Aloha, everyone! 🌺
Today, I’m going to take you on a little trip to the sunny South of France! I recently visited a cafe in the Apgujeong area, and the atmosphere was so incredibly unique that I just had to share it with you all.
It was a super windy and unexpectedly cold day. Lately, I’ve had quite a few "coffee failures" at trendy Apgujeong cafes (where the interiors are gorgeous but the coffee is... well, shocking 🥲). So, I was hesitating a lot before finally deciding to step into Tour à Tour (투아투아).
Looking from the outside, it was hard to guess what kind of place it was, but the online reviews praising their bakery were overwhelmingly positive!
When you open the door to Tour à Tour, you can't help but be amazed. It feels like you've been teleported into a rustic farmhouse kitchen in the French countryside! The lighting is intentionally kept very low—almost as if they don't use electricity and only rely on natural sunlight and warm lanterns. The South of France style is recreated down to the tiniest details. It truly felt like stepping into a completely different world!
Even in the cozy darkness, the cafe was filled with natural sunlight streaming in from the windows, giving it such a warm and comforting vibe.
The Famous Bakery Section Their best-seller seems to be the "Chewy Bread" (Jjondeuk-ppang), which is kept in the fridge and comes heavily stuffed with various sweet fillings. Since Tour à Tour is highly famous as an Apgujeong bakery, almost everyone in line ahead of me was grabbing at least one of these!
Besides that, they had an amazing variety of natural sourdough breads and butter-rich baked goods (like financiers and madeleines). There were so many customers who came just to buy bread to-go. Like a true famous bakery, I even saw delivery riders popping in and out constantly!
Since their bread is so good, they naturally sell sandwiches, hot soups, and even wine! Imagine dipping a piece of fresh sourdough into a hot bowl of soup, blowing on it hoo-hoo, and sipping a glass of red wine... I feel like a white hair scarf and a rustic apron would magically appear on me! Poof! 🧙♀️🥖
What We Ordered: We kept it simple: a Flat White, a Uji Matcha Yuzu Chewy Bread, and a shell-shaped Financier. (It was my first time seeing a financier baked in a shell mold—so cute!)
My Honest Taste Test! The cafe was absolutely packed with people (lots of foreign tourists too!), but I have a special knack for capturing only the empty spots in my photos.
Taking a deep breath here naturally brings peace of mind. And the best part? The Flat White was actually good! Finding a cafe that has both a gorgeous interior and good coffee brings me true happiness!
The financier had a rich, delicious buttery flavor. As for the Uji Matcha Yuzu Chewy Bread... the filling was completely packed like a very dense, heavy, and sweet bean paste (almost like the filling of traditional Japanese Wagashi). The taste was good, but I was expecting a lighter, creamier texture inside, so it caught me off guard! Because the texture is so thick and dense, I feel like a "Gongju Chestnut" flavor would suit this bread much better than the Matcha+Yuzu combo!
The power of a good space is huge! It was so cozy. Next time, I definitely want to try their natural sourdough breads. On this day, I was literally holding a box of Dosuhyang (famous rice cakes) in one hand and Jayeondo Salt Bread in the other... so I had to hold myself back from buying more carbs!
[Jihye's Final Verdict & A Little Request!]
If you are looking for an Apgujeong Rodeo cafe with a uniquely special atmosphere and decent coffee, definitely stop by Tour à Tour. You might just feel the exact same cozy warmth that I did! (Though, who you go with is always the most important part!!)
Now, a question for my Apgujeong locals! Please recommend your favorite true cafes in the Apgujeong Rodeo area! Lately, the famous cafes I see on Instagram Reels have stunning interiors but the coffee was pretty bad...
If you recommend a place in the comments, I will definitely go visit and give you my honest review!
Mahalo! 🌺
Follow my blog for more local Korean recommendations! 🌺
📍 Cafe Info (Tour à Tour / 투아투아)
Address: 1F, 34 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Parking: Available (Valet parking is 5,000 KRW flat rate)
Phone: +82 507-1353-0388
Hours: * Monday - Thursday: 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Friday - Sunday: 09:00 AM - 07:00 PM
This place is such a vibe. I’m so there next time!
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice neighborhood too! You will find wonderful cafes and bakeries nearby!
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