plus, a glass of cold fresh juice sounds so good for a hot summer days like these days. 

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Cafe YLab

If you're a fan of coffee, cakes, vinyl toys and mangas, Cafe YLab (와이랩) is probably paradise for you. Although comic books cafe is pretty common in Seoul cafe scene, this was my first visit to one. Ended up to this place after walking around Hapjeong (합정) neighborhood (as always) and accidentally saw their banner in front of the entrance. The one thing that made me want to actually go into the cafe was to see that huge Iron Man statue that stand next to the entrance. Pretty awesome right? Cafe YLab is pretty cozy and a perfect place to study or work if you're looking for a quite place but not as quite as the library. They have pretty good drinks and cakes and lots of mangas (most of them are in Korean and Japanese only). They also decorated the place with collections of vinyl toys that are spread all over the cafe. The cafe actually has 2 floors, but I didn't manage to go upstairs to check out the space. Maybe for my next visit. 

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Take Out Drawing Cafe

Take Out Drawing Cafe (테이크아웃드로잉 카페) is one of the places in my want-to-visit-cafes-in-Seoul list. I've seen some cool photos online and thought it's an interesting space. So, after our lunch at Plant, we made our way to this place to check it out. Apparently they have two locations, which I didn't know. The location we went to is the Noksapyeong (녹사평) branch and they have another one in Itaewon (이태원) (I think). The cafe was just okay. We went there on a Saturday so there were lots of people and the place was pretty full. We ordered their most-instagrammed drink, which I forgot what the name is, and according to my coffee-drinker friends, it wasn't that good. It just looks good :) Anyway, I think the other location might have better interior design, so I probably gonna try to go to the other location some other time. 

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Grunge

I've been finding myself going back to this place these past couple of weeks. Grunge (그런지) is located at a small alley near Sangsu Station (상수역) and they have a pretty cozy cafe atmosphere. This place has probably became one of my favorite cafes around Sangsu Area. One of the reasons is they have a good non-coffee drink selections. Some of them are more substantial than others, so it makes a good place to go to after dinner if you feel like getting dessert (they also have cakes too). Also, they play music I grew up with in the cafe so it's nice to listen to familiar tunes while hanging out there. One of these days, I probably gonna go back to this cafe again. Catch up on some reading, kick-back, relax while enjoying their Green Tea Summer Latte (그린티 썸머라떼).

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Grunge (그런지)
서울 마포구 상수동 93-104 2층
Closed on Mondays (휴문일: 월요일)