5 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Seoul, South Korea

A beautiful 80-year-old Korean home near Jeondeungsa Temple has been beautifully renovated as a cafe. The crooked wooden rafters that support the roof are especially beautiful, demonstrating the Korean preference to leave nature as it is. The drink menu features a wide range of espresso and latte variations, but also Korean teas such as jujube tea and chrysanthemum tea. There are plenty of charming retro decorations around the cafe, too.

This cavernous brunch cafe not far from Paju Book City looks like a factory on the outside, but inside, it's part library, part botanical garden, part public square. The bakery puts out an incredible selection of baked goods, most of them very sweet, along with unique desserts like a "dirty chocolate s'more bingsu." The coffee and non-coffee menu is extensive, though like their desserts, they err on the sweet side. There's also a dining menu, too, with some decent pasta dishes for the brunch crowd.

Located in Heyri Art Valley, this beautiful gallery and cafe has a slick modern architectural design, its unadorned concrete walls striking a balance between lines, curves, and mass. They also serve a decent cup of coffee, with the usual choices of espresso variations, but also a decent selection of soft drinks and frappes. The courtyard has appropriately modernist yellow and blue couches for guests to sit and enjoy their coffee in the fresh air of Heyri.

While Ganghwa-do was always a popular destination for its historic sites, it was never considered hip—until Joyang Bangjik, that is. This abandoned textile factory from the early 20th century is now a cafe and bakery, albeit it one stuffed to the gills with so much retro paraphernalia it looks like an antique store. There's plenty of installation art to be seen, too. It's relatively quiet on weekdays, but Seoulites descend on the place on weekends. 

This hip coffee house in a renovated old residential home not only serves great coffee, but also offers fine views of Suwon Fortress and its Janganmun Gate, especially from its rooftop space. The menu features all your favorite espresso variations, including a rich latte made with black sesame. Snacks include scones and croissants.