Best Cafes in Busan

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If there’s one thing South Korea is known for, it’s their cafes. Cafe culture is HUGE here, and it’s one of my favorite things about living in South Korea. They’re always SO much cuter than they are in the United States, with a much bigger selection of sweets. One thing to keep in mind, is that cafes frequently ONLY have sweets. If you want some sort of sandwich or brunch option - it’ll be a little harder to find. There will be no shortage of cake, though, and that’s what really matters.

I found in all my research of trying to find insta-worthy cafes in South Korea, is that the majority of posts only cover Seoul. Of course, Seoul is the end-all be-all of Korean cafes, but I live clean across the country, in a really big city nonetheless (So you would think that there would be just as many themed cafes and stuff? but apparently not. Or at least they’re much harder to fine). In response, I took it upon myself to do my best to compile a list of all the Best Cafes in Busan.

Busan deserves love too! We have awesome cafes here that you need to visit. Spice up your instagram, try some new cake flavors, and explore the city while you hop from cafe to cafe.

Best Cafe's in Busan

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Cafe in Busan

I HAD to start this post with this absolute ICON of a cafe.

This cafe is up on Dalmaji hill, which is right by Haeundae Beach. It’s actually right next door to my apartment, and what made me actually be content with where I was living. Dalmaji is a 10 minute bus ride from the last metro stop, which made me always feel a little disconnected from everything, but this cafe saved the day for me! All the different rooms made me feel like I was in a new cafe every day, and the views of the ocean add to the ambience. The butterscotch latte and the almond croissants are UNMATCHED, and the decor is to die for - even the bathroom is a high shine orange lacquer with flower walls and neon signs!

This cafe is on the fourth floor of the building, so don’t worry if you don’t see it at first! walk up the steps to the building, and there is an elevator that will take you right up.

Knockout

This cafe is located in Seomyeon, a really central part of the city that’s well known for it’s nightlife. There are tons of cafes in Seomyeon, so if you can I would spend a day here and just hop from cafe to cafe!

Knockout is three levels, including a beautiful rooftop with string lights. They have no shortage of trendy neon signs to offset the more vintage decor, and their pastry selection is next level. I wanted a brunch option, which they had on the menu, but they were sold out of everything, which was frustrating. The gorgeous interiors made up for it, however, and I was able to hang out for a while and get a lot of work done.

It’s not very far from the Seomyeon metro stop, which makes it really easy to add to your list.

Cafe Molle

Also located in Seomyeon, finding this cafe was a total accident! My friend and I were determined to find Po Tid, a Harry Potter themed cafe, but after circling the block a hundred times, we finally realized that Cafe Molle had bought the space and completely renovated it. Although it wasn’t quite what we were looking for in the Harry Potter cafe, it looked cute enough, so we went inside.

While not the most ~instagrammable~ cafe in Busan, I have NEVER had cake that delicious. We got the oreo cake to split, and we literally went back the next day for another one. It was absolutely INSANE. The tiramisu is also absolutely to die for as well. If you’re looking for cake, Cafe Molle is the place to be for sure.

RIP to the Harry Potter cafe, but the cake genuinely makes up for it, and that’s saying a lot coming from this die hard Harry Potter fan.

Cafe Rooftop

While a little bit out of the way for some, it’s honestly super convenient for me to go here! I live on Dalmaji hill (where all the best cafes and restaurants are in my opinion) and Cafe Rooftop is even further. You can either get there by taxi or walk the Blue Line trail, which starts at the end of Haeundae beach and takes you along the coast to the beach the next cove over - that’s where this cafe is located!

It’s an adorable, eclectic mix of funky furniture, neon signs, indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a balcony and - you guessed it - a gorgeous rooftop! They have a fabulous hot chocolate and their drinks come in cute baskets. I would definitely plan on coming on a warm but overcast day so you can enjoy the warmth out on the rooftop but not sweat to death!

Rendeja-vous - Haeundae (All the locations are beautiful!)

All the way at the end of Haeundae beach (the left side if you’re looking out to the ocean) there’s this unique cafe that will give you all the outdoorsy vibes, even though you’re on the second or third floor of a building! The floor is covered in mulch, and there are cactus gardens, umbrellas, and stone details that really make this cafe something that I’ve never seen done before. The gorgeous floor to ceiling windows give an excellent view of the ocean and Haeundae beach, and the photo ops are just endless. Make sure you check out all the floors and get a seat by the window!

(p.s. It looks fake but it’s really a window and not a green screen okay? GORGEOUS)

Bee coffee

Conveniently located a short walk from the Haeundae metro stop (exit 4) Bee coffee is the perfect place to go if you’re trying to get any work done. While it doesn’t look like much on the first floor, order your coffee and your cookie (don’t sleep on these cookies okay they are next level) and head right on upstairs.

Immediately, you’ll be blown away by the greenery and chandeliers that hang from the ceiling. It creates such a gorgeous environment, and the massive wooden slab of a table down the middle of the room has outlets built into it. The glass panels in the room create a subtle greenhouse effect and whenever I go it’s hard to leave because of how warm, quiet, and comforting the environment is. Oh, and the cookies.

Pastel Museum

Located in about the same location as Bee Coffee is the Pastel Museum. Don’t be fooled, it is not actually a museum, but a painting cafe! You pay either 10 or 20 dollars (for the watercolor or acrylic package, respectively), and you have access to paints, easels, canvases, aprons, brushes, and one drink! Take an afternoon and paint your stress away while eating cotton candy off the top of your pink drink - or if painting does the opposite for you and stresses you out, take a break in the ball pit and come back to your painting a few minutes later so you can see it through fresh eyes.

Don’t worry if you’re not a painter! They have fabulous and aesthetic paint by numbers available so that it takes the thinking out of painting. We chose to brave it on our own and as a result will not be sharing the final results on the internet. LOL.

That concludes this list of the best cafes in Busan! I still have five and a half more months living here, and I’m sure this list will continue to grow as the weather begins to warm up and I have more motivation for traveling across town! If you visit any of these places, be sure to tag me in your instagram story for me to see! And if you have any fantastics Busan cafes for me to try and add to this travel guide, PLEASE drop them below!

Comments mean the world to me, and I’m always down to try anything any of you recommend.

XOXO,

Emma

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