Cafe spotting: Masseria
hand painted mural
If you’re new to this blog let me let you in on a “non-secret”: I love, love and love cafes. That’s the simplified version of how I feel when spending my time doing absolutely nothing in beautiful structures that serve coffee to the pay the rent. Like love there really are no words to describe the love of my life: Photography and Travel. For the man that I will marry in the future, don’t take this the wrong way: I love you, baby, but not like I love P and T and cafes? Ok?
I’m almost settled in to my new place here in the financial district of Seoul. You can imagine that there are no bohemian like cafes around these parts unless you count Starbucks and Cafe Pascucci as having potential beatnik vibes. Yeah, I don’t either.
Just around the corner from my apart’ lies Masseria. It’s not funky, nor loud but it definitely has something: a quietness. It’s not original in any sense but I appreciate that it’s not trying to invent the wheel either, I find that charming. Maybe that’s the new Original?
They serve real coffee, it’s roasted on the premises, they seem to respect their product and there’s no pretentiousness. I finally have a cafe just seconds outside my door and it looks like it belongs on a side street in Paris. Gotta’ love that.
what a charming cafe! i love the jar lights with the ivy hanging down.
You should include a Google map of the location, if you don’t mind the odd blog visitor coming to the café and enjoying the atmosphere as well.
Yeah, Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Pascucci, etc., have tended to crowd out the privately owned and operated coffee house, but they are still out there, and the owners tend to have a sense of style. A lot of people I’ve talked to who started their own coffee shop have done an amazing amount of research and put in a lot of effort to create this kind of atmosphere. It’s good that there are customers out there who appreciate it.
It looks like a very nice cafe 🙂
It is Mr. Sweden
Guess what? Yesterday I met one of your country women! I heard someone speaking Swedish while I was walking down the street and I just had to say something. I love Seoul and I miss Sweden!
Ciao!
To Kushibo
There really is no way to Google Map these places. Here in Seoul, it’s quite common to happen upon a street with no name.
The best thing to do is just tell which neighborhood it’s in, a landmark or two and have at it. The best way to find anything, especially cafes in Seoul, is to just walk and let the cafe find you. Works for me.
Strange how I stumbled across your site in search of A Land and find a post of Masseria, the cafe I visit daily before work. Kudos to your post.
PS You must try the Indonesian Mandheling.
its Sunday morning at the end of February with a drizzling persistent rain. Masseria is deserted except for me and the girl at the bar. Brazillian Jazz -pop from Bebel Gilberto is playing – a contrast to the greyness outside. So nice to find this post – someone noticed the perfect café.
I love hearing the rain from my cozy apartment. Will probably scoot on over to Masseria later on today with a great friend of mine. Today is truly a cafe day.
Enjoy Gilberto!