If you look for a crazy, wacky place to visit here in South Korea, one of the places you will find will be The Poop Cafe! Yup, you read that right. The Poop Cafe! Lol. The first thing I thought when I came across this was ‘Who in the world would come up with this?’ Followed by ‘Who in the world would go there, and why?!’ The answer is simple. Curiosity. It piqued my interest enough that my mom, the kids, and I just had to go.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using any of these links at no extra cost to you. Any information given in this post is based upon our experience and opinions. All pictures except for 2 are curtesy of tripadvisor. We are not being paid to promote The Poop Cafe.
This photo of Ssamji-gil is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Since the kids had no school today, I decided to take the family out and search for this mysterious and intriguing place. I had been hearing about this cafe from a few families that I meet during the kids’ events, but never had the time to take them there. Today seemed the perfect day to go try this place out, so we did. We decided to take a cab there since we were not exactly sure of where this place was, and whether or not there might be parking available for a van. Good thing we did.
This photo of Ssamji-gil is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Location
This place is located at 44 Insadong-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, 서울특별시. I recommend that you have this address handy when talking to a cab driver, as well as having Waze up on your smartphone showing the way. I had to flag down 2 cabs before we finally got one that was willing to drive us to our destination. The first cab driver refused us, waving us away as soon as I started speaking, despite showing him the address to the cafe on my map. Boo! The Poop Cafe is located in a busy shopping area, with narrow roadways which is pretty common here. The route that our cab driver took us required him to drop us off a short distance away because no vehicles could pass between the buildings.
This photo of Ssamji-gil is courtesy of TripAdvisor (plaza where Poop Cafe located)
One thing that you will quickly learn here in South Korea is that you will never be surprised at what you find and where. If the driver had never dropped us off at our current location and assured us that the place we were looking for was straight ahead, I would never have moved forward.
The urinal in the picture below is located by the table we decided to sit at. My clumsy butt did not look down when I was exploring that area. So I discovered this gem by tripping on it. Lol. Just letting you know so that you don’t do it too.
The Verdict
The Poop Cafe is interesting, in a weird/gross-themed way. The kids and I learned that we have pretty weak stomachs when it comes to trying to eat something out of a toilet-shaped bowl. It didn’t help that what we were eating tasted like the worst spaghettios ever. I tried to eat the spaghetti with meat sauce that Gabe and I were supposed to share. Something about trying to scoop up that mushy, brown, greasy ‘goodness’ out of a toilet-shaped bowl just was not working for me. Poor Gabe he was gagging right along with me. Lol. Mom, as usual, has a cast-iron stomach and had no problem with the white spaghetti. This was for my family, one of those been there, done that kind of places. I can honestly say that we shall not be making any future trips to toilet-themed places.
The Insadong Neighborhood: Where Quirky Lives in Seoul
Insadong is one of Seoul’s most distinctive neighborhoods — a mix of traditional tea houses, art galleries, craft shops, and the kind of eccentric themed cafes that Korea does better than anywhere else on earth. It sits in Jongno-gu, about a 20-minute taxi ride from most of central Seoul, and is best explored on foot through the narrow pedestrianized alleys that branch off the main Insadong-gil street. The Poop Cafe is tucked inside one of these alleyways, which is part of why it is so easy to miss and why we ended up being dropped off on the street and walking in.
Even if the Poop Cafe had been terrible — and the food mostly was — the walk through Insadong to find it was worth the trip. The neighborhood is one of the few places in Seoul where you can still find traditional Korean crafts, hanji paper goods, and handmade ceramics alongside street vendors selling tteok (rice cakes) and hotteok (sweet filled pancakes). It is a good neighborhood to bring visitors who want to see something culturally different from the modern commercial Seoul of Hongdae or Gangnam.
Poop Culture in Korea: Why This Exists
The Poop Cafe is not an anomaly in Korean pop culture. Poop humor has a long and proud history in Korean tradition — the dokkaebi (goblin) in folk tales is often associated with earthly humor including bathroom jokes, and there is a widespread Korean folk belief that dreaming about poop is a sign of good luck and incoming fortune. Poop-shaped characters appear on children’s toys, phone cases, emoji sets, and snack packaging throughout the country. The KakaoTalk messaging app, which is ubiquitous in Korea, has poop as one of its most popular emojis.
So the Poop Cafe is culturally coherent in a way that might not be obvious to Western visitors. It is not trying to be shocking. It is leaning into something that Korean pop culture already finds charming and funny. That context made our visit feel less bizarre once we understood it, even if the food quality remained a firm no from everyone at the table except my mother.
Other Themed Cafes Worth Visiting in Seoul
Once you start looking for themed cafes in Seoul, you cannot stop finding them. The city has elevated the concept to an art form. Some worth knowing about:
- Cat cafes: Multiple locations throughout Seoul where you pay an entry fee and spend time with resident cats. The cats are well-cared for, friendly, and the coffee is usually decent.
