Gluten and Sugar Free at Zero Cafe in Hongdae, Seoul

“No added sugar, but we are sweet!”

Zero Cafe is about a 10-minute walk from Hongdae Station, located at the end of a side street off the bustling main shopping street. It is a bit far away from the fashion stores in the same street, but once you approach, you won’t be able to miss it thanks to its eye-catching orange exterior. It’s also in proximity to Honik University.

Note: This cafe states that their products are sugar free and gluten free.

What’s unique about Zero Cafe, as the name suggests, is that it’s not only gluten-free but also entirely sugar-free.

Another great thing is their many cream and soda drinks. You can grab one for an on-the-go treat without any worries about gluten or calories while exploring Hongdae. (Though, it might put a little dent in your wallet, as most drinks cost between 6,000 and 8,000 won.)

I visited Zero Cafe in July for the first time. After passing by several cafes with waffles in the city center in spring, I was even more excited to finally find some that I could actually eat. And to top it off, they also have donuts!

As you can see in the pictures, the cafe is rather small, but we didn’t have any trouble finding a table.

You can place your order at the kiosk, the ordering machine, and there are menus available in English. In addition to desserts and beverages, they also have various baking ingredients, syrups, and tea powder for sale.
We ordered Belgian waffles with cream, a salted cream latte, and a blueberry and a chocolate donut to go. They also had brownies, butter bars, castella, and other smaller desserts like madeleines.

I didn’t really notice that the waffles, cream latte, and donuts didn’t contain any regular refined sugar. Everything tasted good without being too sweet or tasting artificial. However, they weren’t something that left a lasting impression on me flavor-wise.

(As for sugar alternatives like stevia, allulose, and erythritol (sugar alcohol), they do save many calories and result in a slower increase in blood sugar compared to regular sugar. Officially, erythritol is considered safe, and allulose is on its way to approval in the EU. Nonetheless, there isn’t much research on sugar substitutes yet, especially regarding long-term effects.
But after all, I believe that, as with everything else, moderation is key (and that includes regular sugar as well!)

By the way, something that piqued my curiosity: according to the menu in front of the cafe, there was once Tteokbokki, but it was crossed out. If they ever decide to reintroduce it to their menu, I’ll definitely visit Zero Cafe for that!

Final thoughts

For those interested in not only gluten-free but also sugar-free desserts and sugar alternatives, the cafe is worth a visit. However, depending on the time of the day, it might be a bit challenging to find a seat. I liked the fact that, especially with drinks that would typically contain 60-70 grams of sugar, you can save on calories and guilt without sacrificing much in terms of taste. That being said, with a big number of gluten-free cafes in Seoul and the surrounding areas I still haven’t been to, I haven’t planned to revisit Zero Cafe in the near future yet.

Total: ★★★☆☆ (2.7out of 5)
Taste: ★★★☆☆ (2.5)
Variety: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Interior: ★★★☆☆ (2.5 pretty but small)
Access: ★★★★☆

Cafe Zero 제로카페 홍대
Monday～Tuesday 9:00-22:00, Saturday 11:00-21:00
Website for their artificial sugar free products: Swellow
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Adress: 17 Wausan-ro 27-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Google Maps)
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