3 Great Dessert Spots In Seoul To Try Now

It’s heating up outside. Seoul in the summer is hot, sticky, and humid. There are plenty of ways to cool off though whether you’re eating the delicious cold Korean soups, dipping into the pools and streams, or enjoying the air conditioners of the museums. If those don’t quite hit the spot though, maybe some cold ice cream or gelato will.

I took an adventure out to try some of the delicious cold treats around town this week and here are three ice cream/gelato joints that offer unique flavors and a great time if you’re looking to cool off this summer in Korea. Frozen treats are the way to go if you ask me.

Get ready to eat ice cream in Seoul:

• Scooper Gelato (스쿠퍼젤라또)
• The Martin (더마틴)
• Ice Cloud Gelatoria (아이스클라우드)

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Scooper Gelato (스쿠퍼젤라또)

How To Get There

• Address: 158, Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 통인동 158)
• Directions: You’ll find it located on the right side of the bustling alleyway, adjacent to a restaurant or two.

Basic Information

• Days: Tuesday—Sunday
• Hours: Open Tue – Sun 12 PM-9 PM, and closed on Monday.
• Special notes: The place is small, so there is no public bathroom.
• Website: https://www.instagram.com/scooper_gelato/

What To Expect

It’s a very small cute shop. It would be better if you ate somewhere else after picking up your gelato due to the limited space. There is one size which is served in either a cup or cone, and is priced at W5,500. If you seek a bigger size, then getting it to-go would be the move. There are a total of three to-go sizes which are larger and will really hit that frozen-treat seeking spot: Piccolo (15,500 KRW for two flavors), Medio (21,000 KRW for three flavors), and Grande (30,000 for four flavors).

The best thing about getting it to-go is the sealed containers with an ice pack they give you. It’s perfect and will buy you enough time to get home or enjoy it with someone else at a different location.

What To Try

There are a plethora of flavors to choose from like rice, red grape, passion fruit, black sesame, and many more. A summer taste for the taste buds, the first one I tried was the watermelon gelato. Not only does it nearly mimic the taste, it’s even juicier than your typical watermelon when you spoon it into your mouth. If you are a fan of watermelon, then this gelato flavor is the one for you. Though it’s a year-round option, this is definitely a summer highlight if you ask me.

On the other side, sticking out like a sore thumb is none other than a tomato-flavored gelato. The tomato has a bitter-sweet taste to it, with chunks of cherry tomatoes or something close to that sprinkled around like a topping. The taste briefly permeates in your mouth like a mint before diminishing and making you want to continue going. The tomato seems to follow the Law of Diminishing Returns for non-tomato fans due to it tasting more and more like a tomato the more you consume. For tomato fans—great, for anyone else—don’t get too much of it.

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The Martin (더마틴)

How To Get There

• Address: 10 Jahamun-ro 33-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 자하문로33길 10)
• Directions: The closest way to get there is to go to Seoul Station, and reach the Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center. Then take the 1711 green bus that will bring you to Gyeonggi Commercial High School, which is a two minute walk away. There are a lot of bus options to get there in the town, so don’t worry if you have to find a different route to get there.

Basic Information

• Days: Monday-Sunday, closed Tuesday
• Hours: 12 PM-7 PM weekdays, 11:30 AM-9 PM weekends
• Special notes: It’s a place where you can have a normal meal as well, and is quite spacious.
• Website: https://www.instagram.com/the__martin__/

What To Expect

The Martin is a great place to hangout by yourself or with others. It has a lively atmosphere and very friendly staff. The Martin is wedged between two other places, veiled behind a narrow alleyway. “Only the worthy can seek out The Martin,” as some might say. It’s cross between old-fashioned and modern day design. You have to cross a small courtyard after descending into The Martin world, but it’s very peaceful and may even be a place you can eat at.

What To Try

The Martin is a full-on café where you can order both coffee and ice cream, as well as actual meals depending on your mood. You can just come for their signature dish, the ham gelato croissant sandwich, created by the owner. Or, you can just eat there like you would at any café. Of course, you really came for what everyone comes there for—the ham and ice cream croissant! For W16,000, this magnificent item can be all yours.

With a mix of vanilla ice cream and peppered ham tucked under crisp croissant bread, biting into it will end up giving you a bizarre taste of vanilla and ham coming together in harmony. Your taste buds will be bombarded by a sweet, peppery taste. Somehow, the bread and ice cream come together pretty nicely. The chewy ice cream gains a little kick of flavor from the special ham, and could even be crunchy at times. Despite its strange design, you don’t want to miss out on this genius amalgam.

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Ice Cloud Gelatoria (아이스클라우드)

How To Get There

• Address: Seogyodong 332-20, Mapo-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 마포구 서교동 332-20)
• Directions: if you live near Sinchon, then taking the subway to Hongik University will be the fastest way to get there. If you aren’t close, taking the green line on the subway to Hongik is still the best way. It’s a five minute walk from the station, and just like Scooper, it’s between two other buildings in the large alleyway. The umbrella outfront that says the name is the easiest way to spot it once you enter.

Basic Information

• Days: Sunday-Saturday, closed Monday
• Hours: 12 PM-10 PM
• Special notes: Getting the gelato to go will allow you to have more flavors, since you can only order one for there.
• Website:https://www.instagram.com/icecloud_gelateria/

What To Expect

The inside is rather cute and compact, with a multitude of legos, and other knickknacks on the counter. There’s also a few seats inside, outside and, over on the left near the window—where you can get a terrific view of the art painted on the side of Ice Cloud’s neighbor.

Just like with Scooper Gelato, there is only one size to eat there due to its small store size. A single cup will cost you W4,400, while you can get an Affogato (2 scoops of gelato and espresso) for W6,500. They also have the option for an Americano or Latte for W4,000 and W4,500 apiece. They use the same kind of cooling tech as Scooper, and offer three sizes to-go as well. The medium (2 flavors) will cost you W18,500, the larger medium grants you three flavors for W21,500, and the large delivers four different flavors for W23,500.

What To Try

There is a wide selection to choose from with flavors like tiramisu, salt milk, earl gray milk tea, apple mango, chocolate, riso, and much much more. They even have their own tomato flavor, if you want a chance to try it again or if you missed it after picking another interesting flavor from Scooper. Getting 2-3 to go and eating outside of the establishment or on the benches towards the left of the shop is the best way to enjoy your unique flavors.

Out of the wide selection, I picked three that sounded both unique and enticing. The Kiwi flavor is just as you would expect. The only difference from your typical kiwi is the pure blast of flavor within every bite. It truly is a near-perfect combination of kiwi and gelato. The mugwort cake fell in the same area as green tea and matcha-flavored gelato for me. The main difference is its darker look. While it was good, it can’t compete with the kiwi. Of course, if you are matcha fan, then this is for you. Lastly, chestnut gelato. For a gelato version, it hits pretty close to home for the mimicry of taste. You can really taste the nuts within it as well as enjoy the slightly rough texture. It replicates the flavor beautifully. A true nut gelato.

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Looking for gelato in Seoul? I know your mouths are watering now… or maybe you’re wondering what some of these monstrosities are that I mentioned. Either way, if you’re just curious or looking to cool off, there are three places you need to see in Seoul.

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