Garosugil
Garosugil is a trendy area of Seoul that’s located in Sinsa-dong which is in the Gangnam District. Garosugil means tree lined street and it refers to the gingko trees planted along the main street. It’s beautiful in the fall when the gingko leaves turn yellow and start to fall to the ground.
One thing that you may notice when you’re here is that there are a lot of plastic surgery clinics. The walls of the subway station are lined with plastic surgery ads. Plastic surgery is no big deal in Korea, parents often gift their kids this as a graduation present. So don’t be surprised if you see patients walking around the streets with bandaged up faces. It’s not because they got into a fight.
Whenever I come to Sinsa-dong, I feel overwhelmed by all the amazing places to eat and get dessert – I don’t know what to pick or do! And things in this neighborhood are always changing. There is a high turnover of cafes and shops. I’ve only been in Korea for a year and a half and already some of the places I used to frequent in this area are long gone.
Garosugil is the main street in Sinsa-dong, but actually you will want to wander off the main street and get lost in the neighborhood’s back streets and alleyways because you will surely find some really cool gems in terms of cafes, restaurants and shops. Let’s explore this Gangnam shopping street together!
How to get to Garosugil
Take subway line 3 to Sinsa station. Go out of Exit 8. Walk straight for about 5 minutes until you see the Garosugil Road sign on your left. You will see Artbox and School Food on the other side of the street. You’ve arrived at Garosugil Road! Turn left on Garosugil Road and explore.
Where to Shop at Garosugil
Garosugil has some really trendy boutiques and flagship stores for a lot of Korean brands. Some of the stores change up their displays seasonally, so it can be a lot of fun to go back at different times during the year to see what’s new. Here are some shops that I recommend checking out.
Artbox
Artbox is a cute everything store. Here you can find cute stationery, home goods, phone accessories, skin care products, plush toys and keychains, and more. It’s a great place to pick up cute souvenirs.
Address: 538-1 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.artbox.co.kr
+82 2-549-6776
Etude House Color Factory
Here, you can create your own custom lipstick color. But you have to make an appointment first, and I’m not sure if they speak English. In any event, stop and take a photo in the rainbow doorway!
Address: 501 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
02-515-0149
Maison Kitsuné
Maison Kitsuné is a French fashion brand and music label. It was founded by Gildas Loaëc, previously the manager for Daft Punk, and architect Masaya Kuroki in 2002. Maison Kitsuné has a a line of women’s and men’s clothing with simple Japanese & Parisian aesthetic.
Address: 535-13 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
maisonkitsune.com
+82 2-540-5559
Discovery Store
This store sells puffer jackets, but the standout feature is the bowling alley and basketball court on the second floor, as well as the giant polar bears that adorn the building.
LINE store
LINE is a chatting app used mostly in Japan but in Korea as well. This store has merchandise featuring all the characters, and a cafe downstairs. This store has a lot of cute photo zones.
Address: 27 Dosan-daero 13-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
store.linefriends.com
+82 2-3448-1764
Apple Store
The only official Apple store in Seoul.
Address: 46 Apgujeong-ro 12-gil, Sinsa-dong, Seoul
www.apple.com
+82 2-2086-4600
Dr. Jart
r Jart is a popular skincare brand and this is the flagship store. They have an art display that changes seasonally and is pretty cool.
Address: 46 Dosan-daero 11-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.drjart.com
+82 2-2135-5453
Jung Saem Mool
Jung Saem Mool is a famous Korean makeup artist, who started her own line of makeup. Her most well known product is the star-cealer foundation, which pairs concealer and foundation into a single palette.
Address: 40 Apgujeong-ro 12-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Stretch Angels
Stretch Angels is a store with a great design and sporty street wear. In the store you’ll find a ton of instagram-worthy spots, like airline seats, a pegasus, a swimming pool, and a boxing ring!
Address: 14-gil Apgujeong-ro, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
El Cube Complex
This complex houses quite a few stores. On the bottom floor there are gacha machines and some claw machines. Then on the main floor there’s Flying Tiger which is a cute everything store. Then on the upper floors theres affordable clothing shops, and a cafe, and a vans store and kpop store.
Address: 22 Apgujeong-ro 12-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
flyingtiger.com
+82 2-511-6776
Art Nouveau
This vintage store is on the basement of a building housing the salad restaurant, Again Refresh. Here you’ll find vintage luxury goods, including Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and more.
Address: 57 Nonhyeon-ro 153-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Kary Market 가로수길점(Le Jourの店)
This is a really cute and trendy kids store that sells clothing, accessories, and the biggest selection of Sylvanian Families merchandise that I’ve ever seen.