- Dog cafes: Similar concept with dogs. Often crowded on weekends because everyone has the same idea at the same time.
- Raccoon cafes: Less common but they exist. The raccoons are surprisingly cute and only mildly chaotic.
- Sheep cafes (Hongdae area): Actual sheep living in a cafe. Seoul.
- Board game cafes (Bboardgame bang): Not themed exactly, but a distinct Seoul institution — pay by the hour to access thousands of board games in a comfortable setting with food and drinks service.
Tips for Finding Quirky Spots in Seoul
Seoul has a genuinely extraordinary density of unusual, one-of-a-kind experiences compressed into a city of 10 million people. Finding them requires a slightly different approach than standard tourist research:
- Naver Blog (Korean) is where locals post about new and obscure places before they reach English-language travel blogs. If you can read Korean or use a translation app, Naver is years ahead of TripAdvisor for Seoul discovery.
- Ask other expat families. The foreign family community in Seoul shares recommendations constantly. We heard about the Poop Cafe from other families at school events. That word-of-mouth pipeline is still the best way to find the genuinely weird stuff.
- Wander Insadong, Hongdae, and Ikseon-dong. These three neighborhoods have the highest concentration of unusual cafes and experiences in the city. Get lost in the alleys for an afternoon.
- Check the Kakao Map app for nearby cafes. Korean users review extensively and even quirky theme cafes have detailed entries.
Final Verdict on the Poop Cafe
The food: do not go for the food. Whatever brown, mushy item arrives in your toilet-shaped bowl will test your commitment to the experience in ways you should prepare yourself for. My stomach and Gabe’s agreed on this immediately. My mother, who has eaten things that would make most people reconsider their life choices, had no issues whatsoever.
The experience: absolutely worth a visit once. The decor is committed to the theme in a way that earns respect for consistency. The urinal on the floor (which I found by tripping over it) is a nice touch. The kids thought it was the funniest place they had ever been in their lives, which is a ringing endorsement. Is it somewhere we will take repeat trips? No. Is it something worth doing to say you did it and to watch your children’s faces when the food arrives? Yes, emphatically.
Seoul rewards curiosity. The Poop Cafe is one small example of a city that is constantly willing to try something completely new and commit to it fully, no matter how unusual the concept. That spirit is one of the things that made living here so endlessly entertaining.
Is the Poop Cafe Family-Friendly?
Despite the theme, the Poop Cafe is actually a very family-friendly venue in the practical sense. There is nothing genuinely offensive in the decor — it is silly rather than gross, with cartoon styling on most of the toilet-shaped items. The staff were patient and friendly with the kids, and the narrow alleys of Insadong leading to the cafe are safe and interesting for children to explore. Our kids found the whole experience hilarious from start to finish, which made the awkward food moments worth it. The seating is close-together and the space is small, so it is best for groups of 2 to 4 people. Larger groups may find it crowded.
Age-wise, I would say kids above about 5 or 6 will appreciate the humor, while younger children may not fully grasp why everyone is laughing. Our kids were old enough to find it genuinely funny rather than confusing, and that age range made the visit much more enjoyable. The entry is free — you just order from the menu, with food and drinks priced at a slight premium over standard Seoul cafe prices, which is expected for a novelty destination.
What to Order at the Poop Cafe
Our honest recommendation: order dessert, not a main. The ice cream and soft-serve served in miniature toilet bowls are both more visually entertaining and more edible than the pasta dishes. The novelty is in the presentation; the food quality in the dessert section is reasonable. The pasta with meat sauce that Gabe and I attempted was not a success for either of us. My mother had no such difficulties with her white sauce option. She has always had the stomach of a field medic and remains the family benchmark for culinary stoicism.
The drinks — served in miniature urinal-shaped cups — are worth ordering for the photograph alone. The quality is similar to what you would find at any standard Korean cafe. If you are visiting with kids, the soft drinks and juices served in the themed containers are the best value for the experience you get. Budget roughly 15,000 to 25,000 Korean won per person for a light visit including a drink and dessert, which is approximately $12 to $20 USD depending on the current exchange rate.
Practical Information for Your Visit
- Address: 44 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Save this in Korean characters for your taxi driver.
- Getting there: Take the Seoul Metro to Anguk Station (Line 3) and walk south along Insadong-gil for about 10 minutes. This is more reliable than a taxi for finding the exact location.
- Hours: Generally open daily from mid-morning through evening, but verify current hours before visiting as themed cafes in Seoul occasionally change schedules seasonally.
- Best time to visit: Weekday mornings are the quietest. Weekend afternoons can be crowded with tour groups and local visitors alike.
- Combine with: A walk through Insadong-gil main street and Ssamziegil shopping complex, which is steps away and has excellent street food and artisan shops worth an hour of your time.
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