Great food and coffee in traditional surroundings at Burger de Joseon & Naeja Coffee

I left the house quite late to go to a rooftop I’d heard was free to go up, and has good views over Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeongbokgung Palace. Looking for something nice to eat after, I found Burger de Joseon (버거드조선). It’s a restaurant in an old traditional Korean house in an oldish part of town. This is an are where buildings are being refurbished rather than knocked down.

It wouldn’t open for a bit, so went I to a groovy little coffee shop next door, also in a refurbished building: Naeja and Co (내자상회). The coffee was good and the atmosphere pleasant. There were also some kitchen items on sale and a few other knick-knacks. The building itself was mainly just the walls and roof and one whole wall on the street side had been completely replaced with a window.

Burger de Joseon is behind a white tiled wall with a small door. Through the door, you enter a small courtyard with a few seats and the main wooden building on the left and in front of you. It really is an idyllic, quaint looking place, the type of place where you think, “yes, they did this right!”

Being so early, I was the only one there. It was very cosy inside with seating for maybe fifteen? They had a few burgers on offer, home made apparently, and Magpie beer which is always a happy bonus. And I’m happy to say the food was great, so it’s a keeper…as long at it can survive the pandemic.

I came here again in 2021 with Romana and sat in the garden area; again, fantastic food and beer. We spent some time having a blast taking ‘arty’ photos of the joint!