Midnight Cafe Run — 24-Hour Pascucci in Korea Review

Pascucci's Daejeon Sintanjin drive-thru location is a massive 24-hour cafe in Sintanjin, a suburb of Daejeon — South Korea's fifth-largest city, about an hour and a half south of Seoul. It's got a drive-thru, a big free car park, and you can order coffee, gelato, cake, and paninis even in the dead of night. The kiosk has English, Japanese, and Chinese language options, so ordering's a breeze even if you don't speak Korean. It's a two-storey setup with heaps of seating, wireless phone charging built into the tables, and free Wi-Fi — the kind of place where you can happily park yourself for hours after dark. Pascucci is an Italian coffee brand that kicked off back in 1883, and in Korea it's run by the SPC Group. This is my honest review from a midnight visit where I actually ordered and ate.

Rocking Up to Pascucci Sintanjin at Midnight

Couldn't sleep, so I turned to my wife and said "Wanna go grab a coffee?" She was up in a flash. The problem was the time — it was nearly midnight and every cafe near ours had shut up shop. Had a search around but nothing decent was open, so we ended up heading to Pascucci Sintanjin since it's open 24 hours. This was actually my third visit. The first two were at night as well. Living in Sintanjin, there aren't many cafes open past midnight, so this one keeps making the shortlist.

The name Pascucci sounds like some proper Italian joint, and technically it is — the brand started in Italy in 1883. But Korea's SPC Group brought it over in 2002, and now Korea actually has more Pascucci stores than Italy does. It's a pretty well-established franchise, though it doesn't quite have the same clout as Starbucks or A Twosome Place (another big Korean cafe chain). I got to know Pascucci years back when I was posted to a semiconductor factory construction site in Cheongju for a few months. I was hitting the nearby Pascucci three or four times a week — honestly, more than I can even remember. So it's a brand I'm comfortable with, even if I don't go all the time.

Looks Even Better at Night

From outside, the floor-to-ceiling glass walls let all the interior lighting spill out, and you could see trailing vines and floral decorations glowing softly through the windows. My wife got out of the car and straight away said "It really does look gorgeous at night." Third visit, same comment. During the day it just looks like a big cafe, but after dark the interior lights bounce off the glass and it properly catches your eye from outside. The building's designed as a drive-thru store so it's quite spread out, which means it doesn't feel cramped at all — just wide open and inviting.

Walking over towards the sign, the drive-thru lettering was glowing nice and bright under the lights. Around the side, through the glass, I could spot a massive mural full of flowers and fruit peeking through vine decorations. Quick heads-up: the drive-thru doesn't run at night. It's only available during the day — at night you just park and walk in. Even at midnight I could see a fair few people inside, which confirmed it really is 24 hours.

Inside the Cafe — Two-Storey Ceilings with Floral Decor

Once you step inside, it's way bigger than it looks from outside. The ceiling opens up to a full two-storey height, and flowers and trailing vines hang all the way down from up top — felt like a little garden had been dropped inside the cafe. The long tables by the windows were especially nice, with warm lighting filtering through wooden decorations. Even at midnight, I spotted someone sitting on their own with a laptop out. In Korea, rocking up to a cafe solo and sitting there for hours is completely normal — nobody bats an eyelid. You'll see people working on laptops, students cramming for exams, others just zoning out on their phones. I wasn't expecting this level of fit-out from a chain cafe, but this particular store had clearly had some real effort put into it.

The Mural Wall and Seating Layout

One entire wall was covered in a mural of flowers and fruit — the sheer size of it meant it had some real presence in the room. Seating ranged from long bench-style seats along the wall to tall bar tables, so whether you're on your own or with a group, there's plenty of room. Past midnight this section was nearly empty, which made snapping photos dead easy. The mural area's a bit on the bright side though, so if you're after a cosier vibe late at night, the window seats are the go.

The Counter and Late-Night Dessert Display

The counter sweeps around in this long curve, and that alone gives you a sense of how big this place is. Even at midnight, a barista was behind the counter making drinks. The menu's on digital screens showing everything from coffee to granita and gelato. Out front of the counter, there was a full display of pastries and desserts lined up by type. Most 24-hour cafes I've been to have empty display cases by this hour, but here, even past midnight, there was still a solid selection — that genuinely surprised me. If you wander in late and you're feeling peckish, you'll definitely have things to choose from. That much I can say for sure.

