Café Soon and Club Espresso
If you’ve lived in Seoul for any amount of time you know that Coffee is the life’s blood of the people. Coffee houses literally dot the landscape like a break out of the hives. I can’t walk a block without seeing someplace selling coffee whether its’ a franchise, a mom and pop shop, or a little bitty street side vendor doing his best to earn a few won. I must admit that I’m partial toward the mom and pop single proprietor shops. These places usually offer up a unique experience that a franchise simply can’t though some do come close (Café Bene).
In my new favorite neighborhood of Buam-dong a few of these cafes have come to my attention. First up is Café soon. It sits atop the many hills of Buam-dong with a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood below. The spot possesses an earthy feel with burnished woods, mahogany statues, and ceramics. The art work is both exotic and carefree. Café soon has charm. The coffees, teas, and baked goods may not be as extensive as some but the relaxed setting makes up for that. Here you can imagine students buried in books or clacking away on a laptop.
Not far away, down the hilltop, awaits another coffee stop that’s worth a visit or three. Club Espresso has been a mainstay of the coffee scene in Seoul since 1990. As the Grande Dame of coffee you might expect the place to be stuffy. On the contrary, Club Espresso has a bright sunny feel. The wooden décor makes it feel as if you’re in a rustic cabin sipping coffee on the mountaintop beside a brisk running stream.
Club Espresso specializes in bringing the best beans from around the world. Here you can find coffee from far flung countries like Tanzania, Ethiopia, Panama, and Brazil. You can buy beans by the bag for 100grams (W8,000) or 200grams (W15,000) or you can simply order in house and savor as many blends as you’d like. True coffee lovers will be in heaven twice over at Club Espresso. The bean reigns supreme here as they are all roasted on site.
Coffee never tasted as good as it does in Buam-dong. So now you’ve got another two reasons to get yourself to this neighborhood as quick as possible.
Café Soon
Telephone: 02-396-0631
Email: Sooncafe@daum.net
