Lusso lab, Jeongdong

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Lusso Lab is located in the quiet historical area of Jeongdong, not far from Deoksugung Palace. The quaint neighborhood is beautiful for a stroll after a meal. The interior is spacious with industrial-style decor. There is an enticing display of cakes by the counter. The staff was friendly but spoke minimal English.

The menu offers Western food such as French toast, American breakfast, eggs benedicts, and more. Brunch sets are also available.

I settled for brunch set C, which consists of an American breakfast set, a Cobb salad, and two cups of coffee. We opted for a latte and cappuccino. Also, I ordered a Tiramisu, brioche bread with bechamel sauce, ham, cheese, egg, grilled asparagus, and Brioche French toast.

The brioche French toast came with homemade ricotta cheese, bacon, walnuts, blueberries, and maple syrup. The French toast was pillowy soft. The ricotta cheese was creamy and smooth with a hint of sweetness, and the bacon was not too salty – a good balance between sweet and savory. The tiramisu could be better. Some parts of the sponge cake were dry, and the coffee tasted weak.

Compared to the other dishes, I did not enjoy the American breakfast. It was a bit bland, and I would have preferred toasted bread. The brioche bread with bechamel sauce was good, and the creamy bechamel sauce paired with cheese and ham – was delicious!

Overall, it is an excellent spot for brunch!

Vanilla french toast 12,800 won.

Croque Madame 9,800 won

Brunch set C 25,800 won

Lusso Lab, Jeongdong branch

Website: https://www.lussolab.co.kr/main.do

Opening hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m

Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m.

Telephone: 02-772-9935

Address: 17 Jeongdong-gil, Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

RØST Bakery & Café

RØST is a bakery and cafe tucked away in an alleyway in Rottermann city. The interior design and decor are different from many cafes in Tallinn. The muted color brick and tile walls, open kitchen, and wooden furniture resemble a Scandinavian-style cafe.

The cafe makes its own sourdough bread along with sandwiches and pastries.

The whole cafe is enveloped with the aroma of cinnamon and coffee. You could smell it from a mile away.

The cinnamon and cardamom buns were amazing! They were soft with sweet cinnamon and cardamom sticky filling. The Cappuccino was the best I have had in Tallinn. The coffee had a good depth of flavor with bitter and sweet notes. The milk foam was creamy and dense, unlike the cappuccino from other cafes where the milk foam was light, airy with bubbles, and the coffee flavor was mild.

I would say that this is my favorite cafe in Tallinn. If you want good coffee and pastries, then this is the place to be.

RØST Bakery

Website: https://rost.ee/

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday (8:30a.m. – 18:00 p.m.)

Saturday (9:30 a.m. – 17:00 p.m.)

Sunday (closed)

Telephone: +372 5622 3239

Address: Rotermanni 14, Tallinn

A cozy cafe for the sweet tooth

Kūkotava is located a few shops away from Lido Vērmanītis. This cozy and warm cafe offers a variety of cakes, pastries, pies, and cookies. As you wait for your order, you can watch the bakers work in their open-plan kitchen behind the counter.

I visited the cafe for two consecutive days, each after a long day of exploring the city. The attitude of the staff behind the counter was not welcoming. He had a serious look and sounded impatient. I don’t recall seeing a menu, and there were no English labels for the food. I had to point out and ask about each cake or pastry. As people were behind me, and I did not want to hold the line, I chose a few to ask and picked the one I liked best.

I ordered a pistachio mousse cake (3.50 euros), a berry cake (3.50 euros), and a cup of hot cacao (2.45 euros). The hot cacao was kind of like a latte, light with a bit of foam. It is also sugar-free; thus, it was the perfect pairing for the cakes. Both cakes were tasty; I especially enjoyed the pistachio mousse cake. It was rich and creamy, with a hint of pistachio flavor; it reminded me of a pannacotta. The berry cake had a creamy gelatin texture with a more fruity sour taste.

I love this cafe because it is relatively quiet and has many more dessert choices than other places.

Kūkotava

Website: https://www.kukotava.eu/en/

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m. , Saturday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 18:00 p.m.

Telephone: +371 67 283 808

Address: Tērbatas iela 10/12, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

Miit, a vegetarian cafe

Once a bicycle workshop, this trendy hipster cafe is now a popular hangout spot for the locals. Miit offers vegetarian food and freshly baked cakes to go with your coffee. The baristas at Miit are young and professional. The cafe uses specialty coffee beans from small coffee-growing farms worldwide and uses different brewing methods to make your desired cup of coffee. There are also live music performances on Friday and Saturday evenings. Coffee beans and various teas are available for purchase as well.

Brunch is offered on weekdays for 5 euros. It was a simple spread of waffles, various salads, potatoes, omelets, jams, and bread when I was there. It was okay; the waffles were a bit dry because they were out in the open, and the salads were slightly salty. My favorite is the coffee. I loved the coffee so much that I returned for breakfast the second day. I am a fan of Cappuccino. The Cappuccino here has a slight intensity tempered by a mild sweetness accompanied by cocoa-like aromatic notes. Personally, my most enjoyable cup of coffee. After having coffee here, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee and learned to enjoy and savor the natural flavors of the coffee.

An excellent place for healthy food and a good cup of coffee!

Miit

Website: http://www.miit.lv/

Opening hours: Monday 7:00 a.m. – 21:00p.m. , Tuesday to Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 23:00 p.m., Friday 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 23:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 18:00 p.m.

Telephone:+371 2889 1351

Address: Lāčplēša iela 10, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Tully’s coffee, Kyoto

I have never been a fan of Matcha. I never understood how people could like it until I went to Japan during my Christmas break. I had my first Matcha drink in Kyoto at Tully’s coffee and instantly fell in love with it. My sister and I were looking for a cafe to have breakfast near the Yasaka Shrine, and we came across Tully’s coffee.

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