Coffee Imprimatur

The shop is located inside the printing alley near Exit 5 of Chungmuro Station. Although the address is Euljiro, it's a bit removed from the trendy 'Hipjiro' area. It's a run-down two-story building with no prominent sign. It's only open on Fridays and Saturdays. To enter, you need to check the door password on Instagram. 'No peddlers allowed,' the sign reads. They provide four passwords, each revealing a tip for using the shop, so it’s worth checking them out directly. One tip is that since they don’t sell desserts, you’re welcome to bring your own. The first floor is said to be for roasting, and you can drink coffee on the second floor. The room next to the shop is a lecture room; when I arrived, students were gathering. Along the long, rectangular room, chairs are dotted at the coffee bar. The barista is slender and has tattoos on their arm. There are three types of coffee beans. I ordered the Panama Elida Natural Geisha. Only hot coffee is served. They first provide cool water. I rinse my mouth and take a sip. Rather than a flamboyant floral scent, it’s more like the low, rich fragrance of flowers soaked in spring rain. While drip coffee is inherently without sharp edges, this one is truly smooth. The shop's location was originally a printing house, I’m told. The shop's tagline is 'We print your coffee.' Just as coffee is refined in the shop, customers who come to the shop feel refined by the coffee. It’s a coffee shop that prints coffee, Euljiro Coffee Imprimatur.