5 Unique and Cute Themed Cafes in Hongdae Seoul

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A tall glass filled with a purple and orange gradient drink, topped with ice cubes and a brown straw, sits on a wooden table. The glass has some text in a foreign language printed on it. The background features an outdoor seating area with stone pathways, green plants, and a fire pit with a small flame. Sinleedoga - one of the many themed cafes in Hongdae Seoul

A quick guide to some of the most unique themed cafes in Seoul’s Hongdae neighbourhood!

Seoul is all about the cafe culture. There are cool coffee shops and quirky eateries all over the city – including a surprisingly large number of themed establishments. After all, this is a city that LOVES a good photo-op!

There’s a cafe where you can post a letter to your future self, a hidden gem of a coffee shop with a secret waterfall out back, even a cafe where it rains indoors!

A lot of these are spread out all over the city, but the trendy Hongdae district – well known for its shopping, food, and nightlife scene – is home to a pretty high concentration of quirky cafes.

Some are famous (like a cafe themed around a certain wizarding world), others are more “hidden gems”… but they’re all great places to visit for a unique twist on your daily coffee! These are five spots you need to check out if you’re visiting the Hongdae neighbourhood…

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5 Cool Themed Cafes in Hongdae

Short on time? There’s a map and a quick version of this list at the bottom of the page.

1. Cafe 943 King’s Cross (aka the Harry Potter Cafe)

The exterior of the Harry Potter themed cafe in Seoul, with a sign that reads "943 KING'S CROSS." The building has a brick facade with several broomsticks leaning against the wall,. A signpost in the foreground advertises a "Magic Show" and indicates "Broom Parking." The overall theme is inspired by the Harry Potter series, referencing King's Cross Station and magical elements like broomsticks.

Two items on a wooden table: a terracotta pot with a mandrake root figure, labeled "mandrake," and a white paper cup with a "943 King's Cross Wizard Café" sleeve, topped with a chocolate swirl resembling a wizard's hat.

Love Harry Potter? You CAN’T miss Cafe 943 King’s Cross when you’re in Seoul. This is one of the most famous cafes in the Hongdae district: an unofficially Harry Potter-themed cafe.

There are 7 floors, each one with a different theme (including a Diagon Alley shop, a wizarding tavern, and the Gryffindor dormitories). There’s magical decor everywhere and lots of amazing details – like ghosts flying across the walls, owls in cages, and Ministry of Magic “Wanted” posters on the walls.

Food and drink is a little on the expensive side – but you’re also paying for access to all those amazing floors with their cute photo ops. And the hot chocolates come topped with a chocolate wizard hat! The food is OK, but it’s more about looks than taste: my Mandrake cake was insanely cute to look at, but essentially it was just a very expensive, dry chocolate muffin!

Top Tip: This cafe can get really busy, especially at peak times like weekends. I recommend going mid-morning or late afternoon on a weekday if you can. I was there at about 11am on a Tuesday in November and had the place to myself!

Sanrio Lovers Club (aka Hello Kitty Cafe)

A colorful, cartoon-themed indoor space with Sanrio decorations, including a section labeled "CHAMPIONS" with a basketball theme and a scoreboard, and a "SANRIO LOVERS SCHOOL" classroom-like setting with tables, chairs, and Sanrio characters.

A slice of roll cake decorated to look like a cute character with blue eyes, pink cheeks, and a small blue mouth. The cake has white cream filling and is dusted with powdered sugar.

This absurdly adorable cafe and shop is themed around the iconic Hello Kitty and her friends. Expect lots of pastel colours and sugary treats: menu highlights include character latte art and roll cakes printed with character faces.

The upstairs is designed to look like a schoolroom, with areas themed around the different characters (including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, and more). There are loads of cute photo ops – including a room where the walls are covered in Sanrio cuddly toys!

