Seongsu, Seoul: Things to Do, See & Eat
Seongsu is a hip and trendy neighbourhood located in the South East of the city. It’s often called the “Brooklyn” of Seoul, because of it’s industrial and alternative vibe.
I stayed in the Seongsu area during my Seoul trip and loved it! There’s definitely a lot of young people that hang out here, and especially in weekends there’s a buzz. Loads of shops, cafes and restaurants to discover here.
Things To Do
I think actually the nicest thing to do in Seongsu is just to take a stroll and discover hidden streets and alleys, walk into cute boutique stores and sip coffee at some of the many cafes you’ll find here.
Seoul Forest Park
Seoul Forest park is a wonderful park to relax or having a stroll. Start by having a coffee at Center Coffee Seoul Forest, where you can sip your coffee while overlooking the park. Afterwards, head onwards to the lake in the middle of the park or chill out on the grassy lawn while having a picnic like the locals do.
I also really enjoyed walking through the street just next to the park, where you can find loads of cafes, restaurants and cute boutique stores.
Shopping in the main Seongsu shopping street
Seongsu is a real shopping destination, especially for hipster fashion as well as luxury fashion, but you can find all kinds of shops here.
Here are a few shops that I loved and would recommend you to stop by:
Olive Young N - this is a bigger Olive Young store and they also do a lot of pop-up events here! It is 3 storeys big, and there’s even a ‘members only’ area on the 4th floor! You can also get appointments here for free skincare or scalp analyses, as well as make-up recommendation. You do need to go early to register, as there are limited spots.
Musinsa Standard - This is kind of the ‘Zara’ of Korea, but the quality of the clothes is quite decent! I got a few cotton t-shirts here and they also have the latest Korean fashion, if that’s more something for you;)
Blue Elephant - if you’re looking for affordable and decent quality sunglasses, check out this store! I thought the designs were very fashionable and the price value was great.
Point of View - This store is a must for stationary lovers that is impeccably designed. There are 3 storeys in this beautiful store, and even if you’re not really into stationary, you should have a look at the store because it’s really beautiful.
Tamburins - this is a famous Korean perfume store that also features some cool art installations, like a smoking mushroom.
Vinyl Cafe Seongsu
If you love music, and some quiet “you” time then this cafe is for you! It’s a place where you can listen to vinyl records by yourself (or with a friend), and enjoying a drink or two. You pay an entrance fee of 18000 KRW, which includes a drink, and you can enjoy their vinyl record collection. I thought it was such a nice way to spend a lazy afternoon! They have both Western and Korean music, as well as some Japanese artists.
Common Ground Container park
Another cool place to hang out is this spot called Common Ground made from different cargo containers. You can find some shops here as well as restaurants. You can find sports brands such as ABC and Vans as well as a few vintage shops. Additionally, the cool cargo containers make for a fun photo spot!
Try the famous Salt Bread
Korea is famous for their Salt bread, a buttery and salty pastry that is delicious. There’s a popular takeaway bakery called Jayeondo Sogeumppang (Salt Bread) in Seongsu. Try to go early/at opening time because there can be quite a queue.
If the queue is too long, and you also want to sit down and drink a coffee, then try Accur cafe - I really liked their salt bread as well! And their coffee was great as well.
Perfume Making Workshop
One of the things you’ll notice is that there are a lot of perfume shops in Seongsu (somehow). If you want to get a unique souvenir, one fun thing to do also is attend a perfume making workshop, where you will create a personalised perfume for yourself!
Where To Eat
Food
Grandmother’s Recipe, Korean food - a traditional restaurant serving delicious food. I really liked the Bibimbap and the bulgogi beef set, but all the food on the menu looks amazing.
guemguem sungsu, Korean food - A quaint little restaurant in Seongsu. I had a super delicious noodle dish here!
Le Freak, Fried chicken burger - This place has the best fried chicken burger I ever tried! It is located at B1 floor, so be aware you have to go one floor down.
Gimbap restaurant, Korean - For an easy lunch or dinner, visit this little gimbap shop. I liked their gimbap+ fried chicken combo. I can’t find it on Google Maps (you should download Naver Maps in Korea by the way!), so I don’t remember the name, but you should find it where I dropped the pin.
신선식탁 성수점, Salad bar - if you need something a little more light/healthy then head to this salad bar, right in the middle of Seongsu.
Cafes & Coffee
Cafe Onion, Pastries and coffee - a hugely popular cafe, this cafe is actually a sister cafe of the main location, which is located in Anguk. They have a huge amount of pastries, both savoury and sweet. The cafe in Seongsu has a beautiful rooftop terrace which is perfect on a sunny day.
MAAT coffee, Specialty coffee - This cafe was my favourite cafe because it was super cozy. The owner is super nice to and makes excellent coffee.
Daelim Changgo, Cafe and eatery - this artsy cafe is a great place to hang out, gave a coffee and a pastry. You can also work from there, as the place is quite big.
Oude, Coffee and pastries - Another industrial looking cafe with loads of pastries and excellent coffee. I also worked from here for a bit.
Coffee Nap Roastery, Specialty Coffee - Another great specialty coffee spot, with a brick wall in the middle of the cafe. Definitely makes for instagrammable pictures next to a good cup of coffee.
☕ Also check out my “Best Specialty Coffee Places in Seoul” for some more coffee spot ideas!
Where To Stay
Seongsu is a cool area to stay in as the vibe is really cool and buzzy! There aren’t that many options to stay though, but here are a few recommendations:
Hotel POCO - This is the hotel I stayed at while in Seongsu. I thought the location was excellent - it’s right next to the Seongsu metro stop and you are steps away from the main shopping street. There are loads of restaurants and cafes around. It’s more of a 3-star hotel I would say, but it’s affordable and good value for money in my opinion.
The Classic 500 Pentaz Executive Residence - This hotel features spacious suites, a fitness centre and an outdoor pool. It’s also close to the main Seongsu area. This is more of a 5 star hotel, but the prices are still pretty good in my opinion!
How To Get There
You can easily get to Seongsu from Seoul city centre by metro: you can either go to the Seongsu station (this is where you’ll find the main shopping street) or you can get off at Ttukseom, which is the stop to get off if you want to go to Seoul Forest Park and surrounding areas.
From Incheon airport, it’s also quite easy to get to Seongsu. You just hop on Bus line 6013 (Airport Limousine bus) and it takes you straight there (around 50 minutes). You can easily get tickets from the machines in the arrival hall.
Tip: Maybe avoid taking the bus during rush hours because you can get stuck in traffic. In this case, going by train/metro is a safer bet.
You can also schedule a private airport transfer with Klook - which is often more convenient if you are with a group of people.
Also, don’t forget to download the Naver Maps app and is use as navigation, as Google maps doesn’t work super well in Korea!
Seoul Vlog
Also check out my Seoul vlog below, with tips on Seongsu and other spots and things to do in Seoul!
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