Cafeography
Seoul · Itaewon & Hannam-dong

Cafés in Itaewon & Hannam-dong

Cafés on the slopes of Itaewon, Noksapyeong and Hannam-dong, between Namsan and the Han River.

Photo: Анна Шаталова, Pexels License

In the Joseon era Itaewon was on a main route for travelers entering and leaving the capital, and its modern character dates from the US Army's Yongsan Garrison, set up in 1945.1 Its long history as a home for foreign residents and US military personnel made it Seoul's international crossroads, known for bespoke tailoring, vintage shops and designer boutiques.4 Seoul Central Mosque, opened in 1976, sits just over the line in Hannam-dong.1

Hannam-dong, between Itaewon and the Han River, is one of Seoul's best-known wealthy residential areas, much of it inside the Namsan scenic zone.3 Since the 2010s it has filled with upscale boutique cafés, restaurants and bars, alongside galleries such as Leeum, the Samsung Museum of Art.2

Local tip: For breakfast before the boutiques open, Passion 5 on Itaewon-ro starts at 07:30; for a late coffee, Coffea Coffee stays open until midnight every day.

At a glance

133Cafés listed
2With opening hours
07:30Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Passion 5, from 07:30 (Daily 07:30–22:00).
  • Closes latest: Coffea Coffee, until 00:00 (Daily 08:00–00:00).
  • Most listed streets: Hannam-dong (3), Itaewon-dong" (3), Hannam-dong" (2).
  • Most common features: specialty (3%), wi-fi (3%), bakery café (2%).

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Coffee chains in Itaewon & Hannam-dong

Getting to Itaewon and Hannam-dong

Line 6 serves the district at Noksapyeong, Itaewon and Hangangjin stations.1 Hannam station, on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line, also serves Hannam-dong, and Hannam-daero runs through it to Hannam Bridge.23 The bridges over Noksapyeong station give elevated views and are a popular photo stop.4

Autumn has a fixture of its own: in 2025 an antique and vintage festival ran in Itaewon from 6 to 9 November.4

Noksapyeong-daero and Itaewon-ro

Noksapyeong-daero (녹사평대로) and Itaewon-ro have more cafés than any other streets here. On Noksapyeong-daero, 반앤반 is at no. 132, Cafe the Brave (카페더브레이브) at 170, Avant Garde Gallery & Cafe at 222 and Standing Coffee (스탠딩커피) at 224-1. Cream Connection (크림커넥션) is on Noksapyeong-daero 46-gil.

Passion 5, a bakery café at Itaewon-ro 272, opens daily 07:30–22:00, the earliest start in the area, and Coffea Coffee keeps 08:00–00:00 every day. Bonilla churros (보닐라츄러스) is on Itaewon-ro 54ga-gil and Ikovox on Itaewon-ro 27ga-gil; ikoi (이코이 카페) is at Itaewon-ro 42-gil 34.

Pear trees, a cemetery and a jazz club

The name Itaewon probably comes from a Joseon-era inn, and today it is linked with the pear trees once grown here; in the Goryeo period it was a transport hub where travelers could get horses, and until 1937 it held the city's largest cemetery.1 After the Korean War it turned into a shopping district. All That Jazz, the oldest jazz club still running in Korea, and Itaewon Books, a secondhand English-language bookshop, are both here.1

Shopping still sets the pace around the cafés: Beaker is a multi-brand boutique, and PDF Seoul, in the Noksapyeong area, is an art bookstore and concept space for photography, design and fashion books.4 Hannam-dong, once known as Neungteo-gol, covers about 3.01 km² and had 13,674 residents in May 2026, with the Seoul German School and Seoul Yongsan International School among its schools.3

Hannam-dong's café streets

On Hannam-daero 27ga-gil, Milestone Coffee Hannam is at no. 26 and Calf on Couch (카프온카우치), with Wi-Fi and outdoor seats, at no. 10. Tri-Bar (트라이바) on Hannam-daero 20-gil has outdoor seating, and on Dokseodang-ro (독서당로) Jini Jolly (지니졸리) at no. 89 does takeaway, with 팬케이크오리지널스토리 at 67 and 언카인드홈 at 39.

Daesagwan-ro (대사관로, "embassy road") has 루마커피하우스 on its 31-gil and 비앙카 서울 on 5-gil. Anthracite, the roaster that began in a Hapjeong shoe factory, also ran a café and roasting space in Hannam in 2018.5

Sources

  1. Itaewon, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Hannam-dong, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. 한남동, Wikipedia (Korean), accessed October 2026
  4. Guide to Seoul's trendiest autumn fashion districts: Seongsu, Itaewon, Hongdae, The Korea Times (October 31, 2025), accessed October 2026
  5. Fuel for the fire at Seoul's Anthracite Coffee, Sprudge (April 24, 2018), accessed October 2026
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In Itaewon & Hannam-dong, also browse: Specialty coffee Wi-Fi Open late Outdoor seating Bakery cafés

FAQ

Itaewon & Hannam-dong cafés: questions

How do you get to the cafés of Itaewon and Hannam-dong in Seoul?

Line 6 serves the area at Noksapyeong, Itaewon and Hangangjin stations, and Hannam station on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line also serves Hannam-dong. Noksapyeong-daero and Itaewon-ro have the longest runs of cafés, and Hannam-daero 27ga-gil has Milestone Coffee Hannam and Calf on Couch. The bridges over Noksapyeong station are a popular photo stop.

Which cafés in Itaewon, Seoul, open early or close late?

Passion 5, a bakery café at Itaewon-ro 272, opens daily from 07:30 to 22:00, the earliest start in Itaewon and Hannam-dong. Coffea Coffee opens at 08:00 and stays open until midnight every day, which makes it the latest coffee in the area.

What is Hannam-dong in Seoul known for?

Hannam-dong, in Yongsan District between Itaewon and the Han River, is one of Seoul's best-known wealthy residential areas, much of it within the Namsan scenic zone. Since the 2010s it has become known for upscale boutique cafés, restaurants and bars, and for galleries including Leeum, the Samsung Museum of Art.

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