Along the Cheonggyecheon stream in Jongro, there is an entrance to a small indoor market. On a weekend at midday, the market is eerily quiet and dark, but if you follow bright posters up to the fourth floor and rooftop, you will have made it to Public Garden.
Public Garden is a café and restaurant. The building is on top of a rooftop with a large concrete courtyard. Despite the amount of concrete outside, inside the café it was beautifully warm and welcoming.
Although the café was small, it was genuinely lovely. The walls and ceiling were painted in a lovely warm beige and the floor was a light washed wood.
Alongside the flooring, wood was also used in various other elements in the space and using different stains of wood. There were wooden beams stained in a dark chestnut, while there was honey toned wood used for the seating, storage and ordering counter.
The space had a lovely comforting feel to it. I went on a partly sunny day and when the sun shone through the windows, the space became especially cosy.
There were windows alongside two of the main walls in the café and they not only let in natural light, but made the space feel bigger. Since the café was onto of a rooftop, it was a great vantage point for not only the sun, but also city views. Even sitting within the café, you were treated to a nice urban view.
Decoration in the space was minimal and was mostly functional with lighting, cabinetry and plants. However, the centre piece of the café was a sound system in between the ordering counter and seating areas. The vintage sound system was housed in wood and covered in indoor plants. It tied in all element of the space and was a perfect centre piece.
The café’s inside seating was similar with seats for twos and fours, except for a small sofa style seat. There was also seating outside that ranged from picnic tables to stools to normal chairs.
The seating inside was a good height for working and although the space was good for socialising, the calm mood of the café made it also nice for working or studying.
The outside area also had a nice garden and though at the time of visiting was hibernating, you could definitely see the summertime potential.
Also though, in typical Jongro style the café was hidden and difficult to get to. So I suggest checking their location guide on Instagram before going to the café.
Moving on to drinks. While the space also offered meals, I just got the milk tea and the miso caramel brownie. The milk tea was ok but nothing special. It sweet and flavoured well but definitely had the taste of a powered milk tea.
The brownie on the other hand was delicious. It came presented drizzled with caramel and with a side of ice cream. The brownie was rich and chocolatey and the caramel was sweet. The addition of the vanilla ice cream was very welcome as it helped cut the sweetness of the brownie and caramel. However, together with the milk tea it was a bit sickening so I would recommend getting more bitter drink to cancel out the sweetness.
Public Garden is a picturesque and cosy space in the middle of a concrete jungle. In dead beat terms, it is a true example of a hidden gem. The café and restaurant is a warm and welcoming space with a tasty menu. Not only can you get a nice view of the neighbourhood, it a great place for healing time. It is a must visit if you’re in the neighbourhood and don’t mind a bit of searching.
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