OWL Magazine Korea

Seoul Yeonnam-dong Rooftop Cafe ‘Cafe Meritree’

Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong was once considered part of Yeonhui-dong, but it later received the name “Yeonnam-dong” as it was referred to as the southern part of Yeonhui-dong.

Yeonnam-dong in Seoul gained significant attention, especially with the development of the Gyeongui Line Forest Road. Not far from Hongdae, the area garnered attention with the creation of a large park complex known as Central Park.

Once a residential area, Yeonnam-dong has become home to many unique and trendy cafes with the influx of creative artists.

“Seoul Yeonnam-dong Cafe, Cafe Meritree”

Cafe Meritree is one of the unique cafes you can find in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul. It is a cafe spanning two floors, with the second floor being indoors and the third floor operating as a rooftop with an atmospheric ambiance.

The second-floor interior is also decorated with a quaint atmosphere, and especially on sunny days, it’s a great place to spend time on the third-floor rooftop.

On the day of our visit, it was a warm day after a while, so we spent time on the third-floor rooftop. As the surrounding buildings blocked the sunlight, it became a bit chilly in the shade. Nevertheless, the time spent on the rooftop provided an even more wonderful atmosphere.

“A Cafe with a Reasonable Price Range”

At the cafe, you can enjoy various drinks including coffee menu. Starting with the most basic menu, Americano, which is priced at 5,000 Korean won, it can be considered slightly more expensive compared to Starbucks. However, considering it’s a cafe with a special atmosphere, it’s not considered to be in the high price range.

“No Study, No Laptop Zone”

At Cafe Meritree, you can find the phrase “NO Study, NO Laptop Zone.” Nowadays, more and more people are studying or working in cafes. However, for the owner of a small-scale private cafe, it might be challenging if customers occupy the cafe for a long time while ordering just one cup of coffee.

To avoid such awkward situations, it seems that they have put up this sign. If you need to visit a cafe to work on your laptop or study, it might be better to find a different cafe.

“A Cafe Featured in a Japanese Book”

Cafe Meritree is also introduced in a pamphlet written in Japanese. It was featured in a book about traveling in Korea, and they have displayed the content from the book in the cafe for easy reference.

The book introduced various cafes that can be found in Yeonnam-dong, including the famous “Picture Cafe” known for its “2D illusion phenomenon.”

Actually, on this day, we planned to visit the Picture Cafe, but it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Therefore, we ended up coming to this place nearby out of necessity. Still, thanks to that, we were able to discover another charming cafe, so it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

A charming cafe in Yeonnam-dong, especially on nice weather days, it’s a great place to spend some quiet time on the rooftop space provided on the third floor.

“Seoul Yeonnam-dong Cafe, Cafe Meritree”