Publique Bakery

April 20, 2012 by Mipa | 11 Comments

Hidden in one of the back alleyways of Sangsu/Hapjeong area is Publique, a quaint French bakery-cafe that stands out amongst the competition. There are several notable bakeries in this neighborhood (Paul & Paulina, October, Bread 05, to name a few with vegan options), but Publique has that extra ‘je ne sais quoi.’

Everything looks beautiful and high-quality, but the bakery still has a casual air about it, and they don’t come off as pretentious or as if they’re trying too hard. They’re genuine and have a loyal following of hip, youthful, carb-loving customers. Even though it’s a bit hard to find, people purposefully seek this place out and there is always a steady flow of customers coming in and leaving with baggies full of bread.

And unlike other Korean bakeries where you take a tray and collect the things you want on your own, at Publique, you point out your choices to the staff behind the counter and they wrap it up for you, just like at a regular French bakery.

Rustic sandwich bread (vegan)

Considering the size of the bakery, they have a really good selection of vegan breads. The staff are also familiar with veganism and they will point out everything that you can eat. In the second row, save for two breads that have cheese, all of them are free of dairy, eggs, butter, etc.

Three of their many vegan options. Fougasse aux Olives, Fougasse Publique, et Pain Rustique aux Cereales.

They also frequently refill the sampler basket so you can try something before purchasing.

Drip coffee for 2,500 won that you pour yourself.

Here, you can sit down to enjoy your treats with coffee in hand, while ‘Je ne veux pas travailler’ plays in the background. Can’t think of a better way to pass a free afternoon. If you must work, there is free wifi available~~^^ Just ask the staff for the password.

Magazines on the counter.

I got a drip coffee and a cranberry ciabatta and it was seriously amazing.

Soooo soft, airy, and light as a feather. The cranberry pieces were sweet and sticky, and the walnuts were great too.

Lilian got a basket of goodies with some buttery pastries (non-vegan) and also one of their Fougasse Publique buns. The only problem was that the girl who prepared the basket ended up slicing up Lilian’s croissant without asking. If that happened to me, I would’ve been so disappointed because the whole enjoyment of eating a croissant is peeling off the buttery outer layers til you’re left with the soft center… but when it was cut up into pieces like that, you lost that little pleasure. I mean, it’s a minor gripe, but just be forewarned and make sure they don’t butcher your croissant. :)