Ryan Cafe @ Kakao Friends Flagship Store

The exterior of a Kakao Friends store decorated for Christmas. The storefront features large, colorful illustrations of Kakao Friends characters dressed in festive attire, such as Santa hats and elf costumes. The decorations include a Christmas tree, presents, and various holiday-themed elements. The text "MERRY CHOON CHRISTMAS" is prominently displayed above the entrance. The store's name, "KAKAO FRIENDS," is also visible in large letters above the entrance. The surrounding area includes a tree with yellow leaves and a modern building facade.

Three blue stools with black seats are placed in front of a cartoon backdrop depicting a food stall with cute characters and Korean text.

The Kakao Friends are a group of cartoon characters based on emoticons from KakaoTalk (the country’s biggest messaging app). They’re HUGE in South Korea – so don’t miss a trip to the flagship store in Hongdae.

You’ll find two huge floors filled with cute products featuring the characters – plus lots of fun photo ops. There’s even a photo booth with a props station!

The interior of a café with a display table filled with various baked goods, including purple pastries and character-shaped cookies. The table is decorated with small figurines and a sign with Korean text. In the background, there is a counter with a neon sign that reads "OMO," and behind the counter, staff members are working. The setting is modern and well-lit, with large windows allowing natural light to enter.

On the third floor is the Ryan Cafe – which features a large statue of Ryan (the “main” character) at one of the tables and a menu full of themed character desserts.

Top Tip: There’s another Kakao Friends store in the Gangnam district.

Sinleedoga Cafe

The entrance to a traditional Korean building with a wooden gate and tiled roof. The gate is flanked by white walls, and there is a small garden area with stepping stones and rocks leading up to the entrance. A sign on the right side of the entrance shows the address "20-12" and the opening hours "OPEN 11:00 - CLOSE 18:00."

Sinleedoga Cafe is a bit of a hidden gem in Seoul, so it’s usually much less busy than some of the others on this list. It’s designed to look like a traditional Hanok (a traditional Korean house), complete with a central courtyard with a cosy firepit.

There’s a really relaxed, zen feel to the aesthetic – with big floor-to-ceiling windows letting in lots of light. The menu is simple (mostly hot drinks, iced teas, cakes, and pastries) but the signature drink is the quirky Corn Cream Latte (read more in this review).

Thanks Nature Cafe

Two white sheep eat from metal trays on the floor inside Thanks Nature Café. The green wall in the background features a painted sheep and the café's name in colorful letters, along with artificial vines and star-shaped string lights. The setting includes wooden benches with stone-like decorations, a green door, tiled flooring, and scattered straw and sheep droppings.

You’ve heard of cat and dog cafes – well, this is a SHEEP cafe! Thanks Nature Cafe is a cute, cosy space with colourful walls, mismatched furniture, and lots of plants. It’s also home to two cute, fluffy sheep.

The sheep come from a farm outside of Seoul and a different pair visit every year. They’re kept in a pen outside the cafe, where customers can visit the sheep and maybe even pet them – if they let you, which they usually do (not many people know this but most sheep love being petted!).

Top Tip: The sheep are sent home to the farm in summer when Seoul gets too humid for them, so you can only see them from autumn-spring.

Harry Potter Cafe Menu

Cafe 943 Kings Cross (aka the Harry Potter cafe) is one of the most popular establishments in Seoul. You need to buy a drink or food in order to explore the cafe and take photos. Here’s a photo of the main menu to give you an idea of what’s on offer and what the prices are like.

The image shows a menu from a restaurant named "943 Kings Cross." The menu is designed to look like a newspaper and includes various sections for food, set menus, signature drinks, coffee, tea, ade, and alcohol. The menu items are listed with their prices and descriptions, and some items have illustrations. — *Menu as of Nov 2024*

Map and Quick List of Themed Cafes in Hongdae

943 King’s Cross: Harry Potter-themed cafe
Sanrio Lovers Club: themed around Hello Kitty and friends
Ryan Cafe at the Kakao Friends flagship store: themed around the popular messaging app characters.
Sinleedoga Cafe: designed to look like a traditional Hanok cafe.
Thanks Nature Cafe: a unique sheep cafe!

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Let me know if you visit any of these cute, themed cafes in Hongdae when you’re in Seoul. Scroll down to leave a comment!