Gwicheon
귀천
Cafe
About
The teahouse the poet Cheon Sang-byeong's family kept, named after his best-known poem.
Gwicheon — 'Back to Heaven' — takes its name from the poem Cheon Sang-byeong is most remembered for, and the room has been a fixture of the Insadong alleys for decades. Traditional Korean teahouses are not cafes with tea on the menu: the drinks are medicinal and sweet rather than bitter, served slowly, and you are expected to sit for a while. Ssanghwacha, the house standard at 8,000 won, is a dark herbal brew with pine nuts and a raw egg yolk floated on top in the old style; daechucha is jujube, thick and sweet. Sit on the floor if you can, and don't come in a hurry.
Menu
- Ssanghwa Tea₩8,000
- Jujube Tea₩8,000
- Kumquat Tea₩7,000
- Ginger Tea₩7,000
- Yuja Tea₩7,000
- Green Tea₩7,000
- Quince Tea₩7,000
- Plum Tea₩7,000
- Patbingsu₩8,000
- Coffee₩6,000
- Whole Red Bean Porridge₩8,000
- Schisandra Berry Tea₩7,000
Local tips
- Ssanghwacha (8,000 won) is the one to order — herbal, dark, with pine nuts on top.
- Daechucha (jujube tea, 8,000) is the sweet, easy alternative if the medicinal note isn't for you.
- Floor seating is traditional here; shoes come off, so wear socks you don't mind showing.
- It's a sit-and-stay room, not a takeaway stop — budget 40 minutes minimum.
Details
- Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 6
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 11:00–22:00
- Monday
- 11:00–22:00
- Tuesday
- 11:00–22:00
- Wednesday
- 11:00–22:00
- Thursday
- 11:00–22:00
- Friday
- 11:00–22:00
- Saturday
- 11:00–22:00