Ikseon-dong is now one of the best places to go in Seoul

Ikseon-streets dong’s are like a maze, but they are full of treasures like cafés, restaurants, and craft shops with unique ideas and designs that young artists and businesspeople run. Ikseon-dong has enough things to see and eat to keep you busy for half a day.

What To Expect In Ikseon-dong

Ikseon-dong Hanok Village was built in the 1920s and had a unique mix of modern and traditional features. As the narrow streets twist and turn, they are lined with shops and cafes, each decorated differently.

Ikseon-dong Hanok Village

It’s not surprising that these alleys are called “photo zones” because the colorful shops make them the perfect place to take pictures. You can also find your way around Ikseon-dong Hanok Village with the help of shop signs and murals.

Address: Area of Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 수표로28길 일대)
Directions: Walk for approx. 2 min from Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 6

2storey house

2storey house is a French restaurant with a terrace on the second floor that looks out over the nearby hanok village. The chef went to the famous French cooking school Le Cordon Bleu and now makes French classics with ingredients that are easy to find in Korea. Try unusual combinations like cream pasta with bacon and oyster mushrooms or squid ink risotto with monkfish and French salsa sauce.

Address: 28, Donhwamun-ro 11na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 돈화문로 11나길 28)
Directions: From Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 6, walk for about 3 minutes.
Hours of operation: 11:30 to 2:00
Shrimp pasta costs 17,000 won, and shrimp and mushroom risotto costs the same amount.

Cheongsudang Cafe

If you walk around Ikseon-streets dong’s for long enough, you’ll find a small pond with stepping stones, surrounded by tall bamboo and round yellow lanterns. The path leads to Cheongsudang, which is a café made to look like an Asian garden. In addition to the way the inside of the café looks, the food on the menu is also trendy. Enjoy stone pour-over coffee, made with stone drippers, or Castella and Fromage cake, baked in square-shaped pottery.

Address: 31-9, Donhwamun-ro 11na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 돈화문로 11나길 31-9)
Directions: From Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 6, walk for about 3 minutes.
Hours of operation: 11:30 to 21:30
Signature menus: Stone pour-over coffee is 5,800 won, and the original egg soufflé Castella is 16,000 won.

The Ikseon Shooting Club

Stopping in the shops is part of what makes Ikseon-dong so interesting to see. At Ikseon Shooting Club, you can get rid of stress and win prizes at the same time.

This indoor shooting range has different kinds of BB guns that feel just like their real counterparts. Each type of gun has a certain number of points you need to win a prize.

Address: 21-13, Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 수표로28길 21-13)
Directions: From Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 6, walk for about 3 minutes.

Sala Daeng BANGKOK

In Ikseon-dong, tourists often go to Sala Daeng BANGKOK to eat Thai food. With its rattan furniture and green plants around a central swimming pool, the restaurant looks like a resort straight out of Bangkok.

On the menu, there are Korean versions of Thai dishes, which makes for a unique way to eat. If you want to try a bit of everything, order the Sala Daeng Special three-tier tray, which comes with dinner and dessert.

Directions: Walk for approx. 4 min from Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 6
Operating hours: 11:00-21:30 (Weekday break time 15:00~17:00 / No break time on weekends)
Signature menus: Shrimp Pat Thai omelet 16,000 won / Phoo Pad Phong Karee 28,000 won