Seoul Cafe Review: Creative Art Cafes

Embrace Your Artsy Side While in Seoul

I’m a huge cafe girlie. I had never been bitten by the cafe bug until I visited Seoul for the first time in 2022, but now I can definitively say I absolutely love going to and spending time in cafes.

It’s so much fun seeing a different part of the city, experiencing a different aesthetic, and getting to try new food and drinks. Now, I even have a few favorites I go back to again and again!

While I love cafes, I also love art and tapping into my creative side. You may be asking, “Wait, how are cafes and creativity related?”

Well, friend, I would be more than happy to explain. There are various cafes in Seoul that not only offer the cute and delicious cafe experience, but allow you to take time to enjoy learning a new skill or relax and craft. I’ve been to a few of these (and the others are on my list for next time), and I want to share them with you.

When I have the opportunity to be artsy (though I’m not particularly talented with painting or drawing) I am able to relax and leave feeling calmer and more refreshed. Not to mention it makes for an incredible and memorable souvenir to take home!

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite activity cafes to visit in Seoul, and a few I will be visiting very soon.

Grim Factory

Grim Factory’s name references the Korean word 그림 (geurim), which means “painting.”

I visited this cafe in June and had the absolute best time. Like it’s name suggests, Grim Factory is a painting cafe. It is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Yeonnam-dong, and is on the second floor above one of my favorite cafes, Butter & Shelter.

Because I went during a week day, I had the whole cafe to myself and wasn’t required to make a reservation. Normally, you would have to make a reservation through Naver or by messaging the cafe on Instagram to ensure there is space for you and whoever you wish to paint with.

As I walked upstairs to the entrance, I was struck by how beautiful the cafe is. The brick exterior and stairs led to a patio with multiple table and chairs overlooking the street below.

After I paid for my session, I was allowed to choose what I wanted to paint (I chose two cats) and what I wanted to drink (an iced tea was the winner today!), and I was also given a painting smock and beret to complete the experience.

The barista ran me through a quick lesson on how to utilize the paints provided in the studio, and then I was left to paint. Since I am not a professional or skilled painter by any means, I opted to use the tracing paper option. After tracing the adorable cats onto the paper, I set to painting.

I spent a couple hours in the studio, enjoying my iced tea and listening to the music they played. In total, over 20 people could paint at a time, and there was plenty of space at each station. The cafe was also beautifully decorated, and I left feeling refreshed and inspired after spending the afternoon tapping into my creative side again.

Though the one I visited was in Yeonnam-dong, there are other locations spread across Seoul.

Address:

239-39 Yeonnam-dong

Mapo-gu Seoul

Ceramics Cafe Jul

Cafe Jul is a pottery cafe that I visited this past trip with my Seoul friend, Mary. This cafe is more in the Hongdae area of Seoul, only a brief walk out of the subway station and past AK Plaza.

Mary and I made a reservation on Naver and happened to be the only ones registered during that time slot. We had to pay in advance, but since we did the most basic project, we didn’t have to pay extra.

There were so many projects to choose from — jewelry plates, mugs, bowls, and more, but we opted for the basic jewelry plates. After making our selection, we were given a photo book to flip through in order to pick our design. Mary chose Hello Kitty, and I chose Snoopy.

We also ordered drinks to enjoy while making our pottery creations.

Our teacher helped us cut out the shapes for our plates from the clay we were provided, and then the fun began. We took our time shaping the plates, adding a border, and painting the facial features of our little characters. The teacher was very thorough and quick to lend a helping hand. While we were taught entirely in Korean, they did offer English as well.

One important thing to note with this particular activity cafe is that you must be able to wait 4-6 weeks to pick up your pottery from the cafe, as it must go through a kiln and finishing process.

After about 3 weeks, our pottery was ready for us to see. They turned out so cute! I know this is another cafe that I am looking forward to visiting again!

Address:

179-38 Donggyo-dong

Mapo-gu Seoul

Cafe Neulbo

There is just something about the Yeonnam-dong area and activity cafes. Not far from Cafe Grim is Cafe Neulbo, which is a keychain cafe. I’ve been to this cafe three times so far, and it is one of my favorites. Not only is it an awesome place to spend the afternoon, the amount keychains you can make are nearly limitless, and they make great souvenirs for family and friends too.

When you arrive, you are greeted by the sight of multiple sloths painted on the side of the building, welcoming you to the cafe. Once inside, you can order a drink and the number of keychains you’d like to make.

The keychains are made by tracing and coloring a special kind of paper that will later shrink in an oven-type of machine. The kind owner of the cafe has albums upon albums of photos to choose from for you to trace, or you can print your own photos from her photo printer for an extra fee.

I usually opt to use the photo printer, as I usually have very specific keychains I wish to make for myself and family and friends. This is another cafe I spend hours at, enjoying the music, the delicious drinks, and coloring.

The only downside to this cafe is that it has very limited hours available to visit, and sometimes it is closed when it is supposed to be open. If you are planning on visiting this cafe, I would suggest having a backup plan nearby, just in case it isn’t open.

Address:

223-8 Yeonnam-dong

Mapo-gu Seoul

Dahari Room

(Photo: @dahari_room on Instagram)

This cafe is one I haven’t been to yet, but plan on visiting when my sister Torey comes to Seoul with me in June. When visiting this cafe, you are taught how to make a purse from scratch with giant yarn-type material. From the reels I’ve seen on the class, it looks like it is an absolute blast to create. The purse are also so cute and functional, and you are even able to pick out a complimentary keychain to put on your purse when the class is over!

Torey and I are so looking forward to participating in this purse class, and I will be sure to write a full review once we experience it ourselves.

Reservations are required via Naver or Instagram.

Address:

389-479 Sanggye-dong

Nowon-gu Seoul

Silver Kit House

While this isn’t necessarily a cafe, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mention bracelet and ring making at Silver Kit House. I took part in this activity during my June trip to Seoul, and it’s been one of my favorite experiences in Seoul so far.

I made a registration through Instagram prior to arriving in Korea, specifying that I wanted to make the basic silver bracelet that Jimin from BTS made when he visited the store in 2022.

The class was done partly in Korean and partly in English, but I had no issue understanding what I needed to do. The instructor was incredibly kind and patient, taking the time to thoroughly explain each step in and help when either I or the other students required a little extra help.

The class took about two hours in total, and the bracelet turned out to be absolutely stunning and my favorite souvenir from Korea so far. The shiny silver bracelet was also engraved by the teacher, and I’m so happy with how it came together. It’s even more special knowing that I was able to create it myself.

If you’re looking for a beautiful piece of jewelry that you can tell your friends you made yourself, you might want to check out Silver Kit House! And, in addition to the silver bracelet making class, they also offer classes where you can make rings and other types of jewelry.

This experience also requires a reservation, and I did so through Instagram. I would suggest booking pretty far in advance, as this is a really popular activity and fills up quickly!

Address:

1-1419 Yongsan-dong 2(i)-ga

Yongsan-gu Seoul

I hope if you visit Seoul that you will consider visiting one (or more) of these awesome cafes! I’ve had the most amazing experiences, and hope others will be able to make lasting memories in these locations too.

Happy cafe-hopping and creating! :)