The fantastical Aquagarden Cafe and Aquarium in Jamsil is one of my favourite places to escape a mundane and dreary day in Seoul. I’m transported into an incredible underwater world, full of surreal aquascapes and interesting sea creatures, from the moment I pass through its entrance gates.
An ethereal underwater world in the basement of a mall!
Yes, this aquarium cafe in Seoul is in one of the city’s biggest malls, but don’t let the commercial location deter you from visiting. The Aquagarden Cafe is as far from commonplace as it gets.
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In this guide
What is the Aquagarden Cafe and Aquarium?
Aquagarden is a breathtaking aquarium cafe in Seoul. The tanks are wondrously designed with huge pieces of majestic driftwood, aquatic plants, unique fish, turtles, and other marine creatures.
I think I entered a 물멍™ watching these turtles relaxing.
The constantly flowing water, misty smoke, translucent furniture, and mellow lighting make a visit to the Aquagarden Cafe and Aquarium a multi-sensory, mystical experience.
It’s easy and wonderful to imagine that you’ve become a marine citizen living inside this magical underwater world too.
Aquagarden Cafe is an immersive underwater world.
Aquagarden Cafe has even gone so far as to trademark a bunch of words to describe the aquarium, and I have to say that they’re SO fitting.
From 아쿠아테리어™ (Aquaterior) which is a combination of aquascape and interior to 포레스타리움™ (Forestarium) – a combo of forest and aquarium, these words describe this aquarium cafe in Seoul perfectly.
Forestarium™ – a forest and aquarium.
My favourite term is definitely 물멍™ (translates badly to waterhole). This describes the feeling you have when you’re totally spaced out from looking at water. The idea being that if you enter a meditative 물멍™, you’ll reap the benefits of peace of mind, a calm mind, and a stabilized heart rate.
Trust me – a 물멍™ is definitely possible at the Aquagarden Cafe.
FUN ANIMAL EXPERIENCES IN KOREA | If you can’t get enough of furry critters, there are a ton of fun places to get up close and personal with cute animals. From Alpaca World to Zoolung Zoolung to Begonia Bird Park, you’re sure to find the perfect animal activity for you.
Where is the Aquagarden Cafe in Seoul?
Address: Seoul, Songpa-gu, Olympic-ro, 300, B1 | 서울 송파구 올림픽로 300 롯데월드몰 지하1층
The Aquagarden Cafe and Aquarium is located on the B1 level of Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, on the east side of Seoul.
The aquarium cafe is in Lotte World Mall (tip: that’s a solo K-BBQ restaurant right across from it).
There are a lot of big attractions near here (like Seoul Sky Observatory and Lotte World Adventure to name a few), so parking can get confusing and expensive in this area. I recommend using public transit to get there instead.
Fortunately, that’s very easy, because Lotte World Mall is directly connected to Jamsil Subway Station on Line 2.
You can’t miss the entrance of Aquagarden Cafe.
To find the Aquagarden Cafe, take Exit 1 or 2 out of Jamsil station to reach Lotte World Mall. You’ll already be on the right floor when you exit, so you don’t need to go up or down any escalators.
Walk straight into the mall and follow the signs towards Lotte World Aquarium. Aquagarden Cafe is kitty corner and across the hall. You can’t miss it!
Aquagarden Cafe is across the hall from Lotte World Aquarium.
How much does it cost to visit the Aquagarden Cafe?
The cost of your drink is the price of your admission to the Aquagarden Cafe. The drinks are definitely not cheap, but it’s great value – especially when you consider how much it costs to visit a regular aquarium in Korea.
The pretty ice blue latte is a signature drink at the Aquagarden Cafe and Aquarium.
One thing I really appreciate is that they don’t expect you to buy expensive drinks for children. While coffee for the adults is priced at 9,000 won and up, there’s milk, juice, and other drinks available for kids starting at around 3,500 won.
There are no time limits at the Aquagarden, so you could stay there from morning till night. Just make sure to hang on to your receipt. You’ll need it in order take advantage of the re-entry privileges at this aquarium cafe in Seoul.
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Make sure to have a meal before heading into Aquagarden Cafe, because it isn’t really a place to fill your belly with food. No, the focus here is definitely on pretty drinks and dessert.
Cake and drinks at the Aquagarden Cafe in Jamsil
If you need a shot of caffeine, the menu at Aquagarden Cafe will make you very happy. From a straight shot of espresso to sweet lattes, and speciality coffees, you’re sure to find exactly what you’re craving.
For the non-coffee drinkers (who are you?) – there’s a huge assortment of smoothies, fresh squeezed juices, tea, and even beer!
Aquagarden Cafe Review | Personal Experience
I live walking distance to Lotte World Mall – so I probably spend way too much time there – especially on polluted or rainy days in Seoul. So I can tell you from personal experience, that this aquarium cafe never gets old.
The aquateriors™ at Aquagarden are simply stunning.
It doesn’t matter how many times I visit, I’m always totally floored by the absolute gorgeousness of the extraordinary aquateriors™ here.
And while you’d think that this kind of environment would suffer from that mouldy aquarium stench, there’s absolutely zero smell. I’ve also yet to see a single fingerprint on any of the wonderfully clean tanks. I honestly don’t know how they keep everything so fresh and spotless!
The tanks are always marvelously clean.
I’ve visited the Aquagarden Cafe and Aquarium over and over again, with my 8 year old daughter, and she never tires of it either. She’s fascinated by all the fish and sea creatures, and loves all the misty smoke floating around the aquarium.
Best of all, Aquagarden has a very relaxed vibe, and children are EXPECTED to wander around exploring at will. I mean, the staff didn’t even blink when she and her friend stood on chairs playing with the vapours for an hour.
She never gets bored of this place.
There’s also a store connected to the aquarium, with various tanks, terrariums and fish available for sale. The staff are delightful in this area as well – kind and fully willing to answer any questions curious children might have.
LOTTE WORLD TOWER SEOUL SKY OBSERVATORY | Korea’s tallest building is right across the hall from Aquagarden Cafe. Enjoy spectacular views of Seoul from 555-metres up, with discounted tickets. Check details here.
Other Locations
The Jamsil location is definitely the most well-known, but there are actually a few other Aquagarden Cafe locations in Korea. You can also check out these stunning aquascapes outside of Seoul, in Giheung, and Gapyeong.
There are 2 other aquarium cafes on the outskirts of Seoul.
Aqua Garden Cafe Gapyeong Branch
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- Address: 1892nd floor, Misari-ro, Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
Aqua Garden Cafe Giheung Branch
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- Address: 59B1F, Shingomae-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do
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Aquagarden Cafe: Essential Info and FAQs
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