Top 3 Themed Cafes in Seoul: Marvel, Harry Potter, Board Games - IVisitKorea
themed cafes in seoul

Top 3 Themed Cafes in Seoul: Marvel, Harry Potter, Board Games

Fans: it takes one to know one. Words like โ€œAlwaysโ€ and โ€œI love you 3000โ€ may not make your usual moviegoer cry, but they will undoubtedly move the owners of the cafes I will introduce to you today. Hop on your broomstick, helicarrier, or batmobile, and join me on a trip to the majestic world of fandom cafes in South Koreaโ€™s capital!

Fandom Cafes in Seoul

Secret Base: an MCU-Themed Cafe

secret base themed cafe in seoul
The entrance gate of โ€œSecret Baseโ€
secret base themed cafe in seoul
Iron Man mural

Do you like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its characters, and soundtracks? Do you want to feel like Dr. Strange unleashing the mind stone, or like Iron Man who commands Jarvis to operate his suit? Would you like to imagine leading a conversation with the cute clock mascot of the Time Variance Authority or sharing shawarma with the Avengers? Lastly, do you like to see a massive collection? If you answered โ€œYesโ€ to any of these enticing questions, go no further! There is a place that is just right for you!

โ€œSecret Baseโ€ is one of the best themed cafes in Seoul near Deungchon St. of Line no.9. Once you find it, you are greeted by a giant mural that depicts Iron Man, one of the most significant characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It makes a great photo zone, too!

Inside, the cafรฉ is a cozy white space of tables and seats surrounded by a massive display of 220 action figures. Though it could seem to be a simple exhibition of thematic possessions, with the help of a guide service, you may find out that most of the figures were carefully crafted to be photorealistic and accurate to the appearances of their respective characters in the original movies. Many are very exclusive to the cafรฉ.

For instance, this figure of multi-armed Dr. Strange was hand-made (hence the pun). Every arm was separated from other figures and glued to the body of the figure we see now.

Customized Dr. Strange figure

On this display, you may see the characters of Captain America and Chester Phillips. Captain Americaโ€™s body is a direct replica of a movie still, and to reach photorealism, the cafรฉ owner had to modify Capโ€™s body. As there was no figure of Tommy Lee Jonesโ€™s character due to his role being minor, the owner got the figure of his character in Men in Black and dressed it in the uniform from the beloved movie about the First Avenger.

themed cafe in seoul
Chester Phillips, Captain America

The ownerโ€™s hobby of collecting and modifying bigger figures started in 2015. Since then, his collection has grown so large, he could not contain all the figures in his house anymore. It may seem unfortunate at first, but once you come to โ€œSecret Base,โ€ you feel that the Universe works in mysterious ways. How else would we be able to enjoy this tremendous fan-friendly space?

The cafรฉ stays on theme with every little aspect: cups, cup holders, plates, straws, trays, doormats, music, and even the cafรฉ coupons were carefully picked and/or designed to fit into the MCUโ€™s aesthetics.

secret case themed cafes in seoul
The cafรฉ coupon design, credit: Secret Baseโ€™s Instagram

In the picture above, you can see the coupon card you will receive with your first order. For every order you make, you will get a stamp, and each time you fill five slots, you will be able to get one free drink. Fun, isnโ€™t it? One more reason to visit the Secret Base!

The menu also suggests a choice of fun special drinks (such as โ€œSuper Soldier Adeโ€ and โ€œSpider Smoothieโ€), desserts (such as โ€œSokovia Cheese Cakeโ€ and โ€œCivil War Tiramisuโ€), and meals (such as โ€œTony Cheese Burgerโ€ or โ€œPizza Shawarmaโ€).

Pizza shawarma, coconut milk latte (left), iced americano (right)

Once you are done enjoying your order, you may take pictures with various movie props, such as the Iron Manโ€™s helmet with voice control (very popular among children), Dr. Strangeโ€™s the Eye of Agamoto necklace, the Iron Manโ€™s nano gauntlet, and a few others!

Iron Manโ€™s nano gauntlet with detachable infinity stones

You may also purchase comic books as memorabilia, but mind that all the books are in Korean.
According to the owner, the English menu is currently in the works, but you should still be able to order. Secret Base, one of the best themed cafes in Seoul, will surely make you want to rewatch the Marvel movies.

  • Address: Seoul, Gangseo-gu, Deungchon-ro55gil, 11-11
  • Working hours: Mon, Wed-Sun 11 AM โ€“ 8 PM.
  • Tuesday: closed
  • Instagram page: @secretbase55

Fred & George: a Harry Potter-themed cafรฉ & bar

Lumos!

Do you like Harry Potter? If you do, you are never going to be alone in Korea! โ€œDobby is freeโ€ is something every working Korean has said once or twice in their lives. To experience the spirit of the Wizarding World in Seoul, visit Fred & George, one of the best themed cafes in Seoul. Fred & George is a cafรฉ/bar near Sangsu St. of line no.6. The location will be very convenient for you if you are interested in the ever-youthful areas of Hongdae and Hapjeong. Sangsu is within walking distance from them and surely a great place to explore.