Kiosk Ordering — English, Japanese, and Chinese Supported

We ordered at the kiosk. Pretty much every cafe in Korea uses kiosk ordering these days. You pick your items on a touchscreen and tap your card — the interface is straightforward enough that you get the hang of it after a go or two. A cream tea buy-one-get-one deal popped up on the screen, which had me thinking for a sec. Buy one of three cream teas and you get a free Americano — not a bad deal if you need two drinks. Underneath, a new berry matcha series was on display, but I ended up going with my usual.

The kiosk supports English too. Being a nationwide franchise, you can switch between English, Japanese, and Chinese, and the English screen was clean and easy to follow. Even if you don't speak a word of Korean, the screen lets you choose straightaway whether you're eating in or taking away, so there's no reason to feel flustered ordering. One thing worth knowing: if you pick "dine in," your drink comes in a ceramic mug instead of a disposable cup. Korea has restrictions on single-use cups for in-store orders — similar to what we've started doing in some Aussie councils, but they've had it nationwide for a while.

On the English screen, the categories are laid out with big, clear icons, making it easy to find what you're after. Seasonal menu, coffee, beverages, cake, sandwich, bakery, gelato — all visible at a glance. Even if you can't read Korean, you could honestly just tap the pictures. Pick a category, choose your item, and it goes straight to the payment screen, so even first-timers shouldn't have much trouble navigating it.

Menu Prices and Payment Options

I tapped into the sandwich category and found a lineup of paninis — Philly steak, avocado chicken ham, egg melting bulgogi, Italian classic — all priced between about A$8 to A$8.30 (₩7,600–₩7,800). The cake section had a cassata series starting around A$7.30 (₩6,900) and a soufflé cheesecake at about A$6.70 (₩6,300). A whole strawberry yogurt cake was around A$13.80 (₩13,000), and by the slice, prices are pretty much in line with the average Korean chain cafe. Menu names and photos showed up clearly on the English screen, so it was easy to browse and compare while you decided.

The payment screen was fully translated into English as well. Credit cards work obviously, and they support a heap of mobile payment options popular in Korea.

WeChat Pay support was the one that stood out to me — not many Korean chain cafes offer that yet. For international visitors, that kind of thing is heaps convenient. And since they take foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard, you're unlikely to run into any payment dramas here.

My wife paid with Samsung Pay. She tapped her phone near the card slot at the bottom of the kiosk and it went through straight away. One tiramisu gelato, one iced cafe mocha, one Italian classic panini — the total came to about A$21 (₩19,800). The Wi-Fi password was printed right at the bottom of the receipt. There are separate networks for the first and second floors, both with passwords listed, so you don't need to bother the staff. Most Korean cafes offer free Wi-Fi — usually the password's stuck up near the counter or printed on your receipt.

Cake, Paninis, Bread — The Display Case After Midnight

While waiting for our order, I had a stickybeak at the display case. The cassata series was lined up neatly — blueberry yogurt and tiramisu sitting side by side caught my eye first. The blueberry yogurt had whole blueberries studded on top and looked properly tempting, while the tiramisu had a thick layer of cocoa powder dusted over it in legit Italian style. Both were about A$7.30 (₩6,900), and each slice looked generous enough that the price felt fair. Next to those was a cassata cherry chocolate at around A$7.85 (₩7,400), piled high with chocolate shavings — that one looked like it'd be intensely sweet. Strawberry cake slices and other varieties filled the gaps, and honestly, seeing the entire display packed full past midnight was unexpected.

Next to the cakes, there was a sandwich and panini section, and the variety here was no joke either. Each one was propped up on a little wooden stand for easy viewing, and they all had red "HOT" stickers on them, meaning they heat them up when you order. The Philly steak panini had jalapeños on top of the meat — looked like it'd have a decent kick. The one next to it, with wholemeal bread stuffed with rocket and sauce, honestly looked the most appetising of the lot. The Italian classic panini was a classic combo of ham, olives, and tomato, and that's the one my wife went for. Prices ranged from about A$7.50 to A$8.80 (₩7,100–₩8,300). They were big enough that you couldn't hold one in one hand, so they'd easily do as a late-night feed. Down below, they also had bottled water and juice, so you could just grab bread and water without ordering a coffee if that's all you were after.

Up on the counter there was a separate bread selection too. They had two types of bagels — plain and basil, both with cream cheese, at about A$4.75 (₩4,500) each. Beside those, salt bread (a Korean bakery staple — think buttery soft roll with a salty crust) and cube-shaped pastries ranged from about A$3 to A$5.20 (₩2,900–₩4,900). On another tray sat croissants and round pastries, and behind them I spotted a sign for a Naver receipt review event — write a review, get a free macaron. For this hour, having this much bread left is honestly pretty impressive. That said, if bread's the main reason you're coming, a daytime visit would be the smarter move.

