The Monologue House (더모놀로그하우스) is a Huam-dong café and hidden refuge for travel bugs within central Seoul. In addition to its huge collection of travel books and magazines, The Monologue House offers some of the best waffles and carrot cake in the neighborhood. Read on to learn more about the atmosphere, food options, and useful information.
What should I order?
If you’re looking for something fruity and light…
The café offers a series of ade (에이드), which are flavored sparkling drinks in Korea. You can buy the usual options such as orange, pomegranate, strawberry, etc. However, we recommend that you get the house flavor for a punch of Korean hibiscus. You can see this gorgeous cocktail style drink in the photo above.
If you’re looking for something sour…
The americano at The Monologue House has that unique, independent coffee shop taste: aka sour. I’m personally a big fan of sour americanos. If you’re also a fan like myself or are curious to try something new, I guarantee that you’ll be pleased with what you get here.
If your stomach is rumbling…
Although the café is famous for its waffles, the carrot cake served here is unique enough to dive into. The cake has a nice crumble and crunch to it – much more exciting than a soft layered cake. Additionally, it’s topped with a soft cream and crumble. I’ve never seen a carrot cake quite like this in Korea and it certainly won’t disappoint.
The Atmosphere
Huam-dong is a popular neighborhood for café lovers like myself. What’s even more significant is that it attracts far less attention than its famous neighbors: Itaewon (이태원), Gyeongridan-gil (경리단길), and HBC (해방촌). Huam-dong is for leisure walkers, dog owners, and reunions between old friends. It’s for those who like the serenity of a mid-Sunday afternoon, or a long cocktail as the clock ticks past 10.
It’s also a very residential area, meaning that the streets are at a hush during all hours of the day. After living in Seoul for nearly three years, any pocket of the city with fewer car honks and drunken shouts is worth spending some time in.
The café itself is not entirely different from many that you’ll find in Seoul. It comes across as slightly Scandi with its towering white walls and wooden décor. Where The Monologue House truly stands out is its close attention to detail. While the café feels minimalist, it also takes your eyes on a journey. There are desks that seem to belong in a bachelor pad (I halfway wondered if I was even allowed to sit there), old CDs and records, travel books from Monocle, and sports paraphernalia. It’s as if the café were more of a makeshift house with a cash register as a mere feature (none of the books are for sale, btw).
The travel books were also a pleasant surprise. I went to the café with my partner who has lived and studied aboard, so it was a great opportunity to share new stories with each other. We kept pulling out books of cities where we had lived and recalling memories as we pointed to the maps. It was an unexpectedly delightful afternoon filled with nostalgia – which I never expected to gather from a Huam-dong café.
The Monologue House Information
Address: 111 Duteopbawi-ro, Huam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours: 12PM – 8PM
Telephone: 02-512-7106
Price range: ₩-₩₩
Accessibility: Yes, from basement door
