Small Hand-Drip Cafe ‘Coffee Tour’ in Gwanghwamun, Seoul

February 15, 2023 730 Views

In the Gwanghwamun area, you can find cafes of all sizes. From large franchises like Starbucks to mid-range options like Ediya Coffee and lower-cost brands like Baekdabang and Maan Coffee, they can all be found in one place.

But that’s not all; in the narrow alleys around Gwanghwamun and Insadong, you can also discover small independently-run cafes. This makes Gwanghwamun an exciting place for coffee enthusiasts to explore various cafes.

“A Small-Scale Hand-Drip Cafe: Coffee Tour”

In the Gwanghwamun area and the alleyways of Insa-dong, you can find tiny hand-drip cafes operating on a very small scale. One such cafe is named “Coffee Tour.” Despite its small size, this cafe has received recognition for its coffee taste, having won the Blue Ribbon award multiple times.

Especially during lunchtime, it’s always bustling with many people, often with a line of customers patiently waiting.

“A Cafe Specializing in Takeout”

Coffee Tour could be described as a cafe specializing in takeout. While there are seats inside the cafe, they are limited. A rough estimate would suggest that the cafe can accommodate up to about 10 people at most, given its compact space.

As a result, securing a seat in the cafe is not easy. Especially during lunchtime, you’ll witness a bustling crowd of customers. When I visited after lunchtime, it was still crowded with many people. Ordering was a challenge, and besides picking up the coffee I ordered, there was hardly anything else I could do. Exploring the interior of the cafe in detail was nearly impossible.

While waiting for my coffee, I observed many people coming in, realizing there were no available seats, and then heading to another cafe. This indicates that the cafe is quite popular, and the high demand for coffee is palpable, likely due to the large number of office workers in the vicinity.

Upon closely examining the menu, it appears that they offer Dutch coffee and hand-drip coffee. Perhaps it’s these hand-drip coffees that set them apart and provide a unique element compared to other small cafes.

“Seoul Gwanghwamun Cafe: Coffee Tour”