Address: 545-7 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
SJYP
A korean streetwear brand named after its founders Steve Jung and Yoni Pai. They dress k pop stars and other famous people.
Address: 534-24 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.sjyp.kr
+82 2-543-4766
3CE
3CE or 3 Concept Eyes is a cosmetics brand by Style Nanda and they have a shop here in Garosugil. This store has a cinema theme. Downstairs there’s a beauty parlor, and everything here is just really cute.
Address: 22 Apgujeong-ro 8-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.stylenanda.com
+82 2-544-7724
Gentle Monster
I hope to one day own a pair of their beautiful sunglasses. These are special because they’re oversized and they make your face look smaller if you have a big face. For those of you who don’t know, having a small face is a desirable quality in Korean culture. That’s why people always pose with their hands in front of their face; it’s to make it looks smaller. This store is another one of those places that has ever changing seasonal decor so it’s fun to see what’s new here.
Address: Seoul, Sinsa-dong, 압구정로10길 23 강남구 서울특별시 KR
www.gentlemonster.com
+82 70-5080-0196
Gacha Shop
If you like Japanese capsule toys, make sure to stop by this shop! It’s right next to Exit 8 of Sinsa station.
Address: 116 S-tower, Doosan-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
What to Eat at Garosugil
Restaurants
Huwa Huwa 후와후와
This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Garosugil and yes it’s a Japanese restaurant. I love the simple understated yet cute and quirky feel to this place but what I love even more is the food.
Address: 43 Apgujeong-ro 10-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
+82 2-3444-7788
https://www.instagram.com/huwahuwa_korea/
Pizza Express
Pizza express! Great place for an Instagram shot and downstairs there’s a pizza joint serving New York Style Pizza.
Address: 28 Apgujeong-ro 10-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
+82 70-7757-9200
https://www.instagram.com/pizzaexpress_kr/
Ramen Moto
If you’re craving Japanese tsukemen or maze soba you can get it here!! Tsukemen was one of my favorite types of ramen In Japan. I like this place because it has really good chewy noodles.
Address: 14-4 Dosan-daero 13-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
+82 2-6204-2370
Izawa
Izawa serves up a mean gyu katsu. What is that? Deep fried beef. Yes. The inside is left a little raw. They give you a sizzling hot plate so you can cook it to your liking. I haven’t eaten at this location bc there’s one near my house and my family goes there all the time! It’s so good.
Address: 2층, 30 Gangnam-daero 152-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Bad Farmers
Salad restaurant.
Address: 31 Apgujeong-ro 4-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.badfarmers.com
+82 2-515-8400
Cafes
The Alley
This taiwanese boba shop serves up the famous black sugar milk tea.
Address: 16 Apgujeong-ro 12-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.thealleykorea.com
+82 2-3448-3399
Dore Dore
Dore-dore is a chain that sells really pretty cake. You can find it in shopping malls but the Sinsa-dong location is really unique. It’s essentially a 3 story house and it’s a really cool place to hang out and eat a $9 slice of cake with your friends. I mean really? Our cake and drinks at this place cost more than our entire meal at ramen moto. But that’s cafe culture in Seoul. There’s also an art gallery on the bottom floor.
Address: 40 Dosan-daero 15-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.doredore.co.kr
+82 2-540-4553
Cafe Kitsune
French/Japanese coffee and tea bar below Maison Kitsune.
Address: 535-13 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
maisonkitsune.com
+82 2-540-5559
C27 Cheesecake & Coffee
C27 cheesecake has all different kinds of cheesecake. It’s about $8 for a slice. But here you’re paying for the atmosphere. It’s supposed to be an amusement park for ladies. Lots of interesting spaces and there’s even a room reserved for marriage proposals.
Address: 39 Dosan-daero 15-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
www.c27.co.kr
+82 2-544-1527
Baskin Robbins x Sambypen
This Baskin Robbins is the coolest Baskin Robbins you’ll see. It is decorated with pink and blue graffiti, and looks nothing like your typical Baskin Robbins.
Address: 515-6 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Cafe El Cielo
This cloud themed cafe serves up coffee, tea, and desserts.
Address: Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-daero 156-gil, 31
Bistopping
Bistopping is about a 10-15 minute walk from Sinsa station in the opposite direction of garosugil. But if you want to try ice cream from bistopping, you can wander over to their Gangnam shop. I believe they also have a hongdae location if you don’t feel like making the trek. Bistopping serves fancy ice cream in fancy cones and with fancy cookie toppings . It makes for a great photo but you have to take it quick before it melts.
Address: 68 Sinbanpo-ro 47-gil, Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul