Ichae Cafe 이채 카페

A few steps off the crowded main street of Bukchon, a compact hanok holds this cafe, about 150m from Anguk Station in a lane across from the Constitutional Court. Seating splits into a 4-person table in the courtyard, a small shoes-off room, a bar counter and inner tables, and cats sometimes walk the roof tiles above the yard. Espresso comes in a cup that looks lifted from the Arabian Nights, and the coffee itself is nutty and deep. Omija tea, made from five-flavor berries, is served iced as well, its color striking in the glass; green tangerine tea is the other traditional pick. Basque cheesecake and chestnut cake fill the dessert side, and the chestnut cake sits naturally beside a coffee. Rain brings the sound of water dripping off the eaves, though the place is rarely empty.