Nakwon Station: Cafe & Bar In Ikseon-dong With A Real Train Track

Nakwon Station

One of Seoul’s oldest neighbourhoods, the old-school Ikseon-dong is a must-visit for those with a penchant for the past. Besides the Bukchon Hanok Village, Ikseon-dong is also home to the maze-like Hanok Street, where you’ll find numerous cafes and bars. One such cafe is Nakwon Station, a novel cafe designed to look like a retro train station.

Train station & railway interior

Nakwon Station - hanok house cafe
Image credit: @cafe_travelive

Like other establishments in the area, Nakwon Station bears the hallmarks of a traditional hanok house, which were carefully preserved throughout the years.

Nakwon Station - old-school train station cafe
Video adapted from: @so.so.ilsang

As the cafe is designed to look like an old-school train station, the first thing you’d see at the entrance of Nakwon Station is a retro train announcement panel that displays their logo.

Nakwon Station - train tracks in a cafe
Image credit: @020407.bang

Almost every spot in Nakwon Station can be an OOTD spot, but the most popular one has got to be the train tracks – complete with real gravel, rocks, and plants – in the middle of the cafe.

Nakwon Station - woody interior
Image adapted from: @kj_seoul_cafe, @yoon_212

Overall, Nakwon Station’s wood-filled interior and plants makes it a great place to wind down with your friends over a nice cuppa and desserts.

Dessert conveyor belt

Nakwon Station - Dessert conveyor belt
Video adapted from: @y__ong.chu__

One of the most exciting things about Nakwon Station is their dessert conveyor belt. Similar to what you’d see in a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, the plates of desserts go round and round, ready to be picked up by a diner. Though conveyor belt restaurants aren’t anything new, the novelty of seeing the carousel only being filled with desserts is exciting to many diners.

Nakwon Station - Earl Grey Chocolate Cake
Image credit: 블리윤

We recommend one of the bestsellers, Earl Grey Chocolate Cake (KRW8,000, ~USD5.55), which consists of strong Earl Grey and sweet chocolate cream sandwiched between layers of cake.

Nakwon Station - Green Grass Cake
Image credit: @ming.__.g

Another must-try dessert is the Green Grass Cake (KRW8,000, ~USD5.55). Despite its name, the cake isn’t actually grass-flavoured.

Nakwon Station -
Image credit: 쿠키네마미손

It is a green tea-flavoured cake with chocolate sponge layers and a generous topping of fresh cream and green tea powder. The balance of bitter and sweet flavours makes it perfect for all green tea lovers.

Interesting drinks such as Maple Cream Coffee

Nakwon Station - maple cream latte
Image credit: 유니

Don’t miss out on Nakwon Station’s interesting beverages, which are just as mouth-watering as their desserts. Instead of ordering a basic Americano or latte, try Nakwon Station’s signature drink, Maple Cream Coffee (KRW7,200, ~USD4.99). The drink is also known as the Coal Coffee – for some reason – and consists of espresso, milk, and faintly sweet maple-flavoured cream.

Nakwon Station - peanut cream latte
Image credit: @yupol_

Another customer favourite is the Peanut Cream Latte (KRW7,200, ~USD4.99) which is made with peanut cream, espresso and milk, and topped with crumbly peanut-flavoured streusel.

Nakwon Station - alcohol in the cafe
Image adapted from: @delicious_whisky_mania

Nakwon Station’s drink menu is fairly extensive – other than coffee, tea, and lemonades, there is also alcohol such as red and white wine, champagne, and bottled beer. Nakwon Station is an all-day cafe and bar, so you can get coffee and alcohol anytime throughout the day.

Getting to Nakwon Station

Nakwon Station - entrance of the cafe
Image credit: @kkkkkkkkkkkkam

Nakwon Station is located in Ikseon-dong Hanok Street, where you can also find exciting fortune-telling capsule machines and a stretch of restaurants selling delicious food from a plethora of countries.

How to get there: