The Best Breakfast in Seoul Spots You Can’t Leave Seoul Without Trying!
While it has an abundance of dining options, finding the best breakfast in Seoul amid the chains and fast-food restaurants can be challenging. Many a foreigner visitor may be searching for brunch spots in Myeongdong, but the best spots in Seoul are found in Itaewon, Gangnam, Hongdae, and the Downtown area.
We’ve compiled a list of restaurants and cafes that deliver real Western breakfast fare in Seoul and the ultimate trendy brunch experience for 2024.
For your future weekend plans, you’ll definitely want to explore these trendy brunch spots in Seoul and consider visiting these unique cafes after your meal for an all-encompassing experience.
Gangnam Brunch Spots
Bills
Known for its legendary breakfast in Seoul, Bills has become the premier brunch destination south of the Han River. The spirit and taste of Australian cuisine are celebrated in restaurants across Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Honolulu, and London. Experience the original warmth and freshness of Australia at Bills in Gangnam.
Pair their fresh and unique juices and smoothies with a classic brunch platter. Immersing yourself in the full Australian experience with one of their most popular and wholesome dishes — the ‘full Aussie.’ Be sure to arrive before 12 pm to order from their breakfast menu.
In addition to serving breakfast, Bills offers lunch and dinner menus along with a variety of drinks. Bills has collaborated with Toyo Bijin Brewery to launch the rich and unique ‘Bills House Sake,’ made with their signature ingredient ‘Sakemirai’—an exclusive beverage available only at Bills.
Whether you’re there for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drinks, Bills has it all and is one of the spots you can’t leave Seoul without trying.
Address:142 Teheran-ro,Gangnam-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 송파구 올림픽로 300 롯데월드몰 1층
Address:1F Lotte World Mall 300, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 송파구 올림픽로 300롯데월드몰 1층
Little Neck
Photo by littleneckseoul
Located in Cheongdam, Little Neck is a cute little restaurant that focuses on healthy, fresh ingredients. Inside, there are posters and drawings of fruits and vegetables on the walls that only make you feel healthier while eating delicious food.
While the restaurant is not very big and not too fancy, you can tell they definitely put an effort into the aesthetics. The plants, decorations, walls, and furniture all go very well together and make you want to sit in the restaurant forever, sipping on coffee and chatting with your friends.
The menu is also very intricate and has something for anyone at any time of day. They have fresh salads (fresh ricotta cheese salad, salmon salad, caprese salad), sandwiches, various pastas, and risotto. The menu lists each ingredient, some of which are homemade and organic. At dinner they have a special dinner set for two which comes with steak, pasta of your choice, ricotta cheese salad, organic bread, and the dessert of the day.
Little Neck is definitely a unique place that will make you want to come back when you are craving fresh, homemade food in a cozy atmosphere. Be ready to expect a wait at popular times.
Address: 17 Dosan-daero 51-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 강남구 도산대로51길 17
Butterfinger Pancakes
Think of all the brunch food that you can and imagine you can enjoy it at midnight or even after midnight. That goes against the idea of brunch, but why not try breaking the rules at Butterfinger Pancakes? This place for the ultimate brunch feast is open from 7am to 3am everyday.
Along with the delicious, traditional options, they also offer an unending list of unique creations that you can only find here, such as the T-bone steak pancake. Their menu is so huge that regardless of what you go in craving, once you see the menu you will take forever to decide on your order. One of their most popular dishes is the Giant Alligator that comes with four different flavors of ice cream between layers of waffles, with jam and whipped cream. Now that is a snack appropriate for any time of the day. Butterfinger Pancakes was voted Best Breakfast/Brunch in the 10 Magazine Best of Seoul 2018 competition.
If you’re looking for a casual, most American-style brunch feast with as many options as possible, Butterfinger Pancakes is the place to go.
Address: 88-9, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
서울 강남구 선릉로152길 11
1317, Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul
서울 서초구 강남대로61길 13
Downtown Brunch Spots (Samcheong-dong & Myeongdong & Namdaemun)
The Baker’s Table
For nearly a decade, German owned and operated The Baker’s Table has stood out as one of the finest German bakery restaurants in Seoul, offering an authentic taste of warm German cuisine to both visitors and locals in Korea.
Alongside a diverse selection of freshly baked German goods each morning, The Baker’s Table delivers the best value breakfast in Seoul. A loaded breakfast platter like “The Farmer” gets you your eggs, bacon and hashbrowns fix for only KRW 11,500 while the light eaters can get an English muffin, egg & bacon for only KRW 6,500!
That’s right, coffee & a fresh breakfast for just over man won. (Coffee is KRW 4,000).
Recognizing the early risers among us, the bakery opens its doors at 8 am, filling the air with the inviting aroma of freshly baked treats.
Treat yourself to a hearty breakfast paired with a warm beverage or a unique item from their authentic German menu. And, of course, don’t miss the chance to take home some of their freshly baked goods. You won’t want to leave without them!
2 locations! See Itaewon Breakfast options below for the other location.
Address: 126 Samchong-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul
서울시 종로구 삼청동 126번지
Photo by theroyalfad
If you need a restaurant with not only a filling brunch made from fresh ingredients, but also with a terrace offering a breathtaking view, The Royal Food and Drink is the place to go. Located high up in the hills of Haebangchon, The Royal Food and Drink is one of the best places for brunch in Seoul.
Their menu features different brunch bowls or plates, several types of sandwiches, along with a few other delicious side dishes and soups. And you know what? Out of 7 brunch options, 4 are VEGAN! All dishes use the best quality fresh ingredients, prepared with care.
