Seoul Cafés Cha Eun-woo & Karina Actually Visit: Hotspots in Seongsu, Yongsan & Gangnam

Cafés across Seoul’s major districts are attracting renewed attention following visits from K-pop and K-drama stars. The eight featured spaces in Seongsu-dong, Yongsan, and Gangnam have evolved into trend hubs shaped by celebrity presence — extending beyond conventional café culture.

Seongsu-dong — Celebrity Hotspot Focused on Brunch and Bakeries

Four cafés were identified in Seongsu-dong. Mitbord Seoul, visited by actor Cha Eun-woo, is a Danish-inspired brunch café serving pancakes, gratin, and signature teas. Standardbread Seongsu, where BLACKPINK’s Jisoo shared a verified visit on social media, is a bakery known for its salted butter fresh milk bread and avocado dill cream cheese spread. A bread-shaped photo zone is one of its signature features. Stepost, visited by actor Byeon Woo-seok, specializes in black sesame coffee and French toast and is also pet-friendly. Warm Brown, featured on broadcaster Ahn So-hee’s YouTube channel, is known for French-style beignets and lemon cream lattes, with an antique-inspired interior design.

Yongsan & Huam-dong — Rooftop Views and Distinct Atmosphere

Three cafés were identified in the Yongsan area. Café Oeat, visited by aespa’s Karina and Giselle, is a rooftop café in Haebangchon offering panoramic views of central Seoul along with its signature kaymak and croffle menu. Coffee & Cigarettes B City, visited by actress Lee Cheong-a, is located in Huam-dong and offers window-side views toward Seoul Station, with a menu spanning both coffee and non-coffee options. Happy Puppy House, visited by actress Cha Jung-won and singer Jelabi, features a dog-shaped cake as its signature item and allows customers to bring pets.

Gangnam Yeoksam — Urban Retreat

One café was identified in Gangnam. Towners Espresso Bar Yeoksam, visited by actress Ki Eun-se, is a specialty coffee-focused space offering espresso and affogato alongside house wine and baked goods, operating as a multi-concept café.

The Value Created by Celebrity Visits

What these cafés share is their identity as “content-driven spaces” — combining physical experience with strong visual appeal beyond food alone. A celebrity visit does more than generate short-term foot traffic. It spreads through social media, repositioning entire districts as trend epicenters. Seongsu-dong and Yongsan in particular show concentrated patterns of this effect. A celebrity’s visit is no longer just a talking point — it actively shapes the branding of a space and broader local trends. Seoul’s café landscape is being reshaped within this dynamic, and “who has been here” is becoming a meaningful factor in how people choose where to go. This reflects the expanding reach of K-culture into the physical, offline world.