The short version
You order and pay at the counter first, then take a buzzer. The cup you get depends on whether you are staying or leaving, and some cafes welcome you for hours while others do not. Knowing that the price of an americano varies by two or three times between chains makes the day easier on its own.
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Right now
- 1You pay when you order. Sitting down first and settling up later is not how it works.
- 2Drinking in gets you a mug or a reusable cup. If you want a disposable cup you have to say you are taking it away.
- 3Indoor smoking is banned outright. Only cafes with a separate smoking room allow it.
What to have ready
- A payment method: Cards work almost everywhere, though a few older independent cafes take cash only.
- A reusable cup: Many places give a discount for bringing one. The amount varies by brand.
- Earphones: If you plan to work. Music in Korean cafes is usually loud.
Phrases you can copy and paste
Step by step
- 1
Order and pay at the counter
If you sit down and wait, nobody will come. Go to the counter, order, and pay there. You will almost always be asked one question: whether you are drinking in or taking it away. The answer decides which cup you get and sometimes the price. After paying you are handed a buzzer, and you collect the drink when it goes off. Some places call a number or your name instead. Larger chains have kiosks, and many of those let you switch the language on screen. The toilet code and the wifi password are often printed on the receipt, so it is worth not throwing it away immediately.
- 2
Understand the cup rule
Food service businesses are subject to restrictions on disposable items. That is why saying you are drinking in gets you a mug or a reusable cup. If you want to leave with what is left, you have to ask for a disposable cup, and how that is handled varies. The government is moving to extend the in store restriction from plastic cups to paper cups as well, and at the time of writing the threshold and the start date are not yet fixed. Many places discount for bringing your own cup, and the amount differs by brand, so hand the cup over when you pay.
- 3
Check whether you can stay a long time
Studying and working in cafes is an established habit here, and power sockets at the tables are common. Not every cafe welcomes it though. Notices on the wall or the table sometimes ask for one drink per person, or limit how long you can stay when it is busy. A few cafes do not accept laptops at all, and normally say so at the door. If the notice is only in Korean, photograph it and run it through a translator. Window seats are popular and rarely stay free for long.
- 4
Prices differ sharply by brand
The same americano covers a wide range. A cheap chain can charge less than half what a large chain does. The cheap brands have fewer seats and turn tables over quickly; the large chains cost more and give you space and sockets. Independent neighbourhood cafes are often priced at or above the large chains, and many of them have put real work into the coffee and the room. Choose by purpose: a cheap chain for coffee you are carrying away, somewhere roomier if you are staying two hours.
- 5
Know which neighbourhoods are full of cafes
If the cafe itself is the destination, a few areas cover it. Seongsu-dong has large cafes built inside converted factories and warehouses. Ikseon-dong has small ones in remodelled traditional houses along narrow lanes. Yeonnam-dong runs along a park built on an old railway line, with cafes the whole way. Samcheong-dong has quieter places on the hill beside the old palace. In any of them the popular spots have queues on weekend afternoons, so a weekday, or right after opening, is easiest.
The Korean words
- 드시고 가세요?deusigo gaseyo?· for here?
- Asking whether you will drink it there. Say yes and you get a mug.
- 포장이요pojang-iyo· to go
- The answer for taking it away. You get a disposable cup.
- 진동벨jindong-bel· buzzer
- The pager that goes off when your drink is ready.
- 따뜻한 것 / 차가운 것ttatteuthan geot / chagaun geot· hot / iced
- Menus often use the English words hot and ice as well.
- 텀블러teombeulleo· reusable cup
- Bringing one usually gets you a discount.
- 콘센트konsenteu· power socket
- The word to use when looking for a seat you can plug into.
Easy to miss
- Waiting at a table does not place an order. Ordering happens at the counter, first.
- Without saying you are taking it away, you will not get a disposable cup. The cup rule is regulation, not the owner's preference.
- Seating and time rules are often posted in Korean only. Read the sign that is stuck to the table.
- Indoor smoking is banned entirely, and some outdoor streets are designated non smoking too. Smoke only where there is an ashtray.
You can skip this if
- If what you need is a quiet place to study for hours, a library or a study cafe is a surer bet than a cafe.
- If you do not drink coffee, nearly every cafe has tea and non coffee options, so there is no need to look elsewhere.
When it is time for a person
- If you are settling into a neighbourhood and building a routine, someone who can map out your daily radius with you helps.
Where this comes from
Rules, fees and deadlines change and depend on your exact case. Please confirm the details with the official sources before you act.