Brady's Coffee Bar • 브래디네 커피바

Brady's Coffee Bar (브래디네 커피바) is a charming little cafe that’s located in the neighborhood of Yeonnam-dong (연남동) that has been gaining popularity these day. The interior of the cafe is decorated with wooden furnitures that give an overall rustic vibe to the place with some corners looking like something that came straight out of a still life painting.

The cafe has two floors with high ceiling which each is separated into a lower and upper sections, giving visitors more seating options. The first floor is where the coffee bar and kitchen are and the place where you place your order.

On the side of the building, there’s a long stairs that leads up to the second floor of the cafe which accommodates a little more seatings compared to the first floor.

I ordered the Strawberry Latte and my friend ordered the Guava & Orange Ade for the drinks. The Guava & Orange Ade is refreshing while the Strawberry Latte is more on the milky side. I personally am not a fan of strawberries since I don’t really like sour drinks, but their Strawberry Latte is not as sour as I imagined it to be. I think it has the right amount of sourness to it but the overall taste is still sweet. I kinda like it actually. It was pretty good.

We also tried their Salty Butter Bread & Kamiak, a unique menu that we both never heard of. It comes with one salty butter bread, kaimak, and slices of apple. According to Google, Kaimak (Kaymak) is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream that is made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats. On the Brady’s menu, they wrote that their kaimak is savory milk flavored cream.

Their salty butter bread has a more crunchy crust on the outside with softer texture on the inside. We cut the bread into smaller pieces and spread the kamiak on top of it. The first bite was heavenly. The bread was good, and eating it with the kamiak was even better. It tasted sweet (but not too sweet) and savory at the same time. I really like it. The second piece that I tried, I added in the honey that’s poured around the kamiak and it was a tad too sweet for me. It’s still good, but I think I can do without the honey and just eat the bread with the kamiak. Definitely recommend this menu to try if you ever come to Brady’s Coffee Bar.

Right before I was about to leave, the cloudy sky outside turned sunny and the sunlight was coming through the window, lighting this corner of the cafe beautifully. The light and shadow were really pretty and once again it reminded me of a still life painting. If you want to take a photo on this spot, make sure to check out their second floor.

 

Brady’s Coffee Bar • 브래디네 커피바

Address: 서울 마포구 성미산로23안길 23 1층, 2층
Telephone: 010-4947-4729
Hours: 11:00-19:00 (Wednesday to Sunday) | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

Instagram: @bradys_coffeebar

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Cafe Gongmyeong • 카페 공명

With the abundance of cafes in Hongdae (홍대), you would think that finding a spacious and comfortable cafe to catch up with your friends or do some work at will be easy. But no. Based on my experience, finding a spacious cafe with the right vibe (which for me means a place with nice interior, at least decent if not good non-coffee drink options, plenty of seatings, ample breathing space and moderate noise level) in Hongdae is actually pretty hard.

Since most cafes in Hongdae are small or medium sized and usually have more of a hip vibe, I was actually pleasantly surprised when I first came across Cafe Gongmyeong (카페 공명). This cafe is actually spacious and has the right vibe. I first saw this place when I accidentally saw a glimpse of their coffee bar through the window of the bus I was riding when it passed by this place at night. If it weren’t for the bright yellow lights emitting from the coffee bar, I wouldn’t even noticed that there’s a cafe there because the exterior of the building just seems like any other building in Korea.

After I looked up what’s actually inside that building and found out that Cafe Gongmyeong (카페 공명) occupied the space, I initially visited the place days later solely to check out their intriguing coffee bar. The canopy like structure that houses the coffee bar is made out of wide horizontal wood panels that are lined with lights emitting from the edge of each panels, creating a feeling of being inside some sort of a wooden spaceship (at least for me). There are also a couple of different things that are pretty cool inside this cafe including a projector that is set up facing the wall next to the coffee bar that plays old movies and two big book shelves next to the front windows that definitely add more character to the interior of the space.

They printed their menu items on the spine of books that are displayed in front of the cashier and I have to say this is probably one of the most creative and memorable menu display I’ve seen (took me a second though to realize that the book titles are actually the menu). I ordered their Cacao Latte (카카오 라떼) which was pretty solid. I came only a couple of weeks after their grand opening so their dessert selections were still limited. Although looking at their Instagram, it seems like they have now expanded their dessert menu and definitely have more selections compared to my last visit. And it seems like people are giving good reviews about them so maybe I’ll try their desserts on my next visit.

