"To All The Boys: Always and Forever"' Cartoon Cafè in Seoul: 2D Cafè Greem

I remember vividly when I first came to Korea and, after searching for cute cafès, I found the very peculiar black and white cartoon cafè called "Yeonnam-dong 239-20". At that time Cafè Greem was still a super small cafè, hidden away between buildings of the residential area. I also remember it took me so much to find it! One thing I remember is that I never saw anything like that before; it literally was so unique, something I'd never found in Italy.  I guess I was not the only one who thought that way, because after a while the place moved in a bigger building and in a way more visible area in the neighborhood. And that's how Yeonnam-dong 239-20 became Cafè Yeonnam-dong 223-14. Obviously, now it's simply known as the famous 2D cafè in Seoul or "Greem Cafè". So, are you ready to slip into this comic book made into reality with me? ;)

The name Greem is actually the word "그림", which means drawing in Korean. Well, it's not surprising, isn't it?! It's not like every day to find a black and white cartoon cafè, and I'm so glad I got the chance to see such a unique idea develop into one of the hot-spot cafès of Yeonnam neighborhood. When you enter the place it feels like you're suddenly into a two-dimensional drawing, where everything looks like a cartoon. It surely is what we would define "instagrammable", with everything -from furniture to appliances, to walls and floors- built to follow the "cartoon theme". Over the years Cafè Greem got super famous and became very well known in town.

This cartoon theme cafè became so famous that it even appeared in the 3rd Netflix produced movie "to all the boys I've loved before". When I saw the trailer, I immediately recognized it. I guess that's one of the perks to be the famous "cartoon cafè in Seoul", there's nothing that looks like you! In the trailer, Lara Jean is seen talking with Margot and Kitty in the cafè, and you can also see her write one of her famous letters. Actually, I and my friends couldn't recreate the scene of the movies because we were in another spot (the table of the movie was occupied, of course) and we couldn't go upstairs on the 2nd floor because...we were tired, actually! And moreover, we only had one hour to enjoy coffee together, because of the rules set by the cafè that you can only stay there one hour (one hour and a half if you count the fact you're waiting for your food). The building in Seoul has three floors, there's plenty of space, but I've never seen the one in Jeju-- I just know they opened a bigger branch there!

My experience was, overall, very nice. The staff was so kind and extremely attentive to the safety norms. During the pandemic, the rules are obviously a bit stricter. Aside from social distancing, as of today, you can only stay inside one hour, and only in groups of a maximum of five people. It's also required that you check your temperature and sign your name and telephone number before they let you in. The choice of food, desserts, and drinks is now more varied than when I first visited the place. We decided to opt for a Green Tea Latte, a normal caffè-latte and I went for the house specialty: hwahwa choco. They make the chocolate flower, apparently. While the chocolate flower was good, the drink (ice cream with lots of ice and chocolate) was okay. Nothing special. Same for the drinks, which I guess were the usual drinks you can find in many places, made with the powder mix. Next time I go (if I go again) I will try the food, and hopefully, I can try the cupcakes that appear in the trailer of "To All The Boys: Always and Forever"'. 

I hoped you enjoy visiting 2D Cafè Greem, the Seoul Cafè that looks like a Cartoon, in this blog post with me. Regardless of your interest in cafès, I think this is a must-visit spot if you come to Seoul. It will surely give you the chance to upgrade your Instagram game, and you will surely be able to take beautiful pictures! 

Since we're talking about Insta, why don't you follow me there? My id is @dearmirae_

그림카페(Greem Cafe)

Open: 12 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Closed: Monday & Tuesday

Address: Seoul, Mapo-gu, Yeonnam-dong, Seongmisan-ro, 161-10 카페 1.5층

Phone: 010-2612-8013