Queen's Bakery and Cafe (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

When we talk about Namdaemun, the conversation is often about its traditional market which is the largest of its kind in the city with over 10,000 vendors. Very few times have we touched on its cafes and restaurants because the area is largely a culinary wasteland. But I was happy to report that things are looking better around here from what I've seen on this trip.



Situated just in front of Namdaemun market, Queen's Bakery and Cafe is built in the mold of a typical Paris Baguette Café (with better quality in my opinion) which has been hugely successful in Seoul over the past decade. I like their mission statement too - "Queen's Bakery aims to serve the freshest bread everyday for the health and happiness of your precious family and friends...".



The interior looks more or less like a Paris Baguette Café.



There's a very spacious dine-in area behind the bread table. 



I have a long anticipated lunch at Kwon Sook Soo coming up soon but these look too good for me to pass up.



What makes my breakfast more special is the fact that I get to sit in the "Conference Room", a section that is set deep into their dine-in area.



It's a very exclusive area that looks to me like a library or art gallery. In fact, it's so quiet that I can hear a pin drop.



Plain Croissant (2,200 won) - Pretty tasty and almost a perfect score in the cross-section test.



Kaya French toast (3,500 won) - I didn't expect to see kaya in Seoul (at least not everywhere) but the fact was, I had it a couple of times on this trip already. I'm guessing that Seoulists must have loved kaya like we do. This wasn't bad. The crust was a little on the hard side but the interior texture was nice and moist.



Queen's Bakery and Cafe gives me another nice breakfast option in Namdaemun, where quality bakery and breakfast spots are far and few.

Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: ₩₩₩
Address: 1-1, Namchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Closest Metro Station: Hoehyeon
Tel: +82 02-757-6543
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm (Closed on Sunday)