Not your ordinary cafes in Seoul

Cafe culture is booming in South Korea. You can almost find a cafe at every corner of the street and it seems like hanging out in cafes is one of the coolest thing to do in Seoul. Well, with many cafes sprouting out, some are not your ordinary coffee joint where you find a cozy corner for a drink or perhaps a table nearest to the powerpoint and sit down with your laptop and a drink in your hand. There are a number of unique cafes that in Seoul. I visited a couple of themed cafes and it is their uniqueness which stands out from the rest.

1) Hello Kitty Cafe

It’s pink, it’s Hello Kitty! I know, I can hear those girls screaming now. There are plenty of ladies, no matter young or mature who are madly in love with Hello Kitty.  The whole cafe is decked in pink and you can spot iconic cat everywhere, from the furnishings in the cafe and toilet to their food and drinks.

In case you are wondering, no, I did not hyperventilate when I stepped into the cafe. I am not a big fan of pink or Hello Kitty for that matter, I was tasked to visit the cafe to complete a mission for our team-building but I know a lot of my colleagues were in their own fantasy world just by stepping into this cafe.

If you are a Hello Kitty fan, no reason why you should not visit this cafe! 🙂

Animal-themed cafes are also very popular in South Korea. Let’s see, they have dogs, cats and even sheep cafes! It caters to animal lovers who are not able to keep pets at home for various reasons and also offer a place for that house pets can get to mingle with their own species! Isn’t it wonderful? Win-win situation both cafes and patrons.

2) Bau House Dog Cafe

During the first evening in Hong Dae, naturally everyone just flocked to the shopping district and shop their heart out in content however I managed to talk some of my colleagues in checking out Bau House Dog Cafe with me. It was a cold spring night when the temperature dropped till 10°celsius. My toes were freezing because I wore my favourite pair of flat which have a little opening at the toe area. When we hurried to the cafe, it was close to 10.30pm. Although the cafe runs till 11pm, they closed off the big area for some cleaning so we could sit at the smaller area whereby only smaller dogs were allowed. It was such a pity because I would really love to cuddle those bigger ones.

However, we were certainly not disappointed because the small dogs kept us very well-entertained. There was a couple of dogs who simply crawled up to my lap and rest their heads on my lap. There was one that even fell asleep beside me. You could sense their contentment in life living in the cafe, being around their playmates and humans.

There are some naughty ones, chasing one another and there are some who just like to tease me by coming near but when I wanted to pat their heads, they just ran away.

It was not easy to tear myself away from the adorable doggies when it was time to leave.

One thoughtful gesture from the cafe is that they have a designated area near the exit that have a few lint remover roller so as to remove all the furs that got stuck onto the clothes before leaving.

This kind of cafe suits people like me because as much as I love animals, I am not ready for the commitment and responsibly to take care of a dog.

Essential Information

1) Hello Kitty Cafe
Opening hours: 11am – 12 midnight
Located in Hong Dae district
358-112, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

2) Bau House Dog Cafe
Opening hours: 1.30pm – 11pm (weekdays)/ 12.30pm – 11pm (weekends and public holidays)
Located in Hong Dae district
Jeil Bldg. 1F, 394-44 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
*every patron is expected to at least make a drink order.  

Have you been to these cafes? What other interesting cafes have you been to and where are they? Share with me!