Hollys Coffee Korea: 24-Hour Café Review & Menu Guide

4am, raining, and there's a Korean café with its lights on

It was 4 in the morning and raining. Couldn't sleep, was just lying there restless, and said to my wife "wanna head out?" — she was up immediately. We both chucked on whatever was nearby and headed outside, not really sure where we'd end up at that hour. Then we spotted Hollys Coffee, lights blazing. It was a 24-hour store.

The café lighting was bleeding across the wet pavement and it actually looked pretty atmospheric. Completely empty streets, just this one warm glowing café — it was enough to lift your mood straight away. A lot of people don't realise 24-hour cafés exist in Korea, and fair enough — they're not everywhere, but you'll find them dotted around the big cities. Not every Hollys is open around the clock though; this particular branch was a bit of a special case. If you're travelling Korea and need somewhere to burn time in the early hours, it's a genuinely handy option to have up your sleeve.

Ordering at a Korean café kiosk — here's how it works

Walk through the door and the kiosk is right there staring at you. These days in Korea, whether it's a café or a restaurant, kiosk ordering is pretty much the default. Hollys is no different. You pick your items on screen, then pay by card or mobile — no cash accepted. That said, if the kiosk is too confusing or you've only got cash, you can still order at the counter directly. Just ask a staff member and they'll sort you out, no dramas.

Hollys Coffee menu prices and language options

Here's the kiosk screen. Everything comes up with a photo, which makes it heaps easier. It also supports multiple languages, so you don't need to read Korean to get through the order — just tap the flag icon at the top to switch. Prices run at Americano A$5.20, Café Latte A$5.80, Vanilla Delight A$6.90, which is pretty standard for a Korean franchise café. Roughly on par with Starbucks Korea, maybe a touch cheaper. For those who haven't heard of Hollys: it's Korea's first dedicated espresso café chain, launched in Gangnam, Seoul, back in 1998 — actually a year before Starbucks Korea opened its doors. There are now close to 500 locations across the country, which sounds like a lot, but compared to Starbucks or Twosome Place it's actually on the smaller side, so plenty of people who've visited Korea have never been to one. I'll be honest — I tend to end up at Starbucks or Twosome more often myself, but Hollys has its own vibe and I do make the occasional deliberate trip.

Dine-in vs takeaway, and Korea's single-use cup rules

Once you've chosen your order, this screen pops up: dine-in or takeaway. It's not just a formality. Korea has actual legislation that restricts single-use plastic cups inside cafés, so if you select dine-in, your drink comes out in a reusable cup or mug. Disposable cups are only for takeaway orders. The important thing is: don't tick takeaway and then sit down to drink it — cafés can cop a fine for that. I've seen a fair few overseas visitors get caught off guard by this. If you're sitting in, just pick dine-in. And if you need to leave before you've finished, pop up to the counter and they'll transfer it into a takeaway cup for you.

Hollys Coffee desserts — an honest taste test

My wife went with the pure milk roll cake. The outside is a soft sponge and the inside is packed with fresh milk cream — sweet but not heavy, more on the clean and light side. It went pretty well with a coffee. That said, A$6.70 for this size is a bit steep. The flavour's definitely better than a convenience store roll cake, but when you're looking at nearly three times the price, it gives you pause. I'd think twice about ordering it again.

Hollys Dolce Latte — condensed milk done right

My wife ordered the Dolce Latte — an espresso-based drink with condensed milk, and one of the longer-standing popular items on the Hollys menu. The condensed milk sweetness blends into the coffee in a nice way, giving it a gentle, smooth sweetness without being overpowering. She got it iced, and the condensed milk had sunk to the bottom, which means you have to give it a good stir before you drink it. If you don't, the top half tastes like nothing and the bottom is all sweetness. My wife did exactly that — had one sip, went "what's wrong with this?" and I stirred it for her, then it was suddenly delicious.

Mint Choco Hallychino — a choice only the brave make

I went for the Mint Choco Hallychino. "Hallychino" is just Hollys' name for their blended drinks — think slushie-style, blended with ice. There's a mountain of whipped cream on top and chocolate chips scattered through a pale green minty base. The mint flavour isn't super aggressive — it's on the subtle side, which I reckon makes it more approachable if you've never really had mint choc before. In Korea, mint chocolate is a legit battleground: you're either pro-mint-choc or fiercely against it, and both sides take it very seriously. I'm a believer, so whenever I spot a mint choc option I'm ordering it. Sent a photo to a mate who hates the stuff and he replied with pure disgust — which, honestly, made it taste better.

Back to that roll cake — snapped this after the first bite. Look at that cross-section. There's more cream than sponge in there. Slice it with a fork and the cream spills out first. Tastewise, it was fine. But for A$6.70, you're done in two or three bites. Not bad for a 4am sweet fix, but if you asked me whether I'd order it again? Probably not — I'd rather put that towards another drink.

