TOP 5 ROOFTOP CAFES WITH THE BEST VIEW IN SEOUL

by seoulfulfamily - May 14, 2018

When the air is clean and weather is nice, the first place I want to go hang out and/or work at are rooftop cafes with a beautiful view. These cafes are also where I take my friends who are visiting Seoul when I show them around. Before I start, I am just a social coffee drinker, so I am not going to review the coffee at these places. I go to these places to enjoy the view mostly and the coffee is an added bonus, but I don't think I ever had a bad cup of coffee at any of these places. And this list is not in any particular order. I love them all!

1. My first rooftop cafe on the list is Bukchon Asian Culture Museum (북촌동양문화박물관) located on the top of Bukchon Village with a view of village hanok rooftops. I think people get confused with the sign and don't realize that it's a cafe. There is no fee to get in, but you do have to order a drink for you to sit and enjoy the view just like any other cafe. Other than the view, this place is decorated with an assortment of antiques. It's a great place to relax while sipping on tea or coffee after the tour of the Bukchon Hanok Village. Cafe hours: 10:00-18:00 Closed on Mondays.

2. Second on the list is Seoul Leezm (서울리즘) cafe in Jamsil with a great view of Lotte World Tower. You can pretty much see this tower from anywhere in Seoul I feel like, but Seoul Leezm did a great job of setting up a Seoul sign with a perfect view of Lotte World Tower to attract more customers. You order the drinks from the first floor and go up to the sixth floor with your drink. I personally enjoyed their smoothies more than their coffee. Cafe hours: 13:00-17:50 and turns into a bar from 18:00-24:00. Closed on Mondays.

3. Travel Cafe (카페트레블) is in Naksan Park near the parking lot. It's a cute cafe with an amazing open view of Ehwa-dong. I remember coffee being very good as well. Once again, it's a great place to unwind and have coffee after enjoying Naksan Park and Mural Village. I highly recommend this place for a date. Check out my Naksan Park and Mural Village post for more information. Cafe hours: 11:00-23:00 Closed on Mondays.

4. Sky Yard (하늘뜰) is on top of Seoul Library (5th Floor) at City Hall and also has a rooftop garden. You don't have to order drinks to enjoy the garden itself, but since you have to go through the cafe, why not order something to drink to quench your thirst. I love this place because it's located at the center of the city with an amazing view all around. Unlike most other rooftop cafes, this place is also kid friendly. You can enjoy the outdoors and have a drink after visiting the library. They have an amazing kids' section of books and reading area.

5. Last, but not least is Oriole (오리올) in Haebangcheon. As far as the view, this cafe has the most open view of the city. I felt like I was floating on air when I am at this place. You have the open colorful view of Kyunglidan villas on one side and the view of Namsan Tower on the other. There are many rooftop cafes on this street, so go and explore! Cafe hours: 10:00-01:00 Bar after 6:00.

In the same neighborhood, there is a rooftop bar, Pipi Seoul (피피서울). It's more of a fusion restaurant and bar than a cafe. But it has a nice view and I love the drapes that make you feel like you are somewhere tropical. Hours 14:00-24:00 Rooftop Closes at 23:00.