Bingsu is one of Korea’s most representative desserts, so it was a no-brainer for us when we found ourselves in Korea during summer. When searching for bingsu cafes in Korea, we discovered Rafre Fruit, a dessert cafe located near Seoul Forest.
However, that outlet is extremely popular and known for its long queues. Thankfully, we found out they had recently opened a second outlet in Seochon! While it was a weekday, we found ourselves having to join a virtual queue to enter the cafe – which further proved its popularity.
Bingsu Cafe in Seoul
Rafre Fruit in Seochon occupies its own building, with the first floor mainly used for orders. There was a huge space used to display many fruits which is great for photo ops.
The main seating area is on the second floor and can occupy roughly 20 people at any point. The seats did feel slightly close to each other, so you could hear conversations from the neighbouring table clearly.
Menu at Rafre Fruit
Just like its name suggests, the menu here focuses heavily on fruits. Some of the menu items offered when we visited were Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu (49,900won), Peach Mango Bingsu (39,800won), and Super Sweetcorn Ice Cream (12,900won). Most of the cakes and desserts here focused on the Jeju Apple Mango and Peach, which might change depending on the season.
Looking at their Instagram feed, their desserts did feature items like Strawberries and shine muscat in the past, so you might find a different menu depending on the season!
As for drinks, they had items like Watermelon Juice (8,900won), Lemon Tea (7,900won), Passion Fruit Ade (8,900won) and only 2 coffee drinks – an Americano (5,500won) and Cafe Latte (6,000won).
We opted for the Peach Bingsu (29,800won) which came with a side of red beans and condensed milk. Interestingly, while the bingsu was already topped with a generous serving of peaches, there was also a small plate on the side with some diced cubes of peaches.
The peaches were fresh and had a nice sweetness to them. If you go in expecting very sweet peaches, you’ll probably be disappointed. If you prefer something sweeter, the condensed milk does help!
Since the Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu was slightly expensive, we opted for the Parfait instead, priced at 29,900won.
It was our first time trying Jeju Apple Mango and boy, did it live up to the hype. The mangoes were so sweet and fragrant! Inside the parfait was yoghurt, some fresh cream, and granola which combined well, flavour and texture-wise.
We also tried the Fruit Mix Cake (15,900won) which featured fruits like peach, mango, and kiwi! The cake had three thick layers of fruit, and it honestly felt like there was more fruit than cake. Overall, it was very light (both the cream and cake itself), which made it very palatable.
To wash it all down, we opted for their Lemonade (7,900won) which they’ve made themselves. Refreshing and light, not too sour which would easily go down on a hot summer day.
We also wanted to highlight the service of the staff here! We ordered quite a bit of items and couldn’t bring them up to the second floor, so the staff helped us bring some of the items up, which we appreciated.
Rafre Fruit Seochon
Overall, despite the crowd and its high price point, we did enjoy our experience at Rafre Fruit – thanks to the fresh fruit served and service here. It’s worth checking out if you love not-too-sweet desserts and want a taste of the seasonal fruits in Korea.
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Rafre Fruit Seochon (라프레플루트 서촌)
서울 종로구 필운대로 53-30
53-30 Pilundaero, Jonggu-ro, Seoul
Mon-Sat, 1pm-7pm, Closed on Mondays
Nearest Subway: Gyeongbukgung Station (Line 3), Exit 2
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*This was an independent review by MiddleClass
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