JL Dessert Bar

About five years ago, I had the signature Tomato Basil Plate at the Itaewon location of JL. It was my first time spending the same amount on dessert as I would on a full meal, and the taste stayed with me ever since. Since then, I’ve found myself gravitating toward dishes and drinks that feature tomato and basil together, and looking back, I realize that moment was when I first discovered my deep, personal taste for food. Now, returning to Korea after a long time, I find myself enjoying this plate once again at another location. It’s a delightful taste, full of happiness. The open-bar format, where you can catch glimpses of the chef’s unique plating style and passion for desserts, adds to the experience. I’ve tried both the dessert tasting and the à la carte menu, but the standout was definitely the tiramisu with rum. It’s bold and intense, yet disappears quickly, leaving no lingering heaviness in the mouth. Even the tea selection and sorbets are impeccable.

When I first discovered JL Dessert Bar 4-5 years ago in its previous location, I thought this was a true hidden gem. Really high quality dessert presented in a fine dining fashion but at a rather affordable price. Unfortunately it feels like a highly commercialized and overpriced cafe today. The menu hasn’t changed much from the last time I visited. The Cranachan and pistachio tart that I had 4-5 years ago were very good. The JL and fondue cheese cake pale in comparison. The JL was very ordinary, like something you could buy from a grocery store’s frozen section (it was literally taken out of a plastic container and served directly without any additional effort). The fondue cheese cake tasted burnt, not like a Basque burnt cheesecake, just burnt. Bakeries and patisseries are highly competitive in Korea. I doubt this place will survive for long if it simply rests on its laurels. Do yourself a favor and walk 10 minutes to Sous le gui, which has really good quality desserts (albeit a limited menu) at a lower price.

We did the 2 dessert tasting menu and it was interesting. The desserts were unique like we had a dessert carbonara. I will say it was visually more impressive than it tasted. Not particularly impressed with any of the flavors but it was fun nonetheless.

Upscale dessert bar inside and on the second floor of the Baccarat store. To find, you must enter Baccarat and then head up the staircase slightly to the left once you step inside. The decor and clientele is quite classy, it's not a particularly casual place to visit. You must purchase an overpriced drink per person as a minimum, even if you are also getting a dessert or the dessert tasting. A tea for 12k is over the top, as is a hot chocolate at 10k, not to mention the cocktails and spirits also on the menu. Fortunately the hot chocolate was excellent, rich and slightly salty. The deserts were exceptional thankfully, and compared to the drinks, reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend the pistachio tart and the raspberry cranachan. Both were presented perfectly and tasted decadent. Can see why this bar is rated highly, would recommend and visit again regardless of the prices.

Booked the table through catchtable. Intended to reserve the menu tasting which is 55,000 per person. After ordering, the waitress mentioned that we must ordered one drink per person to go with it. I don’t understand why this rules would exist….if the restaurant comes up the tea paring or wine paring, I would happy to go with. But mandatory to have order a drink is not making sense. Overall the creativity of the dessert in fact is quite good. I highly recommended to try Carbonara. It indeed freshen up the mind how usually eat it.

Tucked away upstairs, it’s not a cafe that can be found unless you’re looking for it. This dessert cafe was a lovely surprise, with warm lighting and a cosy but upbeat ambience (I really enjoyed the music!). If you sit at the high bar table, you’ll also get to watch the talented chef up close, carefully curating each dessert dish. I really enjoyed each dish but my favourite has to be the yellow ball (forgot the name sorry, but I took a photo). I highly recommend this place and would come back again!

Ended my trip with a dessert testing menu at JL Dessert Bar. It has been listed on 100 Tastes of Seoul for three consecutive years !

Gorgeous presentation and great flavors. This is our go-to dessert place for special occasions. Yes it's a bit pricey especially with a drink but this isn't an ice cream shop - it's gourmet dessert as art so consider it an experience!