B-hind

genus: café
space & place: 10 minutes from either Hapjeong, or Hongdae
span: Noon-12pm
costs: 4,000 for an americano, 4-7,000 for desert, 10,000 for a sandwich/coffee combo

B-hind succeeds. It has good music, a pleasant atmosphere, and a great menu.

First impressions are of some trendy New York apartment from the 60’s. The furniture all has a retro feel and for the most part creates a comfortable environment. However, B-hind keeps one Hongdae trend going – the need to have at least a few chairs that look completely ridiculous to sit in. I can’t understand the need to provide seating that may look interesting, but in actual fact performs its duty as a chair pitifully. Form should follow function, who wants to sit in an uncomfortable chair?

The lighting in B-hind is warm, yet allows for comfortable reading. The seating and chairs lend themselves more to studying or writing than to lounging around with a book. There are lots of small tables, and it would be a good spot to stop in for a coffee with a friend or two.

The music is generally good, and suits the atmosphere perfectly. You can usually hear some jazz, or singer/songwriter type stuff coming over the speakers. Certainly they pay more attention to their music than 90% of the cafés around.

While the overall atmosphere of B-hind is pleasant enough, the real reason to come here is the quality of the menu. The coffee is top shelf, deserts tasty, and the sandwiches well made at a reasonable price. Different than other local cafés, B-hind serves up some combos that could substitute as meals. A couple times a week for the last month I have been getting the mozzarella sandwich combo: a wheat-bagel sandwich with grilled eggplant, and mozzarella that also comes with a sliced banana, a small salad, and a few fried potato wedges. If you get it with an americano it costs 10,000 won, which is a great deal.


I'D GO THERE: To relax and enjoy a good sandwich/coffee combo
GOOD PLACE TO: chat with some friends, write, or study
NOT SO GOOD FOR: lounging in a big comfy chair, rocking out to punk.