Cafe Vincennes (벵센느)

Cafe Vincennes is one of those rare little gems that you would find only if you stumble upon it by accident or by word of mouth. Nestled in the residential neighbourhood of Yeonhui-Dong, this quaint cafe has been a local favourite since it opened its doors back in 2009. It certainly didn’t take me long to join the fan club.

The cafe itself holds a country rustic feel to it. Inside, the interior is a cozy cluster of antique wooden mismatched furniture. The chipped french blue window frames are adorned with simple lace curtains and the rest of the space is filled with books and an assortment of nick-knacks. The kitchen is open, for curious guests who wish to catch a glimpse of the chef/owner in action. I really like how it feels more like eating at someones house, as opposed to a restaurant. It’s a bit more intimate and comfortable.

For such a modest space, the menu has quite an impressive selection. From pastas and rice dishes to sandwiches and brunch selections, there’s a little something for everyone. If I had to place Vincennes in a category, I’d definitely say it’s a brunch spot. So unless you hate brunch, I don’t think you can go wrong here.

The first thing I ever tried here was one of their ciabatta sandwiches, the Tomato Basil Panini (₩8,500). This sandwich comes with gooey mozzarella, fresh tomato and tasty basil pesto stuffed between two large pieces of ciabatta bread. It’s super delicious and incredibly filling, definitely my favourite sandwich on the menu. If you’re look for something with a little more of a breakfast taste, then the Egg Frittata (₩9,000) is the way to go. This sandwich comes with an egg, tomato, potato and jalapeño scramble on soft ciabatta bread. I don’t like jalapeños, so I usually ask to have it made without them, but I think it results in a blander taste.

Their brunch dishes come in very generous portions, easily enough for two people. My favourite brunch dish would have to be the Paris Brunch (₩16,000). It comes with two pieces of bacon, one pieces of American sausage, an egg sunny side up, a side of salad and pickles and two thick pieces of homemade Texas french toast. The toast is so soft and comes drizzled in maple syrup (without being soggy) and topped off with a light dusting of powdered sugar. It is completely drool worthy.

The Croquet Madame (₩17,000) is a close second, with a thick slice of homemade toast layered with ham, tomato, melted mozzarella cheese and two eggs sunny side up. It is also accompanied by some fresh slices of banana and a green salad. I’ve had croquet madame at a couple of other brunch places in Seoul, but this one takes the cake for sure. Oh so savoury!

Listed under desserts, are their amazing pancakes. Don’t let the category fool you though, they are definitely still a breakfast dish and certainly not one to be missed. You have a choice of plain (₩9,000) or cream cheese (₩10,000) and can add toppings for an additional ₩2,000. Their signature blueberry pancake is the best! This thick hunk of breakfasty goodness gives literal meaning to the word “Pan-Cake.” Not to mention it is topped with a heaping pile of blueberries. If blueberries aren’t your thing, go for the heavenly apple cinnamon. Or if your a chocolate for breakfast kinda person, the Nutella banana will be more than enough to satisfy your cravings. They take about 20 minutes to make, but it’s worth the wait.

In addition to their long list of foods, they also serve a wide variety of drinks such as coffees, teas, fresh juices and shakes. Actually, they serve about 7 different types of shakes all made with haagen-dazs ice cream. They run ₩8,500 each, but they’re creamy, delicious and come in a huge fishbowl of a glass. A perfect drink for two.

Vincennes is hands down my favourite brunch spot and I highly recommend it to all my fellow brunchies. I suppose the only downside would be that sometimes it can get pretty busy and since the owner usually runs the place by himself, it can take a while to get your food. If you’re not on a strict schedule, however, it’s great! So, next time you have a brunch hankerin’ check out Vincennes.

•  Hours
  • 11:00am~10:00pm Tuesday~Saturday
  • 11:00am~09:00pm Sunday
  • CLOSED on Mondays
• Address
  • 서울특별시 마포구 연남동 488-11
  • 41 Yeonhui-ro 11-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-825
• Phone
  • 82-2-336-3279