Trendy Yeonnam Dong Cafe: Antique Coffee

At the start of 2023, the trendiest Yeonnam Dong cafe is, without a doubt, Antique Coffee. Yeonnam Dong is known as Seoul’s artsiest neighborhood and is home to dozens of unique cafes. So, what has made Antique Coffee capture the attention of so many Seoulites?

Interior

The interior design of the place is simultaneously dark and moody, as well as cozy and welcoming. The color scheme is cream, dark wood brown, and deep forest green. 

Each wall is decorated differently, but each matches perfectly with one another. The first wall has dark wood paneling, the other has deep green marble panels framed in the same dark wood. The farthest wall from the door is hidden away by a forest-green velvet curtain. And, of course, the wall closest to the door has wide windows with a view of the street ahead of it. In front of the windows are plushy chairs made with the same green velvet as the opposite wall. 

However, the best part is the centerpiece of the room. Situated front and center of the cafe, is an absolutely stunning dessert table!

Desserts

The highlight of this cafe is definitely the desserts. Here, at this Yeonnam Dong cafe, you will find over-the-top versions of European classics. However, this is not the cafe for those who dabble in sweets. Everything here is sweet, creamy, heavy, and decadent – this is the pro league.

There are cheesecakes topped with a layer of cream as thick as the cake itself. Right next to it is a 4 layer tiramisu tart. Then, there is also chocolate cake oozing thick, sugary cherry sauce. But of course, you cannot forget the towering chocolate-filled croissants piled high with matcha cream and chocolate sauce. 

Let me tell you, I am a girl who knows how to eat but I met my match at this place. I got what I thought was one of the lightest options – an earl gray lemon cake. It was soooo good, but I was way too full to finish it by myself. It was served as a personal cake. Inside, it was a dense cake with earl gray tea leaves (and perhaps a twitch of caraway) distributed throughout. Outside, the cake was drizzled in a sour lemon glaze. And, finally, it was topped with cream and an extremely sour lemon custard so that it resembled a daisy. 

Coffee

The coffee at this Yeonnam Dong cafe, Antique Coffee, is just as rich as the desserts. I went with their signature item, the Dirty and Cream. Honestly, I didn’t know coffee could be this heavy. It was a sweet latte topped with a homemade cream that was probably just a few seconds away from being butter. I had never had anything quite like it before.

Other than the Dirty and Cream, they have a few other signature coffees that look promising. On the menu are Vintage Cinnamon (a creamy cinnamon latte), Dirty Summer (an almond ice cream latte), and Dirty Soy (a creamy soy milk latte with chocolate powder topping). Each of the signature drinks is 6,500 KRW.

Conclusion

This is the Yeonnam Dong Cafe to go to if you like to keep up with trends and have a sweet tooth. 

I live nearby, and there is nearly always a line. However, I finally decided to go on one of the coldest days of the year, right at opening. Not only was there no line, but there were also ample empty seats so I could sit for hours in the cafe with my laptop and write away. I highly recommend choosing a day like that day, when no one really wants to venture outside. 

Antique Coffee (앤티크커피 연남점)

Address:  25-11, Yeonhui-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Korean address: 서울 마포구 연희로 25-1 1층 앤티크커피
Operating Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Want to visit more attractions in Yeonnam Dong? Click Here for a local’s guide!