Approaching the cafรฉโ€™s entrance, you may wonder whether you had magically apparated into Diagon Alley. The mural that greets you is incredibly picturesque and highly resembles the famous wizarding street.

fred & george cafe
Way to โ€œFred & Georgeโ€
View of the Diagon Alley mural from inside the cafรฉ

Cafรฉ by day, bar by night, โ€œFred & Georgeโ€ is a cute space for those still waiting for their Hogwarts acceptance letter. The interior is decorated with various Harry Potter collectibles such as the Marauderโ€™s Map, the wanted wizard posters, full-sized Quidditch broomsticks, and a giant Lego model of Hogwarts.

Lego replica of the Hogwarts Castle; clippings from the Daily Prophet
Thematic mirror photo zone
More Harry Potter collectibles on the left and two real-sized Quidditch broomsticks

Those who want to take memorable pictures in โ€œFred & Georgeโ€ may also try on Gryffindor and Slytherin robes. They hang on the wall for everyone to use.

While the menu does not seem to be incredibly on-theme, there are still some fun things you could order, such as the non-alcoholic โ€œFrediccinoโ€ and alcoholic cocktails โ€œButter Beerโ€ and โ€œGeorge Weasley.โ€ The menu copies Korean entries in English.

Butter Beer (left), Frediccino (right), and Frozen Hot Chocolate (middle)

In addition to what you can find on the menu, you may pre-order the famous โ€œHappee Birthdaeโ€ cake. The link is on their Instagram page (@frednngeorge).

Once youโ€™ve enjoyed one too many Butter Beers, you may need to excuse yourself to the water closet where you will find a bloody message from the heir of Salazar Slytherin! Boo!

โ€œThe Chamber of Secrets has been openedโ€ฆ enemies of the heirโ€ฆ bewareโ€

Though, you may quickly dismiss your fear by looking at a portrait of a dog hanging to the left of the scary quote. Speaking of dogs: even though you have to remember that โ€œFred & Georgeโ€ is a no-pet and a no-children space, you will probably still see one or two dogs that belong to the owners inside the cafรฉ.

fred &  george themed cafes in seoul
Regular guest at Fred & George
  • Address: Seoul, Mapo-gu, Sangsu-dong 145-2
  • Working hours: Mon-Tue, Fri-Sun 12 PM โ€“ 3 AM.
  • Wednesday: closed
  • Instagram page: @frednngeorge

Nox!

The Dice Latte: RPG, Board Games, Comic books, Community Play Space

dice latte themed cafes in seoul
The Dice Latteโ€™s Facebook header & logo, credit: The Dice Latte

Do you like comic books and want to bring one from Korea but do not speak the language well enough to read them? Do you want to experience the culture of Korean board game cafes, but, again, your choice of games is limited because you have no required language skills? Not to worry! There is a solution. If you donโ€™t speak Korean and are looking for every fanโ€™s horn of plenty, you must find your way into the Dice Latte, one of the trendiest fan cafes in Seoul.

It may be known as a board game cafรฉ or a comic book store, but it stretches much further than these two labels. First things first: itโ€™s a very comfortable space for English speakers. The co-owner and the person you will most likely always meet when visiting the cafรฉ is from the USA. You need not worry not only about trying to express yourself in Korean but also about the range of products you may buy or the choice of activities you may try.

Second: itโ€™s not only a cafe, but a community of people who enjoy the same things, be that (tabletop) role-playing games, board games, comic books, or graphic novels. The Dice Latte traditionally holds weekly Dungeons & Dragons meetups, Comics and Beer meetups, and language exchange meetups, which are great for those looking for new friends and experiences.

Itโ€™s also important to mention that even if you come to the cafรฉ when it is not holding a meetup and want to learn one of the board games, you may get help from the staff. They will explain the rules and help you adapt to the new game.

In the middle of a game at The Dice Latteโ€™s original location

Third, no matter your interests, you will probably find something for yourself in the store area. Any heroes from Marvel or DC, any story from Dark Horse, or any genre (even childrenโ€™s comics!) will be waiting for you in the Dice Latte. As the range and number of in-store comic books are overwhelmingly large, the books donโ€™t usually come with price tags. Thus you will need to check the price on the Dice Latteโ€™s website or at the counter. You may also purchase comics directly from the website and deliver them to your Korean address.

Tip: If you visit Korea during the Free Comic Book Day week, do not miss your visit to the Dice Latte โ€“ the only establishment that holds the event in Korea.

Lastly: this is a cafรฉ, which means you can also enjoy a range of drinks (such as coffee, soda, and smoothies) and meals.

Were you able to find a place that caters to your interests? If you were, I hope you will make great memories in one or all of the themed cafes in Seoul introduced here. Donโ€™t forget to free photo space on your phone and have fun!

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