Caffe Vergnano 1882, Seoul

Caffe Vergnano 1882, Seoul
I like a good backstory, much more if it’s backed up by history. It’s impossible to beat a 130 year old backstory, and you instinctively know that it’s that good of a coffee story. 1882, can you beat that? I’d say to Domenico Vergnano, you’re the man! LOL And when you find out that you don’t have to go to Italy just to try this good news, what do you do? Yes, you café hop your way to it, with reckless abandon – you’re the man, Seoul!


The Caffe Vergnano 1882 is located in the Insa-dong, Jongno-194 (Hongik 1F) area. It’s a standout considering it’s one of the very few foreign coffee shops around the area. Here it’s retail shops, food shops, coffee shops, and this one. A standout, yes. It occupies a huge amount of floor space, with magnanimous signboard in front of its café. The best time to go here would be during the wee hours of the night, when all that’s left are the authentic coffee seniors who’d love a quiet and a more relaxed café environment.


Seoul won’t be soulful if it weren’t for places that embrace it. The Caffee Vergnano, though Italian in origin, is one of those places. Upon entering the all-encompassing one floor coffee shop, you’ll be reminded of the classic postcards that are often turned into Sepia or Vintage. The place is subdued and all that’s left are indistinctive murmurs and quiet coffee sips from the rest of the crowd. The coffee if probably one of the best you’ll ever taste in your entire lifetime. Every sip is an inspiration and every aftertaste is a new idea uncovering within your senses. It’s no wonder that most of the people you’ll see around here are local seniors, super adults, and older expats all sitting pretty and really experiencing the whole coffee drinking process.
Probably in my past life, I’m an intrepid barista in Italy who died fighting for my coffee shop. Haha! I have much respect and bias towards Italian coffee and Italian coffee shops, ever since I tried the best coffee in my life. And now, once again, even under a different country and setting, Italian coffee stands out from the rest. The Caffe Vergnano is one of those coffee shops that you would not be ashamed to bring your family, old school friends, smart-ass dates, and you even won’t regret being alone here. 1882 and you = perfect coffee combination.




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