The Cutest Thing in Hongdae: The Hello Kitty Cafe

Hello Kitty is one of those characters that everyone knows of even if they’ve never seen the actual show. The cute and lovable Japanese character that was created in 1974 has grown to proportions that creator Yuko Yamaguchi likely never imagined. There’s a cafe in Hongdae that has the most fun pop-ups and this is one of them.

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Basic Info

The Hello Kitty Cafe is no longer in Hongdae, but this building is still run by Sanrio and is now the Sanrio Lover’s Club Cafe.

Address: 364-14 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (서울마포구서교동364-14)

Hours: Sunday ~ Thursday: 10:00am – 12:00am; Friday ~ Saturday: 10:00am – 2:00am

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The Cafe

Hello Kitty purses, blankets, tote bags, rings, necklaces, cafes and more all around the world and there’s one right in the middle of the trendy Hongdae district. Hongdae is where university students flock for live music shows, underground hip-hop and indie music venues, modern cafes and boutique shops. There is street art and graffiti and in the center of it all, the infamous Hello Kitty Cafe (헬로키티 카페 홍대).

The two story pink and white cafe that tourists flock to was opened in 2015 having been moved from a previously smaller location a couple blocks away. The building screams Hello Kitty from the alley it overlooks. A stone stairway leads up to the building that is decorated with gold and shiny accents giving the whole Hello Kitty experience a glamorous twist.

On the first floor is a cafe and gift shop and each corner of the building seems to have a photo zone so while customers must purchase a drink in order to hang out, no one is really hanging but meandering from room to room to get those all necessary photos. The first floor has a faux fireplace and chairs to give Helly Kitty a little homey vibe and then upstairs even her bedroom is on display though, the bedding looked quite worn and I would assume it hadn’t been washed in ages. Buffs on the walls here and there took away the glamour that the original decor gave off. The place could definitely use a little clean-up but that’s not stopping tourists anytime soon.

The food and coffee was a bit overpriced though comes out quite jazzed up with Hello Kitty faces and what not. We got there a bit after it opened and apparently they still needed an hour to heat up the waffle maker, so no waffles. We were okay with just having coffee as the food didn’t look all that appetizing for the price. That’s obviously not why we went there anyway.

Though I wasn’t a huge Hello Kitty fan going in, I was impressed with the overall effort to be completely Hello Kitty from top to bottom. Literally even the tiled Hanok style roof was painted pink and white too. They went gung-ho and it is all that and a bag of kitty litter… er something that goes along with Hello Kitty.

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Want something to do AFTER you’ve finished brunch and you’re looking to wander around Hongdae? Here are some awesome options while you’re in the area:

• Have you ever wanted to make your own neon light? You can in Hongdae! Check out this awesome experience.
• Check out the Virtual Reality Arcade inside of L7 Lotte Hotel. It’s fun for all ages. Get your tickets with Klook for discounted rates.
• Did you know you can go fishing in Hongdae? You sure can. Check out this very unique experience.
• See the Nanta Show at the Hongdae theater. Get your tickets online for a great discount with Klook.
• Escape rooms are awesome and there’s one in Hongdae too. Head there with some friends or your kids and have fun trying to BREAK OUT!
• Join a handmade ring making workshop at Hongdae Rings Village. You can design and make your own ring.
• Ever want to experience K-pop photoshoot with K-beauty makeup and hair styling? You can in Hongdae.
• Head to the Trickeye 3D Museum. Get your tickets online before you go for a discount.

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