The Gwanghwamun area in Seoul can be considered one of the representative office-dense areas in Seoul. Starting from the Government Seoul Complex, you can find various embassies, media companies, headquarters of large corporations, and buildings of various small and medium-sized enterprises. It’s the first place that comes to mind when thinking of places where many companies are gathered in Seoul.
Since it’s an area with many office workers, you can also find restaurants, cafes, and other establishments catering to the needs of workers in the vicinity.
“Gwanghwamun Cafe: Gotonniplace”
Located to the west of Gwanghwamun Square, there’s a cafe called “Gotonniplace.” You can find it by coming out of Exit 1 of Gwanghwamun Station on Subway Line 5 and heading west.
This place used to be occupied by “Paul Bassett,” but after Paul Bassett withdrew, a cafe named “Gotonniplace” took its place. The space is impressive with its red brick exterior and an open atmosphere.
“Youthful and Bright Atmosphere Cafe”
As you enter the store, you can feel a youthful and bright atmosphere. The high ceiling provides a sense of openness, which is also an advantage as it doesn’t feel cramped.
Inside, you can hear club music with a rich bass, giving the feeling of being in a club rather than a cafe. One downside is that the music can be quite loud, making communication a bit challenging when placing an order.
The concept of this place seems to be to create a young and trendy atmosphere, aiming to capture the feeling of having a coffee in a club.
“Reasonably Priced Cafe”
The prices are quite reasonable. For example, a standard Americano, which is the most common menu, is priced at 4,000 won. It’s not significantly different from the nearby Starbucks, which you can find just across the street.
In addition to various lattes like vanilla latte, mocha latte, and einstein, you can find a variety of other menu items. However, the menu is displayed high up, so you’ll need to look up to see it.
Here are some of the menu items you can find at Gotonniplace:
“Non Coffee”
- Milk Tea: 5,000 won
- Milk Chocolate: 5,500 won
- Milk Caramel: 5,500 won
- Lemonade: 5,500 won
- Blueberry Ade: 5,500 won
- Blueberry Latte: 5,500 won
- Juice: 6,000 won
- Bungshow/Shangria: 8,000 won
“Tea”
- Chamomile: 4,500 won
- Rooibos: 4,500 won
- Peppermint: 4,500 won
- Blueberry Tea: 5,000 won
“Single Origin”
- Black: 6,000 won
- White: 6,000 won
- Filter: 7,000 won
“Cold Brew”
- Cold Brew: 5,000 won
- Cold Brew Latte: 6,000 won
“Black”
- Long Black: 4,000 won
- Americano: 4,000 won
- Batch Brew: 4,000 won
“White”
- Flat White: 4,500 won
- Latte: 4,500 won
- Vanilla Bean Latte: 5,000 won
- Mocha Latte: 5,500 won
- Caramel Latte: 5,500 won
- Einstein: 5,500 won
- Cream Latte: 5,800 won
- Affogato: 5,500 won
Located to the west of Gwanghwamun Square, Gotonniplace is a cafe with an overall bright atmosphere, making it a great place to enjoy a cup of coffee with music.
You can also find a filter at the handle of the store entrance, adding to the charm of this small and quirky cafe.
“Seoul Gwanghwamun: Gotonniplace MOFAT”
- Address: 12 Saemunan-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Postal Code: 03182)