freakZspeaks: Sanmotoonge 'Coffee Prince' Cafe @ Buam-dong, Seoul, Korea

If you've watched Coffee Prince (A famous k-drama in 2007 starring Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye), you might recognize this place as the home of Han-Sung Choi (played by Lee Sun-kyun). It was also a filming place for another more recent k-drama, My Princess. Due to its location, this cafe is probably not on the list of most tourists to Seoul. We met up with a Korean friend for a 'double date' on our last day in Seoul and he brought us here to hang out after lunch. This place, which is on the hill top is not accessible by food or public transit; you will need a car or use a cab. Parking is a pain because basically, this place is right at the corner of the narrow road somewhere on the hill with high-end properties surrounding it. Since it was a Sunday, the place was fairly packed with majority being the locals themselves. This hill top cafe also boasts a spectacular view of Seoul city and the ruins of the fortress during Joseon Dynasty.

Recognize this? L: Coffee Prince; R: My Princess

This place is uniquely constructed with different levels and has space for tables on the terrace as well. We enjoyed roaming this fairly huge property and taking photos of whatever that was unique to us. I personally loved the outdoor terrace which boasts a stunning view of the hills surrounding and city. Since it was winter, no one in the right mind will sit out but I can imagine this would have been different if its Summer or Autumn (hill foliage would have been a stunning sight!).

We managed to grab one of the best seats available - the couch where Gong Yoo once sat ;p

Super loved the outdoor terraces

Their menu is fairly simple but it's all in Korean. Prices are fairly reasonable considering the location. Since the drink menu is not in English, just order anything that is familiar to you; coffee, latte, tea, green tea etc. They also offer a small variety of cakes (this is with pictures and in English). We ordered a drink each and a slice of crepe cake to share and hang out for the rest of the afternoon!

Simple menu

Caramel macchiato, green tea latte, cappucino, coffee latte and a slice of crepe cake

A Msian couple with a cute Korean couple. The couch where I sat was once sat by Gong Yoo in Coffee Prince (haha)

The wall ruins of the Joseon Dynasty fortress as seen from the cafe. Imagine the autumn foliage?

If you ask me whether this place is worth going, I would definitely say yes. Unless you have a car or a local friend with you, I would suggest you to just take a cab from Insadong or Bukchon Hanok Village, which is probably the closest major tourist attraction. For the view, experience and quality time spent with your loved ones (or even private time for yourself), this cafe is surely one of the worthy-to-visit unique cafes in Seoul where you can easily spend the whole afternoon. Even the drive up there (hilly driving) boasts an awesome view.

Address: Sanmotoonge (산모퉁이) Gallery and Cafe, Jongro-gu, Buam-dong 97-5, Seoul

Hours: 11:00 - 22:00

Website: Sanmotoonge Cafe (only in Korean)