Amazing Themed Shops and Cafes of Korea!
It is no secret that humans love themed places. Some of the most beloved places in the world are themed: any of the World Disney parks are Disney-themed; the cat (or hedgehog, shiba, owl, bunny…) cafes everywhere in Japan; American diners in Europe; French patisseries in Asia; Mexican restaurants in the United States… There are countless of extremely popular places all over the world which are in some way themed. South Korea does not fall shy of this trend, having its own share of themed places. Here we have compiled a list of some of the most amazing themed places in South Korea.
King’s Cross: Harry Potter Cafe
Harry Potter is known globally, and it is no surprise that it has reached the hearts of Korea. Seoul has accommodated for all the Potterheads in Korea, with a three-storey Harry Potter-themed cafe. The first floor includes a Harry Potter exhibition, where you can try on the Hogwarts’ uniforms, and see many objects that we all grew up watching on screen, in real life. The other floors have decors that match the Gryffindor common room and dormitories, the Great Hall and Hogs Head Inn. The cafe makes all sorts of cakes and patisserie, and serves coffee, tea, cold drinks and butterbeer. The only danger of visiting this cafe is that you will find it so hard to leave it!
If you can’t make it to the cafe in Seoul, do not worry as there are two other great Harry Potter themed cafes in South Korea:
- Hogsmeade Cafe in Daegu
- PO TID in Busan
- Cafe Yeonnam Dong 239-20
This cafe is inspired by the popular Korean TV show, W. The show is about two characters that travel between two worlds: the real world and a 2D webtoon world. The entire cafe is painted in a monochrome, 2D optical illusion design that truly makes it seem like you have just stepped into a comic. Even the food looks 2D! It makes for comical, fake-looking pictures, as you will be the only thing in the photo that has another colour other than black and white, and actually 3D.
- LINE FRIENDS Store & Cafe
We could not possibly forget to mention the LINE FRIENDS Store & Cafe in Seoul, the largest LINE FRIENDS store in the world. These adorable characters have snatched the hearts of millions of people, and this three-storey store is heaven for any fans of the little characters, or for anyone who appreciates cute souvenirs.
On the first floor you will be greeted by a giant BROWN bear, and behind him there are shelves full of stationary, figurines, plush dolls and general LINE FRIENDS-themed gadgets. The second floor has LINE FRIENDS apparel, and you will be able to find virtually anything you have ever wanted with these cute characters. The third floor (which is the basement) is where you will find the cafe, which has LINE FRIENDS-themed drinks and food, decorated in the cutest way possible.
- StyleNanda Pink Hotel & Pink Pool Cafe
StyleNanda is a Korea-based make-up and fashion brand that is very popular in South Korea. Despite having “hotel” in the name, this place will not give you a room to stay in. It is actually a makeup & fashion shop and cafe, with the decor of a hotel. The twist is, you guessed it, everything is aesthetically pink. It is no joke to mention that every photo you take of this place will be Instagram-worthy as everything is set up to be so pretty and camera ready. The place is also massive, with seven floors in total, each with their own themes.
The basement floor is the storage area. The first floor is the lobby, and the second floor is the spa; where you can find 3CE (a popular Korea make-up brand made by StyleNanda) items. The next floor are the rooms, where they sell Nanda made accessories. The next two floors are the Laundry and Pool floors; both floors sell all sorts of items of clothing, and the pool floor has the cafe too (no, there isn’t an actual pool where you can swim in, unfortunately). And the last floor is the rooftop, where you get a nice Seoul view, as well as the outdoor part of the cafe.
Disclaimer: The following section is 18+.
Deulmusae Restaurant
The Deulmusae Restaurant, also known as the Penis Restaurant is a restaurant in the Pocheon Valley (a valley full of art sculptures) with penis sculptures everywhere. Visitors will see phallic things everywhere—from a giant penis oven, to penis (and vagina) tableware, to a map of the world made from hundreds of little penises. The restaurant came to be like this when a Buddhist monk visited and said the place had too much female energy, so sculptors and ceramic workers gave it a more... manly touch. As weird as it sounds, the place has a good reputation for its good food and very entertaining decor.
This concludes this list of amazing themed places in Korea! This list includes the most peculiar and unique places, but there are many more themed places to visit, in and outside the main cities of Korea. Which one is your favourite place? Which one would you LOVE to visit? Let us know in the comments below!
Written by Lucille Bamber