Wireless Charging and Wi-Fi — Why This Cafe's Built for All-Nighters

Our drinks weren't ready yet, so we grabbed a seat first. We chose the long table by the windows, where flowers and lemon decorations dangled overhead — easily the spot with the best vibe. Looking more closely at the table, I noticed power outlets embedded into the surface at regular intervals, plus wireless charging pads built right into the tabletop. Just plonk your phone down and it starts charging. I used the wireless charging at the Cheongju Pascucci years ago as well. I'll be honest — the charging speed is slow. If you're in a rush, just plug into the outlet. But if you're just having a coffee and resting your phone on the table anyway, it gradually trickles up, and over an hour or two that's plenty. If you're going to camp out at a 24-hour cafe all night, keeping your phone charged is basically essential. And seriously, how many cafes actually have wireless charging built into every single table?

Second Floor Sofas and the Late-Night Vibe

I headed upstairs to suss out the second floor. This is where the real space was. There's a "PHILOSOPHY" inscription on the wall, and in front of it, sofa seating stretches out everywhere. Green, red, yellow, grey — every chair's a different colour, but somehow it all works together. The tables are these rounded, bean-shaped things that keep the whole area from feeling sterile, and the sofas are cushy enough that for a long sit, this floor was way comfier than the ground-floor tables.

Walk over to the glass railing and you get a full view of the ground floor below. At this height, the floral decorations and lights hang right at eye level, which gives you a completely different perspective. Outside, the Pascucci logo reflects in the glass, and inside you can see the counter and customers down below — the open feel was tops. Even past midnight, there were people on laptops upstairs and a few couples chatting quietly. Combined with the ground floor, I reckon there were easily over 10 groups. At midnight, that means this 24-hour cafe is ticking along properly. The second floor is a touch dimmer than the ground floor though, so it's more suited for kicking back and having a yarn than getting work done.

Tiramisu Gelato, Cafe Mocha, and Italian Panini — The Verdict

Our order finally came out. We set the tray down at a railing seat on the second floor, and with the floral decorations and lights hanging behind, the backdrop basically sorted itself for photos. The iced cafe mocha had a massive heap of whipped cream on top — that was my wife's. The tiramisu gelato had a scoop of vanilla ice cream floating on top of the cup — that one was mine. First sip of the gelato and you get a slightly bitter coffee hit up front. But as the ice cream melts, it gradually gets smoother and creamier, and towards the bottom the coffee flavour comes back strong. If you just knock it back you might miss it, but sipping slowly, I could feel the flavour shifting as I went.

The Italian classic panini came sliced in half, with clear grill marks on the outside and cheese oozing from inside. One bite and I could tell the ham was folded in multiple layers, with tomato and melted mozzarella coming through together — pretty decent. The bread itself was on the crispy side so there was a good crunch to it, and there was more filling packed in than I expected. I hadn't set the bar high for a chain cafe panini, but as a midnight snack it did the job. The only downside was splitting one with my wife — it left us both wanting a bit more. We'd had dinner before heading out so it was alright, but if I'd been properly hungry I would've ordered a second one. Also, the panini was already a bit lukewarm when it arrived. They reckon they heat them up, but it wasn't exactly piping hot when I got it. Eating it straight away might've been fine, but by the time I'd carried it up to the second floor and taken photos, that was even more noticeable.

Self-Service Return and Car Park — On the Way Out

Korean cafes are self-service when it comes to clearing your table. Staff don't come around to clean up after you — when you're done, you bring your tray over to a return station like this one. If you're not sure what to do, just watch someone else do it once. Pop your empty cups and tray on the rack, then toss straws, napkins, and other rubbish into the separate recycling bins next to it.

We hung about for roughly an hour and then headed off. It was around 1 AM, and the car park was nearly empty. There are quite a few spots, so even during the day I doubt you'd have trouble finding a park. The cafe sits right on a main road, making it easy to drive to — and honestly, it's much more of a driving destination than a public transport one.

Look, Pascucci isn't really the kind of brand people in Korea go out of their way to visit. But this particular store is a different story. It's 24 hours, it's spacious, the fit-out's clearly had some love put into it, and even past midnight there are more than 10 groups hanging about. We came because we had nowhere else to go at that hour, but I reckon we'll be back. If you're in the Sintanjin area of Daejeon and looking for a late-night cafe, give this one a go.