Secret Seoul: the South Korean capital’s hidden gems that only locals know
From eclectic food trucks to budget boutique shops to trendy bars with a view, see Seoul from an insider’s point of view by wandering off the beaten path
Walk down the main streets of popular areas in Seoul and you are likely to acquire a feeling of claustrophobia (well, unless you live or have lived in Hong Kong, that is). This modern metropolis has a population of around 10 million people and on a sunny Saturday it can feel like everyone is out and about, pushing and shoving to get to the next trendy locale.
If waiting in lines and following the crowd is not your idea of a holiday, then it may be a bright idea to take a side street. Then take an alleyway. Then open that manhole … just kidding; you don’t have to go quite that far to find a few lesser-known gems. We’re talking the kind of places where the 70-year-old owner sits down with you for a chat or an independent start-up that gives you flowers with your hand drip coffee. We have compiled a few places that are a little off-the-radar, not well known, but still superb.
Drip coffee and fresh flowers at Café Saru
On a small side street off the incredibly busy and popular Kyungridan-gil, curious coffee lovers will be instantly attracted to Café Saru’s vivid blue exterior and the juxtaposition of fresh flowers peeping out from the exterior drain’s concrete grids. On entering the café one is greeted by dried bouquets hanging from the ceiling and fresh bunches gracing every space, resplendent in baskets, vases and boxes.