The place has plenty of seatings that have a good distance from one to the other, which works very well if you want some privacy while talking to your friends. It also has a big long communal table with power plugs that’s perfect for people who come to the cafe to study or to do some work. I originally wasn’t planning to stay for long, but after I finished taking some pictures and sit around for a while, I actually enjoyed the vibe of this place and ended up staying for almost two hours longer sitting there sipping my hot cocoa while reading. 

Note: These photos were taken before the pandemic.

A little fun fact, this cafe is also one of the shooting locations of the Korean drama Thirty-Nine (서른, 아홉) starring Son Ye-Jin. You can see the appearance of the place in episode 3, where Son Ye-Jin’s character, Cha Mi-Jo, visited the cafe with her love interest, Kim Seon-U.

Korean Drama: Thirty-Nine (서른, 아홉) Ep.03 | Photo Courtesy: JTBC/Netflix

Korean Drama: Thirty-Nine (서른, 아홉) Ep.03 | Photo Courtesy: JTBC/Netflix

 

Cafe Gongmyeong • 카페 공명

Address: 서울 마포구 연희로 11 1층 카페 공명
Telephone: 070-8869-6304
Hours: Everyday 10:00 - 22:00

Instagram: @cafegm_

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Coffee Nap Roasters • 커피냅로스터스

Famously known for its 7,000-brick hill interior, Coffee Nap Roasters (커피냅로스터스) is a small hip and definitely Instagrammable coffee spot in Yeonnam-dong (얀남동). The images of their unusual interior and seating arrangement soon went viral on Instagram after they opened in April 2018. My first visit to the cafe was three months after their opening and I went there solely because I was curious to see the architecture and interior of the space for myself after seeing the many, many pictures online.

When I arrived, the first thing that threw me off a little was the size of the coffee shop itself. Judging from the photos I’ve seen, I knew that the place isn’t that big but I guess I was expecting it to be slightly bigger than it actually is. But, luckily, I was there on a weekday so the place wasn’t too crowded.

This place is more of a coffee spot, so there’s not a lot of non-coffee options on the menu other than Lemon Ade, Apple Tea, Milk Tea, and Choco Latte. I opted for an Ice Apple Tea since it was a hot summer day.

Sitting inside the cafe was quite an experience in itself. Intended to give the visitors an experience of sitting on a hill surrounded by nature while drinking their coffee, I can understand the concept when I look at the interior of the space. I also really like how they execute ‘The moon hiding behind the hill’ idea with the big round mirror that is placed inside the cafe. The whole concept was definitely unique and well executed. In one article, the architect, Design Studio Maoom, explained:

“Getting rid of the tables and the chairs, and looking up from the low hill, where your sight is, became the space and scenery. Having a diverse way to sit, beyond overcoming uncomfortableness, would mean the beginning of a new experience. This small place is a tiny coffee shop where you can enjoy a cup of coffee with wherever you choose to sit, becomes your space.

The hill is a space where you can sit and relax for a moment. A place where one wants to rest.”
—archdaily.com

Other than the brick hill, the other two indoor seating options were a wooden bench at the bottom of the hill and the seating area in front of the window that is facing directly to the hill.

Although I can understand what the architect’s intentions were, there are several things that me, as a visitor, experience quite differently than what they described. First, personally, having the option of sitting wherever you choose kind of giving me a little anxiety instead of relaxation to be honest. It wasn’t really a problem when I was there since the cafe wasn’t too crowded. But I imagined if the place is packed, I think it could get a little uncomfortable to have to step around people to get to an empty spot or when you want to leave or when you want to use the restroom which is located at the top of the hill. Not to mention the close proximity of the other patrons around you. And if you choose to sit on the seating area in front of the window, you’ll be facing the people who’s sitting on the hill directly or at the very least, you can get that feeling of being watched or stared at. I tried sitting at the seat in front of the window and honestly, it was a little awkward when I made eye contact with the people who were in my line of sight.

