Susanghan Bagel Hongdae: The Must-Visit Bagel Café in Seoul for Brunch Lovers
Some cafés in Hongdae try to be futuristic.
Susanghan Bagel feels like it belongs in a small European town instead.
The first thing noticeable isn’t the bagels. It’s the building itself. A slightly old-fashioned façade, stone exterior walls, soft yellow lights strung across the upper floor, and a wooden sign that simply reads “Susanghan Bagel.”
It doesn’t look trendy.
It looks inviting.
And that’s the difference.
Today’s Stop : Susanghan Bagel
Address : Wausan-ro 15-gil 22, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Instagram : @susanghan_bagel
The Exterior: A Hidden Café in Hongdae That Feels Like a Secret
Walking up to Susanghan Bagel feels like discovering something slightly tucked away from Hongdae’s main noise.
The entrance is framed with stone walls and a small gated opening. The name “수상한 베이글” sits above the doorway in simple lettering. There’s greenery around the building, and warm bulbs strung overhead give it a faint storybook feeling.
If someone searched for:
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This is the kind of place they’re imagining.
From the outside alone, it feels less commercial and more personal.
Inside: Warm Wood, Cutting Boards, and Soft Lighting
Once inside, the mood shifts completely from Hongdae chaos to rustic warmth.
The walls are decorated with wooden cutting boards of different shapes and sizes, mounted almost like art pieces. Tiny fairy lights weave between them, adding warmth rather than flashiness.
There’s a wooden counter displaying pastries, cakes, and bagels in open crates. Lace doilies sit under dessert stands. Vintage-style candlesticks stand next to fresh orange roses.
It feels curated but not over-designed.
Like someone cared.
The Dessert Display: Playful but Thoughtful
The first thing that catches attention is the brownies.
Not because they’re massive. Not because they’re stacked high.
But because each brownie has a little marshmallow character sitting on top — with a yellow “hair” swirl, tiny chocolate-dot eyes, and a red nose.
They look like tiny edible snowmen or cartoon figures.
The sign next to them reads “나는야 멋쟁이 제임스” — roughly translating to something like “I’m Cool Guy James.” It’s playful. It has personality.
This isn’t a factory café. This is a place that enjoys making people smile.
And that matters.
Strawberry Cream Bagels That Look Like Mini Cakes
Then there are the strawberry cream bagels.
Round, soft buns split in half, filled generously with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, topped with powdered sugar and cherries. They look like miniature celebration cakes more than simple bread.
The strawberries are bright red. The cream is thick and clean. The presentation is deliberate.
They don’t feel rushed.
They feel assembled with attention.
In a city full of hyper-minimal cafés, this kind of cozy abundance stands out.
The Bagels: Golden, Glossy, Properly Baked
Moving toward the bagel crates, the bread itself speaks.
The plain bagels are golden brown with a slight sheen. The tops are smooth, lightly blistered. The bottoms look evenly baked.
Next to them, cream cheese-stuffed variations sit with visible filling breaking through the surface. Some are topped with crushed nuts, adding texture and a slight caramelized crunch.
They don’t look mass-produced. They look handmade.
And the slight variation in shape between each one confirms that.
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Susanghan Bagel visually delivers before you even take a bite.
The Seating Area: A Café Meant to Be Sat In
One of the most overlooked things about cafés in Seoul is seating comfort.
Susanghan Bagel has wooden tables, mismatched chairs, and a long window bar overlooking greenery outside. Brick walls frame the windows, letting in soft daylight.
It doesn’t feel cramped.
It doesn’t feel overly staged.
It feels lived-in.
This is the kind of place where you can sit with a latte and not feel like you need to leave immediately.
The wood tones throughout the space — from tables to flooring — create a warmth that contrasts nicely with the bright desserts on display.
The Drinks: Layered, Soft, Balanced
One of the drinks photographed shows a layered beverage — likely a latte variation — with a gradient from milk at the bottom to espresso above, topped with pink cream and crushed garnish.
It’s visually appealing without being gimmicky.
Susanghan Bagel seems to understand that drinks don’t need to be dramatic to be memorable.
They just need to pair well with the bread.
What Makes Susanghan Bagel Different in Hongdae
Hongdae is packed with cafés.
Some go ultra-minimal.
Some go hyper-modern.
Some rely entirely on viral aesthetics.
Susanghan Bagel doesn’t chase any of that.
Instead, it builds atmosphere through:
Warm lighting
Wood textures
Handmade dessert designs
Rustic presentation
Cozy European-style décor
It feels intentional without being loud.
And that’s rare.
The Balance Between Whimsical and Classic
The marshmallow brownie characters are playful.
The strawberry buns are charming.
The bagels are classic.
The interior is rustic.
It’s a combination that shouldn’t work — but does.
Because the core focus remains good bread.
The bagels aren’t overshadowed by the décor.
The décor enhances the experience.
That’s a subtle but important difference.
A Morning Here Feels Slower
There’s something about Susanghan Bagel that encourages slowing down.
The fairy lights along the cutting boards.
The roses on the counter.
The brick-framed windows.
The wooden crates holding bread.
It doesn’t rush you.
And in a neighborhood like Hongdae — where everything usually moves fast — that calmness becomes its biggest strength.
Final Thoughts
Susanghan Bagel isn’t trying to reinvent the bagel.
It’s trying to create a space.
A space where wooden cutting boards become wall art.
Where brownies have personalities.
Where strawberries are arranged like miniature cakes.
Where bagels sit in wooden crates instead of sterile glass displays.
And in Hongdae, that warmth stands out.
If searching for:
Cozy café in Hongdae
Rustic bakery in Seoul
European-style bagel café
Unique brunch spot near Sangsu
This place fits naturally into that list.
Not because it’s loud.
But because it feels genuine.
