Since my high school days, I have always been a massive coffee drinker. Of course, the habit was also supported by Indonesia’s amazing coffee quality, given that the world-renowned Sumatra coffee originated from Indonesia. As I prepared for my years in South Korea, I encountered someone who said that café culture in Korea is on the next level. I didn’t think much of it, but as soon as I landed here, I realized they were right.
Korea is a paradise for café hoppers. There’s an endless list of themed cafes all over the country! From study cafes and cat cafes to even a Jesus Christ birthday-themed café, everything is here. This was a huge surprise to me because cafes back home were mostly quite simple. I used to go to cafes just to study and work while having small talk with my friends, but here, going to a café is not a simple activity. It’s an experience in itself!
In most countries, what counts towards a great café is the quality of their coffee and the barista’s knowledge and skills. In Korea, it’s not the quality of the caffeine-loaded beverage that counts, but the atmosphere. It’s safe to say that people here consider cafes as social hubs where they can take cute photos and talk about anything with their companions. It’s not rare at all to see couples having serious conversations, the elderly animatedly talking about the fun events in their lives, and even formal business discussions!
Of course, people come to cafes alone too! But even then, some may argue that they’re not actually alone because you see them either with their laptop open or on their phones. Cafes are not just a place to sip coffee here, but a place to exist and simply be. It doesn’t matter who you are in the outside world; when you walk into a café, you’re a guest who’s there to have a good time.
I, too, am now a part of that crowd. I enjoy finding small hidden cafes in the alleys, and they turn into my favorite little secrets — spaces where I can take the people I love to sit down, forget about the rush of our daily lives, and enjoy slow sips of our drinks. This modern cultural experience is one that will not disappoint anyone visiting South Korea!
A cafe in Yeonggwang-gun
Since my high school days, I have always been a massive coffee drinker. Of course, the habit was also supported by Indonesia’s amazing coffee quality, given that the world-renowned Sumatra coffee originated from Indonesia. As I prepared for my years in South Korea, I encountered someone who said that café culture in Korea is on the next level. I didn’t think much of it, but as soon as I landed here, I realized they were right.
Korea is a paradise for café hoppers. There’s an endless list of themed cafes all over the country! From study cafes and cat cafes to even a Jesus Christ birthday-themed café, everything is here. This was a huge surprise to me because cafes back home were mostly quite simple. I used to go to cafes just to study and work while having small talk with my friends, but here, going to a café is not a simple activity. It’s an experience in itself!
In most countries, what counts towards a great café is the quality of their coffee and the barista’s knowledge and skills. In Korea, it’s not the quality of the caffeine-loaded beverage that counts, but the atmosphere. It’s safe to say that people here consider cafes as social hubs where they can take cute photos and talk about anything with their companions. It’s not rare at all to see couples having serious conversations, the elderly animatedly talking about the fun events in their lives, and even formal business discussions!
Of course, people come to cafes alone too! But even then, some may argue that they’re not actually alone because you see them either with their laptop open or on their phones. Cafes are not just a place to sip coffee here, but a place to exist and simply be. It doesn’t matter who you are in the outside world; when you walk into a café, you’re a guest who’s there to have a good time.
I, too, am now a part of that crowd. I enjoy finding small hidden cafes in the alleys, and they turn into my favorite little secrets — spaces where I can take the people I love to sit down, forget about the rush of our daily lives, and enjoy slow sips of our drinks. This modern cultural experience is one that will not disappoint anyone visiting South Korea!
A cafe in Yeonggwang-gun