Dotori Brothers

A lovely and fresh meal

The drama, Hi Bye, Mama! (2020), which was released around 190 countries on Netflix and received enthusiastic responses from overseas media and viewers, features a restaurant located on Gyeonghuigung-gil run by a friend of the heroine Cha Yu-ri (played by Kim Tae-hee). This restaurant is called Dotori Brothers and has appeared in various Korean dramas, such as Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019) and Hold Me Tight (2018), as well as Hi Bye, Mama! (2020), is famous for its fresh Japanese home-style dishes. Its new menu of daechang deopbap (grilled intestines over rice) is gaining much popularity, together with its signature dishes, including avocado and golden eggs, as well as golden eggs and salmon. The interior space is quite small and it is recommended to visit in a groups of two to four people. Although the restaurant itself has a quiet and lovely atmosphere, as the surrounding Gyeonghuigung-gil is an ideal promenade in the city center, it would be nicer to visit the restaurant with time for a pre-meal or post-meal walk.

Urim Market

The most modern traditional market

You can reach Urim Market in 10 minutes on foot from exit 1 of Mangu Station on the Gyeongchun Line. Though there are several large hypermarkets, such as E-Mart, Homeplus, and Costco nearby, Urim Market is still always crowded with customers. Until 2000, Urim Market was an ordinary traditional market severely hit by gentrification. The merchants of Urim Market collaborated and sought to modernize, adopting some of the merits of hypermarket systems to their market operation. Firstly, they installed rain canopies so that customers can shop comfortably regardless of weather conditions. The merchants also purchased 150 shopping carts and began to operate vehicles make deliveries to Mangu-dong customers. They also rearranged the disorderly installed tents and parasols and began to operate a free parking lot that can accommodate about 60 parking spots. Urim Market became the first among roughly 1,600 traditional markets in Korea to successfully modernize, and as a result, it is now seeing a renaissance filled with customers. People can have fun comparing the tastes of soybean broth and kimchi of each store and get to know every nook and cranny of the market. It recently appeared in the popular drama Hi Bye, Mama! (2020). The scene where the protagonist Cha Yu-ri (played by Kim Tae-hee) was running across the market from Mangu Sageori avoiding ghosts was filmed right in the market.

Hyemindang & Coffee Hanyakbang

A hidden gem in the alleys of “Hipjiro”

Walk about three to four minutes from exit 1 of Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station and you can hear the sound of a crowd at the end of an alley get louder and louder as you get closer to Hyemindang. This bakery, praised by local office workers as “a hidden gem of Hipjiro,” is known to tourists as a filming location for the popular Korean drama, Hotel del Luna (2019), which is gaining popularity in Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Fans of the drama will recognize this bakery as the place where Man-wol (played by IU) and Chan-sung (played by Yeo Jin-goo) ate red bean porridge together. In fact, there are many more delightful desserts other than red bean porridge in Hyemindang. You can see a wide array of desserts displayed in showcases, such as mousse and fromage, enticing you as you walk past the entrance inscribed with “Yanggwaja” (Western-style confections).

Want a cup of coffee, too? Look no further! Coffee Hanyakbang, which is right across Hyemindang, was built and designed with the concept of an oriental hospital as it stands on the former site of Hyeminseo, where Heo Jun, a renowned doctor of the Joseon dynasty, healed the sick. Hyemindang and Coffee Hanyakbang face each other across a narrow alley in the middle, so customers can freely eat dessert and coffee purchased at each store in either of them. Coffee Hanyakbang is a two-story building and Hyemindang is a three-story building, and each floor is designed with different concepts, giving a new impression at each visit.

Hotel Seine

A romantic teatime in the city center

Hotel Seine in Ikseon-dong appeared in the drama Hotel del Luna (2019), in one of Man-wol's (played by IU) photos showing the hotel's history. Actually, it’s not a hotel, but rather a cafe and lounge bar. With the antique Eastern European style concierge and lobby, and the staff dressed in sharply-ironed uniform, Hotel Seine Cafe is reminiscent more of the hotel in the film, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), than in Hotel del Luna. Hotel Seine, renovated from the building of Seine Jang Inn that opened in 1979, was in fact inspired by The Grand Budapest Hotel. The basement floor is a boutique, while cafes occupy the first and third floors. Each floor is designed with a different concept, but shares the common “hotel” concept with classical boudoir objects and velvet curtains. While the first and third floors are slightly dark, the fourth and fifth floors operating as the lounge bar boast an open, well-lighted view. In particular, the rooftop on the fifth floor in open air is a perfect place to enjoy this season's evening with cool breeze.

Yeoksa Chaekbang

Your own little getaway spot

Ongsan Bookstore, the place Yong-sik (played by Kang Ha-neul) fell in love with Dong-baek (played by Gong Hyo-jin) at first glance in the drama When the Camellia Blooms (2019) was not a drama set; it was History Book Shop, a bookstore, and cafe located in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, that is open to the public. Instantly upon entering the store, visitors can stare in awe at the unique interior design elements, including the sculpture “Wheel of History” that symbolizes the bookstore and the spiral stairway leading to the second floor. Many customers are also impressed by the bookstore’s collection and curation. The bookshelves filling the four walls are full of history-related books divided by period and country selected by the owner who majored in history. Another unique feature of this bookstore is its atmosphere distinctly different from that of large bookstores. Visitors can quietly read books with drinks and light snacks in a small lounge-like space. Participating in various cultural events held at this bookstore every month is also a way to make it their “personal getaway spot.”

