Hongdae to open a cafe that takes industrial design to the extreme. Located off the neighborhood’s main streets, Anthracite Coffee Roasters features corrugated steel roofing atop exposed wooden ceiling beams and cinder block walls punctuated with large holes of dubious vintage. Add to this bomb shelter-chic some jazz, colorful paintings and a hodge podge of plush chairs, large couches and frilly pillows, and you’ll have Seoul’s answer to what’s currently cool. One note is that in one of the bathroom there are two toilets but no wall so enter at your own risk.
Anthracite Coffee is located in an old abandoned factory away from the busier part of Sangsu. The inside has been modified from its industrial past to a place where customers can enjoy coffee. Though not a coffee drinker, all the coffee is hand dripped. I had the blueberry rooibos tea served in a glass flask normally seen at labs. The place gets quite busy so try to go a little earlier as it gets full of old ladies who spend 4 hours with one coffee.