But we haven’t gotten to the best part about this place: the terrace and the view! The Royal Food and Drink is inside an older building full of charms, spread over several floors, the top ones being a terrace with a view straight to Namsan Tower and Haebangchon. Get ready for plenty of Instagram-worthy shots!
Address: 406-58 Huam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울 용산구 신흥로 20길 37
Momo Cafe
Nestled in the vibrant heart of Namdaemun, Seoul, Momo Cafe is a hidden gem promising a delightful escape for both locals and tourists seeking a culinary adventure. The all-day dining experience offers a buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner, inviting patrons to indulge in healthy and diverse flavors that span the spectrum of both traditional and international cuisines.
At Momo Cafe, every morning unveils a new menu of breakfast delights, featuring offerings such as fresh yogurt parfaits and light, fluffy waffles that cater to a variety of tastes. The buffet format allows you to savor as much as your heart desires, making it the perfect spot for an extended morning feast. Operating from 6:30 am to 10 am, Momo Cafe is a haven for early risers seeking a scrumptious breakfast experience.
Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this unique dining experience before leaving Seoul; Momo Cafe is sure to leave an unforgettable culinary impression.
Address: 2FL, 9 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
서울 중구 남대문로 9, 2층
Hongdae Brunch Spots
Grain
In the town of Yeonnam-dong, you can see tiny cafes and stores opening up that cater to the trendy tastes of young people. Different from the bustling streets of Hongdae, Yeonnam-dong offers small, independent stores and you can find many hidden brunch spots here.
If you are looking for a quiet cafe for a nice calming brunch experience, you should definitely try out Grain. Grain is a small brunch cafe that opened about 2 months ago, and is quickly becoming a hot place for people looking for the perfect combination of healthy and tasty food. Grain offers Nordic and Danish style breakfasts. Their Nordic breakfast tray carries 5 tiny plates with scrambled egg, avocado, sausage, homemade yogurt with fruit, smoked salmon, and their special bread so that you can even make a breakfast sandwich.
They also have open sandwiches with chicken salad, roast beef, smoked salmon, and other options. Just make sure to have your GPS on your phone ready with you at all times, because getting through Yeonnam’s Maze Pathway (known as 미로길) and finding the hidden stores in the allies can get pretty confusing, but definitely worth it.
While it sounds like simple breakfast food, Grain offers a high-quality brunch experience with fresh ingredients and also great taste, and will fill up your stomach while keeping you feel super healthy.
Address:53 Yeonhui-ro 11ga-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 서대문구 연희로11가길 53
Bear’s Den
Photo by zzzzi_na_
Recently on social media, trending pictures featured a special kind of bread with unique, colorful fillings made to look like certain shapes and paintings. Bear’s Den, which is actually a bakery and cafe, is the home of those breads.
You can find Starry Night Chestnut Bread which has colorful swirls to look like Van Gogh’s painting, along with other colorful breads that taste as good as they look. The special part about Bear’s Den is that you can ask to have the bread you choose sliced up and eat it along with your brunch that you order in the cafe.
The menu offers simple brunch choices but the plates come filled with food. Depending on what you order, you get the salad of the day, bacon, sausage, and eggs on the side. The dishes also have cute names such as Bear’s Plate or Hidden Honey Pot which adds to the quirky experience of eating at Bear’s Den.
If you can’t imagine what rainbow-colored breads taste like, you can give it a try and expect to be surprised at Bear’s Den.
Address: 10 Yeonhui-ro 4-gil, Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
서울시 서대문구 연희로4길 10 1,2층
Buttermilk
If you’re the type of person that can have pancakes at any time of day, you must have heard of Hongdae’s Buttermilk. While there are not many pancake specialty places in Seoul, Butter Milk is known to have the most delicious, traditional-style pancakes you can find here. You can expect waits of up to an hour as this is the place all Korean pancake lovers come to.
The store is tiny with only about five or six tables, and not many guests can fit in at once. There is nothing strikingly special about this place, except that you can satisfy your stomach with cheap but delicious homemade pancakes that you might have missed after coming to Korea.
The menu consists of toast sets, pancake sets, which all come with sides and coffee, and plain yogurt, soup, cereal, and sandwiches. They offer plain buttermilk pancakes, but you can also try ricotta cheese pancakes or triple cheese pancakes that are filled with gouda, gorgonzola, and ricotta. While the cheese pancakes are definitely unique and worth trying, the plain old pancakes remain everyone’s favorite choice.
If you are a pancake fanatic, definitely find Buttermilk in Hongdae.
Address: 130 Wausan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 마포구 와우산로 130
Itaewon Brunch Spots
See Baker’s Table Above
Their Itaewon-dong location near Gyeongridan is the original location where it all got started.
Address: 244-1 Noksapyeong Daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
용산구 녹사평대로 244-1,서울
Original Pancake House
For those in search of an authentic American pancake house experience, The Original Pancake House is the closest you’ll get to a genuine American breakfast. With locations in Itaewon and several places around Seoul, this pancake house chain also boasts over 100 franchises in the United States.
The Original Pancake House is renowned for two signature dishes. The Dutch Baby, also known as a German pancake, resembles a large Yorkshire Pudding or American popover. This oven-baked delight is brought to your table, where the waiter generously adds butter, lemon, and powdered sugar. The Apple Pancake is a substantial pancake adorned with sautéed apples and cinnamon sugar.
What sets The Original Pancake House apart is its commitment to using high-quality ingredients, crafting all batter from scratch. The restaurant exclusively uses clarified butter, pure whipping cream, farm-fresh eggs, among other premium ingredients in their menu items.
Address: 172-2 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
서울 용산구 이태원동 172-2