Kom Kom Arcade in Haebangchon

A place full of Newtro vibes

Newtro (“new” + “retro”) is leading the trend these days, stirring up a dose of nostalgia among adults while offering new and fresh experiences to the younger crowds. The small Kom Kom Arcade, located inside the alley of Sinheung Market, is a place where people can best feel the vibes of Newtro. Stepping into the arcade full of rattling sounds, visitors can see an array of old school arcade machines, featuring Tetris, Super Mario, Snow Bros, Bubble Bobble, and more. On the walls are witty phrases, such as “Beginner in Life, Master in Game.” Decorated with retro animated film posters, alarm clocks, old mobile Tels and the like, the arcade invites visitors, who have just opened its sliding door to travel into the past. On a corner of the wall are pictures of actors Kang Ha-neul and Kim Gang-hun. This is because a scene from the drama, When the Camellia Blooms, the most popular mini-drama series in the latter half of 2019, was filmed at this arcade in Haebangchon. In the scene, Hwang Yong-sik (played by Kang Ha-neul) tells Kang Pil-gu (played by Kim Gang-hun), “Looking back on my life, as a grown-up, I found that I learned more about life in video arcades like this than in private academies.”

Suyeonsanbang Tea House

A mountainside house where writers gather

Seongbuk-dong was the area where many writers and artists lived in the past. Seongbuk-dong has still several places that preserve the memories of the olden-day Seoul, one of which is Suyeonsanbang Tea House. Its name means a “mountainside house where writers gather.” During the Japanese colonial period, novelist Lee Tae-jun devoted himself to writing his novels at this place for 13 years. Suyeonsanbang also appeared as a rice cake shop in the recently aired drama The World of the Married (2020). As one passes through Samcheong Tunnel and goes straight toward Seongbuk-dong, one can find the shop on the right, which is standing boasting the charm of an antique hanok building. It has become much easier to find the store since the Seongbuk Museum of Art was established on the former site of the Seongbuk-dong Community Service Center. Suyeonsanbang Tea House is currently operating as a traditional tea house. Fragrant teas, such as jujube tea, omija tea, and pine needle tea, are served with traditional Korean sweets. One of the specialties here is shaved ice with pumpkin, which has a refreshing, natural sweet taste. The old furniture and items used by novelist Lee Tae-jun attract the attention of customers. The most popular space is a loft surrounded by three glass walls. The peaceful traditional Korean music played in a quiet hanok calms the mind. Unchi (“quaintness”) is the representative word when describing the atmosphere of Suyeonsanbang Tea House.

Bottega Lounge

A glass of luxury

Bottega Lounge, located next to Cheongdam Sageori, is a store directly run by the Italian wine and spirits producer Bottega, opened in 2017. The store, which appeared in the recently aired drama Hyena (2020), boasts a luxurious atmosphere. The entrance decorated with gold ornaments is reminiscent of the lobby of a luxury hotel in Macau; nevertheless, no one needs to feel timid here. Anyone can enter the shop unless their clothes are too casual, including clothing such as sportswear and caps. Customers can enjoy a cocktail show performed by Bottega bartenders and enjoy a party featuring famous DJs at the premium lounge bar. As for wine, Bottega Gold Brut is recommended for those who want to enjoy traditional Bottega style, and Bottega Millesimato for those who wish to relish a nice dry champagne. As a side snack, french fries sweetened with truffle oil and honey is a popular side dish menu.

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  Address 502, Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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  Hours Mon – Sat 20:00 – 02:00 (Closed Sundays)
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  Website https://www.instagram.com/bottegalounge_official/
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  Instagram @bottegalounge_official
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  Tel +82-2-3446-5555
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  Menu Beer KRW 10,000 / Bottega Cocktail KRW 20,000 / Bottega Gold 1 Bt KRW 250,000
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  Capacity 200 people
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  Parking N/A

Alver

A huge garden in the city center

In a scene of the drama Hyena (2020), Kevin Jung (played by Kim Jae-cheol), who represents the Korean branch of AP Ian, tells the heroine Jung Geum-Ja (Kim Hye-soo) in a huge cafe, “This cafe is also owned by AP Ian. Isn't it nice, this cafe?” The cafe featured in the scene was Alver, which is located near Sinnonhyeon Station. Alver stands surrounded by a dense forest on top of a hill found at the end of the alley of CGV Gangnam Station. The towering tree in front of the cafe is known to have been planted by the owner. The calm atmosphere of the cafe that is hard to find in bustling downtown Seoul gives peace to the mind. Alver is a 991 m² cultural complex. The building, from the first basement floor to the third floor above the ground, is equipped with terraces and many outdoor seats, so visitors can enjoy coffee and desserts in any place they want. The signature dessert here is the moist and delicately sweet tiramisu. Outside the windows is a forest that changes colors from season to season, especially presenting a green and pleasant scenery during this season. Visitors are welcomed to bring their pets to the first basement floor and terraces. As a complex cultural space, Alver hosts various pop-up exhibitions along with a flea market using its wide space.

Startrip

A Hallyu spot curation app

Star Trip is an app that provides Hallyu spot curation services, showing places where Korean stars, celebrities and idol group members have visited. This is the best app for K-pop and K-culture fans who are planning a fanboy/fangirl tour to see all the places visited by celebrities, or for those who are interested in Hallyu in general. This app is easy to use. Simply pick a category (idol, drama, entertainment show, etc.) and visit the places shown on the app. The app also provides information on the tables and seats that these celebrities have selected. Over 500 locations have been updated so far, including all the places on the Twitter account of RM from BTS, the perfect itinerary for EXO fans, restaurants that appeared in the entertainment shows like Baek Jong-won’s Alley Restaurant, as well as Delicious Guys. The routes for the “cup holder tour,” which is popular among Hallyu enthusiasts, can also be viewed at a glance on the map, with information on special benefits and organizers. Blog and Instagram reviews about the featured places are also available.