In the Hongdae area there are plenty of cafes to choose from, and ever more are opening (and closing, too). We went to check out one that’s been around for over 10 years: Coffee Lab.

Google maps:

Naver maps link: 커피랩 마포구

The coffee menu is very long and includes dozens of artsy coffee offsprings, reaching into 빙수 and alcohol fused mixes. For hand- drip though:

Preparation looked everything but experienced. Brown paper filters that were not rinsed, not the dripper or the glass carafe were rinsed either.

The beans were weighed, but that was the only bit of precision. No scale for water and no timer there either, and a pour that clocked in just over 1.5 minutes.

The taste profile of the resulting coffee was surprisingly good (at first). The dark berry note in the Ethiopian coffee was unexpected but nice. But when the coffee cooled down, the fruit notes were substituted by a fearless bitterness.

Unlikely a spot to return to. But to be fair, the dessert we had on the side was very tasty – so I’m sure that can convince some people.