Feeling Wizard at the Hogsmeade Café in Daegu

LATEST UPDATE: This cafe has already CLOSED for business. :(

It was the last day of the year 2016 when I decided to do something magical. I’ve been a muggle all my life and there’s no way I can do magic. I once called the attention of Professor Dumbledore so he can let me in at the Hogwarts School of Wizardry so I can become one of them. Fortunately, an owl came at night with an invitation to Hogwarts, and I can still vividly remember how happy I was heading to the platform 3/4. At first, I felt awkward because those pure blood wizards stared at me like I was a dirty little boy, but thank goodness because I also met other muggles like Hermione Granger and she comforted me and even sat beside me at one of the compartments of Hogwarts Express.

Anyways, I was bored and would like to practice some of my magical skills, but I could not simply do it in the world of the muggles. At Hogwarts, I am a wizard, but in the human world, I am a normal person. Since it’s our break at school, there’s no way I could practice casting spells and making potions in the muggle world. I was so terrible at everything at school, although I have the determination and the patience and the enthusiasm, it’s difficult to turn muggles like me into a good wizard. So I decided to sneak into Hogsmeade. The problem was, unless you have the permit, no wizard is allowed to go to this wizarding village. I heard from a house elf that while wizards can’t go to Hogsmeade, everybody, and with everybody I mean including the muggles, can go to a Hogsmeade café which is located in South Korea!!!

Another problem was, my broomstick was broken, it was my bad because last semester, I went to try out for a Quidditch tournament, I felt like I was ready for it, but instead of catching the golden snitch, I hit on a lamppost and broke my broomstick and my nose, ugh!!! I have no choice but to commute like an ordinary person.

So I traveled to Daegu, South Korea to visit the Hogsmeade Café that the house elf was talking about. Apparently, this café is not in the Marauder’s map, so to add insult to the injury, I have to step a notch lower into the human level by using a Google’s Map so I can find the Hogsmeade café. The address of the café is at 경상북도 경산시 성암로12길 36-11. Since I was commuting, I checked the most convenient way to go there using the public transportation. The nearest Train station to the café is Sawol Station of the Daegu Subway. It was not difficult to ride a train at Daegu because there are only 4 subway lines, although I wish I could just Dissaparate to my destination, but I was too scared to try it because this may Apparate me to South Africa instead of South Korea.

 So I decided to just go through the flow of public transportation to go to Hogsmeade Café. When I reached Sawol Station on Line number 2, I went to Exit 2, there’s a bus stop at the exit. I took Bus Number 100-1 and got off at Oksan Woobang Apartment which is just 5 stops away from Sawol Station.

When I got off from the bus, the street reminded of Privet Drive where Harry Potter lives. It’s a quiet neighborhood, there were few people in the area that time and clean street. But Hogsmeade café is nowhere in the vicinity. I was tempted to use my magical powers to locate the café, but I was very careful. I walked one more block from the bus stop, I passed a building which looks like an elementary school, and then I crossed the street. And then in one small corner beside the school, I found the Hogsmeade café waiting for my arrival. It’s a small café with a very interesting design. When I saw it, it was……magical!!!

The Hogsmeade Cafe in Daegu

So I went inside the café, the barista slash the owner was sitting in the common room of the Gryffindor. There were two customers obliviously talking to each other and I barged in with my usual “annyeong haseyo” greetings. The barista, probably in his mid to late 20s welcomed me with a charming smile. But his presence was overshadowed by the familiar things I saw inside the café. One of the eye catchers in the café is the replica of the Gryffindor common room. There’s a big banner which says Gryffindor, a cloak, scarf, sorting hat and even harry Potter’s eyeglass. There’s also a fireplace which for me looks like a Floo network.


The Gryffindor common room inside the cafe


Each house has been represented in the café. There’s a banner for Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, but Gryffindor stands out. There’s also Nimbus 2000, wands, and pen which reminds me of Rita Skeeter. Other memorabilia relating to Harry Potter like cards, marauders map and potions are magically displayed inside the café to awe every potterhead who visits the place.

Wearing my Gryffindor cloak and scarf with wand and potion



My first question to the barista slash the owner was, “are you a harry potter fan?”, yeah it was a silly question because the obvious answer was YES. He said that the wands, the broomstick and other stuff inside the café were made by his father. He conceptualized the Harry Potter themed café because he loves the novel, and he is a barista, so the café is a fusion of his passion.

The cafe counter


There’s a butterbeer in the menu, but because I couldn’t drink beer, I was so sorry I have to skip that. For my beverage, I had Kiwi smoothie. I also ordered Cheese Soufle and Choco Choco. There are few selections of coffee too and a lot of sweet treats, but for the benefit of my sugar intake, I have to be contented with what I ordered. I only paid 15,000 KRW for my food, a price quite reasonable for a themed café.

Kiwi smoothie, cheese soufle and choco choco



The ambiance is very wizardy and cozy. I was wearing the Gryffindor cloak all the time while inside the café. It was dimly lit making it looks like a chamber or a dungeon plus the walls and ceilings are bringing the Hogwarts feel. I must say that the interior design was carefully planned to make it look and feel like a dungeon. There are also clips from Daily Prophets posted in every corner of the café. It really reminds me of the Hogsmeade.

Daily Prophet news clips on the wall


As much as I wanted to stay for long, I have to go back home that afternoon. It may not perfectly resemble to the real Hogsmeade, but at least this café will satisfy your Harry Potter cravings. If you are a potterhead and you are in Korea, you must visit this café!

Comments

  1. Hi, great article! Unfortunately we followed your directions and found that the cafe is now closed and renovated to just be a normal coffee shop:( Could you maybe add a note on your article so that more people know about it closing? So sad to have missed out!

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