El Café

El Café operates below street level on a hillside street in Huam-dong, tucked under Namsan and a short walk from Seoul Station, and has picked up Korea's Blue Ribbon cafe recognition for thirteen consecutive years running, a rare streak for a market that turns over quickly. The basement room is set up as a working roastery as much as a cafe, with green coffee bags and roasting equipment part of the everyday backdrop.

Filter coffee runs largely through a Poursteady PS1 automated pour over system, paired with MOAI espresso machines for milk drinks, and the shop sells single origin and blend beans both by the bag and through a standing subscription program. Weekday hours run shorter than the weekend, when the shop stays open well into the evening, and there is a small outdoor space for warmer weather.