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A CUP OF TEXT (어코트): a book-themed aesthetic café in Haebangchon, Seoul
A CUP OF TEXT (어코트) is a quiet, cozy book café in Haebangchon, Seoul, best known for cup sleeves printed with sentences from books and a gorgeous banana pudding. If you want a calm, bookish corner instead of the big bustling cafés the neighborhood is famous for, this is an easy recommendation.
Where it is
The café is in Haebangchon, Yongsan-gu, in the Itaewon area. Address: 6, Sowol-ro 20-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Floor 1, Unit 1). It started life as a bookshop, and you can feel it: books are displayed all around the space, so it reads like a proper book café.
Opening hours
- Monday to Saturday: 08:30 to 18:00
- Sunday: 12:00 to 18:00
What to order
We ordered the banana pudding and an iced americano. The banana pudding visual is, honestly, unreal: it comes loaded with banana slices and a generous cookie crumble on top. The portion is bigger than you would expect, so it is easy to share between three. On a hot day the iced americano hit exactly right, a proper cold refuel.
The vibe
The thing that caught my eye first was the cup sleeves. Each one is printed with a sentence pulled from a book, and reading them one by one is a quiet little joy. The quote is different on every cup, so we kept comparing ours and reading them out to each other. A small detail like that adds so much to a café’s charm. The real reason I came here was to see these cup sleeves for myself.
Inside there is a mix of seating: a bar where you sit side by side, two-person and four-person tables, and outdoor tables too. One wall is covered with notes left by visitors, which is fun to browse, and books and little objects are tucked around the whole space. There is even a cute character keychain that I couldn’t resist photographing.
Verdict
Haebangchon has plenty of famous big cafés, but if you are after something quieter and more tucked-away, A CUP OF TEXT is the one I would point you to. On a day when you want a coffee and a bit of book-like calm, come and read a few cup sleeves for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Where is A CUP OF TEXT (어코트)?
A CUP OF TEXT (어코트) is in Haebangchon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in the Itaewon area. Address: 6, Sowol-ro 20-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Floor 1, Unit 1.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday 08:30 to 18:00, and Sunday 12:00 to 18:00.
What is A CUP OF TEXT known for?
Its cup sleeves are printed with sentences taken from books, so every cup carries a different quote. It started as a bookshop, so books are displayed throughout, giving it a real book-café feel. The banana pudding is the standout dessert.
What should I order?
The banana pudding, generously topped with banana slices and cookie crumble, with an iced americano to go with it.