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All South Korea Seoul Coffee Hanyakbang
Gastro Obscura

Coffee Hanyakbang

About as hidden as can be, this specialty coffee shop is wedged between multi-story buildings at the end of a dark, skinny alleyway in Seoul.

Seoul, South Korea

Added By
Chris Hagan
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The cafe is known for its excellent drip coffee.   Pheuron Tay/Used With Permission
The cafe is known for its excellent drip coffee.   Pheuron Tay/Used With Permission
The exposed ceiling hangs over the wooden menu.   Pheuron Tay/Used With Permission
The manual coffee roasting station.   Pheuron Tay/Used With Permission
The alleyway leading to the cafe.   Pheuron Tay/Used With Permission
The blend of old and new is typified by the interior of the cafe.   Pheuron Tay/Used With Permission
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A lovely selection of coffee beans.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The menu as of May 2023.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The alleyway.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  DangerZone / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
There is more seating upstairs  
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In a city renowned for its café culture, you might not think to squeeze down a narrow, unmarked alley to find the right cup of coffee. But you’d be well advised to trek down to Coffee Hanyakbang in the Euljiro area of Seoul. Never mind that it’s not visible from the street.

The cafe’s interior sports a blend of Chinese and Korean designs, and a variety of Chinese antiques imported by the owners are on display. But the overall feeling inside is rustic, with a menu made from an old plank of wood and a gaping hole in the concrete ceiling revealing the pipes above the establishment.

Hanyakbang has become well-known among coffee connoisseurs, serving delicious single-origin, hand-drip coffee at decent prices. The beans are roasted by hand in the back corner of the café and are ground on site, producing a fresh aroma that washes over you like a wave as you enter.

The baristas, all dressed neatly in white, treat their work like a science, homing in on every pour to bring you the optimal cup. It’s the definition of a hidden gem in a city full of them, a quiet delight just far enough away from the hustle and bustle.

Related Tags

Hidden Coffee Alleyways

Know Before You Go

Take the subway to Euljiro 3-ga Station, and leave through Exit 1. Walk down the street until you reach the first intersection, then turn right. Walk thirty metres down the road. The alleyway will be on your right, next to the Ginseng Chicken Shop.

Community Contributors

Added By

chrishagan

Edited By

DangerZone, Fred Cherrygarden, Jesusjonesjames, jeungeunee

  • DangerZone
  • Fred Cherrygarden
  • Jesusjonesjames
  • jeungeunee

Published

August 28, 2018

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  • http://pheurontay.com/coffee-hanyak-bang-euljiro-3-ga/
Coffee Hanyakbang
101-34 Euljiro 2(i)-ga
Jung-gu
Seoul
South Korea
37.56653, 126.988594
Get Directions

Nearby Places

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Photo of Seoul

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Stories 1

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