Second of all, sitting on the brick hill wasn’t actually comfortable at all. I mean, you probably could’ve guessed by looking at the shape and materials of the hill. But yes, I fell like the hill is definitely not meant to accommodate people for long talks, unless you’re okay with sitting on a hard surface for a long time. Plus, I think for girls, you probably might want to plan your outfit accordingly if you intend to sit on the hill because wearing a short skirt or heels might be a little uncomfortable.

Honestly, I think the outdoor seatings and the flat surface area near the big round mirror probably are the more comfortable seating areas in the cafe.

Even so, this cafe is one of the more interesting cafe I’ve been to and I think it’s worth a visit if you want to check out their interior design or get some coffee. To find out more about the architecture and interior design concept of this place, you can read it here and here.

Note: These pictures were taken before the pandemic.

 

Coffee Nap Roasters • 커피냅로스터스

Address: 서울 마포구 성미산로27길 70
Telephone: 02-332-4131
Hours: Everyday 09:00 - 20:00

Instagram: @coffeenap_roasters

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Bread Lab • 브레드랩

Bread Lab (브레드랩) is the place where you can go to to find a selection of homemade bakery in the neighborhood of Yeonnam-dong (연남동). Make your way to the entrance of the bakery on the second floor of the house like structure, which also serves as a home to one of the popular Thai restaurant in the area on the first floor. The vintage vibe of the brown wood aesthetic which covered the walls and ceiling of the room will greets you as soon as you stepped into the main area of the bakery, in addition to a row of fresh baked bread and pastries laid out for you to choose from.

There were a couple of other girls who were contemplating on which bread or pastries they should put on the trays on their hand when I was there. I have to say that Marshellia and I had the same problem too when the time came for us to choose which item we should try. Good thing that they put out signs for their best seller items and we ended up picking the interesting looking Green Tea Danish, which was ranked 3rd according to the displayed sign, to share. After we paid for our danish and our drink, we sat ourselves on a table next to the open door leading to the patio area. The Green Tea Danish was good. Super flaky and not too sweet, just the right amount of green tea and powdered sugar mixed together.

After we’re done with our food, I wandered around the bakery and found out that the place is actually bigger than what it seemed to be from the outside. There is another sitting area next to the room that we were sitting in and their outdoor patio area is actually pretty spacious too. Too bad it was a little hot that day so we opted to stay inside, near the door to avoid the hot sun but close enough to the outside to enjoy the gentle cool breeze that blew once in a while.

In terms of the atmosphere, I think this place might not be comfortable for long hours of study session since I found that the height proportions of the chairs and tables are a little bit awkward and uncomfortable, especially if you have to sit up or do some work on the table for a long period of time. But in terms of hanging out and chatting with friends, I think this place is a pretty nice option for it.

Here’s a video of the place:

Bread Lab • 브레드랩

Address: 서울특별시 마포구 연남동 229-67
Telephone: 02-337-0501
Hours: 10:00 - 22:00 Daily

Instagram: @bread_lab

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What's Your Cereal Number (WYCN) • 왓츠유어씨리얼넘버

What's Your Cereal Number (왓츠유어씨리얼넘버) or WYCN is another cereal cafe that I’ve visited just out of curiosity. Knowing full well after my visit to Midnight in Seoul that this could be another overpriced cereal cafe, I still decided to give it a go since the place’s newer, smaller, and less popular, thought I give the underdog a go. The cafe itself is pretty small, it only have seatings for around 6 people max. If there is more people than that, the cafe will already be full. Luckily, it was empty when I was there.

Ordering system is slightly different than Midnight in Seoul. Here, it is based on the cup size you choose and it has a flat rate for each cup which includes up to 2 cereals + 4 toppings of your choosing. The regular cup costs ₩7,000 and the large cup costs ₩8,500 (my prediction about the price was right, pretty pricey). The cereal and milk taste pretty standard but the combo that I ended up ordering was way too sweet for me. I think I just didn’t choose a good combo. Anyway, now I found another cereal cafe that is on the opposite side of Seoul, in case I have one of my cereal cravings episode.

Update:

This cafe is now closed down.

What's Your Cereal Number (WYCN) • 왓츠유어씨리얼넘버

Address: 서울특별시 마포구 연남동 384-11
Telephone: 010-3744-1792
Hours: 12:00 - 21:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Instagram: @wycn_kr

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