Deux Amis Café (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Garosugil and the streets of Sinsa-dong (新沙洞) haven’t quite been the same since the onset of COVID-19. Many designer boutiques, cafés, and restaurants that once defined the area have since moved on. Still, a few stalwarts have remained and among them, Deux Amis Café, a dessert café known for its refined French pastries with a touch of Japanese influence.

It was a quiet Wednesday afternoon and not surprisingly, the café wasn’t too busy — the perfect setting to spend a slow, relaxing hour for me.

As always, their display counter was lined with a nice selection of cakes including some Japanese-style strawberry shortcakes and matcha creations sitting alongside traditional French classics like chocolate cake and mille-feuille in a variety of flavors.

Since I have a pretty light schedule this afternoon, I decided to come in and spend a lazy hour just chilling out.

Earl Grey milk tea (₩8,700) – I noticed the slightly reddish color in the drink while snapping a few photos. Just as I was about to take a sip, my server came over to apologize as they had mistakenly served me a strawberry milk tea instead. To their credit, they quickly offered to replace it with the correct order.

Praline mille-feuille (₩9,000) – Deux Amis is always known for its superb execution of French classics and I was pretty happy with my choice of the praline mille-feuille. 

The layers of pastries were textbook-perfect. Wonderfully flaky, buttery, and crisp. Sandwiched between them was a delicate praline cream, rich and silky with deep, nutty undertones that made every bite incredibly satisfying.

Honestly, with the calming atmosphere and beautifully crafted desserts, I could have easily spent a few more hours soaking in the ambiance. But the clock was ticking.

I had one more stop on my itinerary this afternoon, a place I had planned to visit on our first night if not for the flight delay — the iconic Starfield Library in COEX Mall. So, I better get going as my team’s expecting me in Sinsa in less than two hours!

Food Rating: 6.2/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 535-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Sinsa

Tel: +82 2-3443-0030

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:30pm daily