Dae-o Bookstore

This place is a true hidden gem. This place was previously a book store which is now operates as a cafe. The menu is very simple but every drink is very delicious. This place is so atmospheric and it feels like traveling back in time when you ate inside. Everything is so magical and reminds of how time flies. Very beautiful and definitely recommended if you travel to Seoul and want to experience alerting some history feel!

Cash only. Seoul’s oldest bookshop, now lovingly preserved as a cafe to honour its vibrant history. The menu offers a few drinks, which is quite enough– the real charm lies in the interior and the smell of old books. The lady who runs the place is so sweet!

Come here for a beverage and to connect to RM & IU. The hostess is super nice and accommodating for photos. You must buy 1 drink per person to enter to support her building and it operation but it is like stepping back in time. Worth the visit.

Located in Seochon Village on the west side of Gyeongbokgung, the Palace of Shining Happiness, Daeo bookstore is the oldest in Seoul. It is named after a married couple, Cho Dae-sik and Kwon Oh-name, who founded it back in the 1950s. Nowadays, it is a second-hand bookstore as well as a little café. It is open in the afternoons and evenings. I had an iced yuzu and lemon tea for 6,500 won (£4). Cash only.

Lovely little café in a former bookstore, that is one of the oldest in Seoul. Amazing atmosphere.

Cash Only. Sajangnim is quite nice. She patiently waited while I counted out my many coins to purchase a notebook and Yuja lemon tea. This is the oldest bookstore in Seoul, and a family owned shop, so please be mindful and respectful. Do not deface idol and other famous persons artifacts.

This is a bookstore turned cafe story. This is one of the places that offers experience which is different and unique from the many cafes that line the streets of Seoul. It is a dying scene, an extinct place where history is preserved and yet resides in private hands. I hope more places similar can pivot their dying trade into something commercially viable, giving them a chance to survive in this ever changing (is it even necessary?) world.

It's said to be the oldest bookstore in Seoul and I love that you can feel this vibe. They still have a lot of the old books and clutter in this old Hanok house, which attracted big stars like RM from BTS or IU. When I was there the cute lady was so friendly and we even had a little talk about how this cafe gained popularity again.