The espresso bar at Always August with a Synesso machine and grinder, round wood tables and a large vase of cherry blossom branches in the foreground

Seoul

37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Korea's most demanding baristas roast and pour across Seongsu's warehouses, Mapo's backstreets and Hannam's concrete boxes, a specialty scene now as serious as Tokyo or Melbourne.

Always August

Mangwon-dong, near the market · Seoul

Swedish style roasteryBeans to go

A long wooden bar with woven-seat stools lined up under floor to ceiling windows looking out on trees, exposed brick to one side

Anthracite Coffee Seogyo

Seogyo-dong, near Hongdae · Seoul

exposed brick industrialBeans to go

A sunlit plywood counter seating area beside a garden view window with cherry blossoms, a pastry display in the foreground

Café Namusairo

Naeja-dong, near Gyeongbokgung · Seoul

two decade hanok roasteryBeans to go

The brick storefront of Champ Coffee Roasters, a CHAMP COFFEE sign above an open door and a 2009 founding plaque beside a bench

Champ Coffee Itaewon

Itaewon, near Usadan-gil · Seoul

Seoul roasting pioneerBeans to go

Coffee Hanyakbang

Euljiro, near Euljiro 3-ga Station · Seoul

old apothecary roasteryBeans to go

Coffee Libre Yeonnam

Yeonnam-dong, near Gyeongui Line Forest · Seoul

first Q grader roasteryBeans to go

A wooden dining table with glass top beside a shelf of natural wine bottles, ceramics and bagged coffee

Dorae Knot

Mangwon-dong · Seoul

vinyl and stone counterdual SSP grinder bar

El Café

Huam-dong, below Namsan · Seoul

Blue Ribbon roasteryBeans to go

Fritz Coffee Company Dohwa

Dohwa-dong, Mapo-gu · Seoul

hanok mansion courtyardBeans to go

A triangular wooden shelving unit displaying retail coffee bags and boxes, a small round table and stools by the window behind

GML Coffee

Hannam-dong · Seoul

26 bean filter lineupBeans to go

Retail bags of Clarimento coffee lined up on a plywood and concrete block shelf above a row of V60 drippers

Lounge Clarimento

Seogyo-dong, near Hapjeong Station · Seoul

vintage airport loungepurple 70s interior

A view through an arched stone doorway into Lowkey's spacious room, wooden tables on the left and the espresso bar on the right

Lowkey Coffee Seongsu

Seongsu-dong, near Seongsu Station · Seoul

six location roasteryBeans to go

Mesh Coffee

Seongsu-dong, near Seoul Forest · Seoul

warehouse pour over barBeans to go

Bagged single origin beans labeled Gogugu and Niguse Nare on a dark wooden shelf above menus pinned to the wall

Recovery Coffee Bar

Seongsu-dong, near Ttukseom Station · Seoul

latte art champion ownerDog friendly

A pair of bean grinders on a wooden counter, a barista in motion behind them at the bar

Travertine

Hangang-ro, near Hannam Station · Seoul

La Cabra alumni roasteryBeans to go

Tremor Coffee Works

Seogyo-dong, near Hongdae · Seoul

five seat espresso barDog friendly