Cafe Hopping in South Korea

Cafes are not unique to Korea, not by a long way. In fact, neither the drinks, food, nor culture originates in Korea. Cafe culture in Korea however, is strong. From the massive chains that dominate every street with their cheap 2,000 iced americanoes, to the specialist roasters you can find dotted around the ever-changing 'cool' neighbourhoods like Seongsu, cafes and coffee are ubiquitous with modern life in Korea.

I will be the first to admit that I do not know very much about coffee. I am fairly bland in my tastes; a warm latte gets me through the colder months very nicely, and an iced americano certainly can help with the torrid Korean summers, but since moving from the UK to Korea, I have thoroughly enjoyed cafe hopping.

Why? Cafes in Korea are so much more than just the coffee. They are havens for artistic and personal expression and ambitious architecture. They are study spots and quiet productivity zones for some, and loud, bustling, snack-laden chit-chat hangouts for others.

I have absolutely loved visiting any and all cafes I could find when the need for that sweet caffeine took over.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of a dark side to cafes in Korea. It is no secret that independent cafe owners find it notoriously difficult to stay afloat, especially in an already tough economy and with massive coffee chains selling dirt cheap iced americanoes, the most popular drink of them all, at ludicrously cheap prices. You bet the average joe on their way to work isn't stopping for artistic latte art.

Another sad reflection is that they are somewhat used and abused as study spots. I blame Korea at large for not having an abundance of cheap/free library style institutions for the sole purpose of studying for this. As many in the Seoul tech scene know, a large number of developers carry around almost their entire work setup, camping out at their favorite local cafes for hours and hours on end for the price of a single coffee. It's great,but it's not a sustainable business model.

So, if you come to Korea, please check out as many local, independent cafes as you can, and see what hidden gems you can find!