We showcase CAFE Yeonnam-dong 239-20 in our latest travel feature on The Socialite next…

This is one café that would make you feel like you stepped right into a live comic book or even a webtoon. The inspiration behind the cafe arose from the hit TV drama series “W – Two Worlds” by Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo, in which the characters enter a fantasy webtoon world. In the show the characters clash between the real world and a fantasy world inside a webtoon.

CAFE Yeonnam-dong 239-20’s entire interior uses black contour lines on white furniture and walls to create the 2D aesthetic look and the comic book feel.

Owned by the company Greem, the cafés share a unique design concept created by founder and owner Eun-Jin Lee. Decked out like pen-drawn cartoons, these cafés blend reality and illusion together seamlessly—with white interiors creating a stark contrast with real and faux elements outlined in black, such as real tables, chairs, and mugs, plus illustrations of potted plants, tufted leather, flowers, art frames, wooden tiles, and a window with a peeking dog.

Their clever use of optical illusion and bold designs has made the cafe an Instagram favourite with bloggers, influencers and diners alike. Given its immense popularity it’s hard to imagine that it is just a 20-seater establishment managed by only one person.

Inside the cafe you will find two sections – an outside garden with a chilled vibe and the inside which is designed to look like a comic book.

So while you managed to see customers shooting all types of #OOTD and interior shots within the café, what you don’t see is that the small space is perpetually quite crowded and you got to be patient to wait for that right (empty) moment.

The menu is quite simple but effective and features coffee and lattes as well as a green tea latte option. Even the drinks are served in cups designed to look like they are part of a drawing when photographed to really capture the essence of the design.