I’m not going to lie, I am a girl who likes her designer goods, handbags in particular. So when I found out that there was a cafe inside the Dior store in Apgujeong, I put it on my list of places to go. However when I finally got around to looking at the prices I nearly died of shock and promptly forgot about it. However not only am I blessed with good fortune, I am also blessed with good friends. Fellow Travel blogger American Girl in Asia offered to take me as a gift for my upcoming wedding, so we put on our most Dior-esque looks and headed over to the fancy side of town to give it a try.
The Cafe Dior by Pierre Herme is located on the 5th floor of the boutique, so you need to walk through the store to get to the elevators. If you are getting a little lost you can ask the very lovely assistants to help you. I have always found that out of all the luxury brands, Dior Staff are generally the most friendly and helpful so please do not feel intimidated about going in and having a look round. Once you reach the top floor you will be greeted, and asked to sit in their lovely lounge area whilst they find a table for you. This is a great opportunity to get some photos, before relaxing over coffee.
The cafe itself is not over adorned in branding. I was expecting to see everything with a Dior label on it, but unfortunately not. Maybe this is to deter theft? I’m sure a lot of people (myself included) might feel tempted to pilfer a cup or teaspoon if they had Dior written on them. However there are various magazines and coffee table books which are available for you to take photos with.
Once seated you are given a menu to choose from. I knew going in that this place is eye-wateringly expensive but it is still a shock. The individual desserts cost 32,000 a piece, and quite frankly are far too small to share, in fact I could easily eat two without blinking an eye. The teas and coffees are priced between 18,000 – 24,000, and the cocktails start from 29,000 onwards. There are also a few more extravagant sets for two people which start at 120,000 and go upwards. Thankfully there are plenty of pictures to help you choose what to order.
The set we thought made the most sense was the Tea Time (38,000). This came with the Dior Coffee, a Croissant and a Madeline. We thought this one to be the most budget friendly if you plan to eat something. The coffee was pretty standard, in fact I think you could get better at any other coffee shop in the city, what you are paying for is the chocolate powder Dior logo on the frothy milk. The croissant itself was fantastic, very crispy, flakey, and buttery. The madeline was very unremarkable. Personally I wouldn’t recommend this set. I chose to get the Dior Coffee (19,000) and then ordered the Mille-feuille Infiniment Chocolat (32,000). This was absolutely divine, the pastry was so rich it almost tasted caramelized. And the chocolate and hazelnut chantille cream on top was rich and decadent. It was fabulously french. We also loved the chocolate messages of women’s empowerment, so on trend for this year. I think the desserts even though slightly more expensive are the best way to go as there are so few places in Seoul that really do french pastries well.
Overall we had a lovely afternoon. As a blogger it was kind of worth paying for us as it made for a great post. If you love luxury brands and Dior in general then I am sure you will enjoy it too, but be warned it comes with a big price tag. Also be sure to visit their very beautiful bathroom for a spritz or to douse yourself in their complimentary perfume and as much free lotion as you can rub all over your body.
Cafe Dior by Pierre Herme is located at 464 Apgujeong-ro, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Apgujeong Rodeo Station (yellow line). Come out of exit 3. Walk straight and follow the road around for about five minutes. You will see the House of Dior just afte rounding the bend on the left hand side after Gucci. Go inside the store and take the lift up to the 5th floor for the cafe. For more information you can call them on 02-2513-0390 or checkout their website. They are open from 11am -7pm everyday.