Hollys Coffee cake display — Korean café dessert prices in full

Had a browse through the cake display while I was there. Tiramisu So Sweet Box at A$7.20, Cookies and Cream So Sweet Box also A$7.20. The Party Pack was A$37.80 — a four-slice boxed dessert. The moment I saw it I thought of Twosome Place, which does something very similar with its slice-cake boxes. Hollys seems to be heading in a similar direction. Korean café chains have realised they can't rely on coffee alone anymore, so they're all doubling down on desserts. It's not a Hollys thing specifically — it's where the whole Korean café market is moving. Didn't order any of the display cakes on this visit because we were already full, but the tiramisu is going on my list for next time.

Miffy collab cakes and Korea's seasonal limited-edition café culture

The Miffy Mango Fresh Cream Cake at A$7.20. Hollys has been running a Miffy collaboration, so there's a little Miffy decoration sitting on top. For anyone who doesn't know Miffy — it's a Dutch rabbit character that's been around for decades and has a surprising amount of love in Korea. You could see actual pieces of mango tucked into the cream, and the whole thing looked pretty cute.

Miffy Matcha Cream Puff Cake, also A$7.20. The matcha sponge is a deep, vibrant green, so the cross-section looks heaps appealing. Matcha powder dusted on top, thick cream layers throughout. Matcha is absolutely everywhere in Korean cafés right now — Starbucks, Twosome, Hollys, independent cafés — if a place doesn't have at least one matcha item on the menu, that's genuinely unusual.

Milk Crepe Cake, A$7.20. Multiple thin crepe layers stacked on top of each other — the display lighting was bouncing around a bit so the photo didn't come out as clean as I'd have liked. What did strike me though is how casually this kind of cake shows up in Korean franchise cafés. Back when I was living in Bangkok, getting a crepe cake meant a special trip to a dedicated dessert spot. In Korea you'll find it just sitting in the display at a chain café. The layered texture is completely different from regular cake — there's something satisfying about peeling back one crepe at a time as you eat it.

Choco Tiramisu Roll at A$7.20, Triple Choco Cake at A$6.90. The display lighting was flickering a bit, sorry about the photos. The Choco Tiramisu Roll is basically the chocolate take on the milk roll cake I tried, and the Triple Choco Cake is chocolate all the way through — sponge, cream, the lot. Reckon it'd hit the spot if you're a serious chocolate fan. Overall, Hollys slice cakes cluster between A$6.70 and A$7.20, which is pretty typical for Korean café chains. Starbucks Korea sits a touch higher in the A$7–8 range, so Hollys is slightly better value. That said, at this price point, a decent independent café could probably do something more impressive. That's just the nature of franchise desserts.

Inside Hollys Coffee — checking out the seating options in a Korean café

Here's a look at the actual space. Hollys interiors vary heaps between stores, and this one was a cut above average — don't go in assuming every Hollys looks like this.

This is what greets you on the ground floor. Counter on the left, kiosk in the middle, Hollys merch shelving on the right. At 4am there was nobody else around — felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Most Korean franchise cafés are set up this way: the ground floor is for ordering and pickup, and the actual seating is usually upstairs. Head up the red staircase here and you hit the second floor.

The unexpected snacks you'll find at Korean café counters

Got a closer look at the counter. The screen behind it is running a big Vanilla Delight ad, and the coffee machines and equipment are packed in behind the bar. On one side of the counter there's a little display of snacks — and I spotted glutinous rice potato bugak and dried seaweed among the options. You might think: snacks at a coffee shop? In Korea it's actually pretty common to see simple nibbles displayed near the counter for people to grab with their drink. The potato bugak in particular — thinly sliced potato fried with glutinous rice, a traditional Korean snack — is salty and crunchy in a way that actually pairs really well with coffee. A mate from overseas tried it for the first time and couldn't believe it wasn't a potato chip.

Korean café seating culture — a proper breakdown of what's on offer

Up on the second floor there's a dedicated solo seating section — individual partitions, wall lighting, and power outlets at every spot. Perfect for working on a laptop. One of the more interesting things about Korean café culture is that going to a café alone is completely normal, zero awkwardness involved. People set up their laptops to work, students study for hours, others just sit and read. It's fully accepted, and that's why so many Korean cafés specifically design solo-seating zones like this. Personally, when I need to get work done, a café with solo seating and a power point is basically my office — I focus better there than at home half the time. Visitors from overseas often find this whole single-diner café setup genuinely surprising.

Floor seating Korean style — an unexpected café experience

There was also a floor-seating zone up on the second level. Shoes off before you step in. Arched partitions give it a semi-private feel — ideal for two people sitting across from each other, and being able to stretch your legs out means you can stay longer without getting stiff. Korea has a strong floor-seating culture (called josik) and it pops up in cafés fairly regularly. It feels a bit unusual at first, but once you're settled it's actually heaps comfortable. Even at 4am, there was one person quietly sitting in this section by themselves with something to eat. Oddly reassuring to see another human at that hour.

The central area of the second floor has group tables — fits up to four people each. Open layout, which honestly means you're not exactly getting privacy; if the neighbouring table's close, you'll hear their conversation. Wouldn't recommend it for a quiet personal chat. On the upside, the ceiling's high, the windows are big, and the lighting is soft, so the overall vibe is comfortable enough. Like pretty much every Korean café, this one offers free Wi-Fi — just ask at the counter for the password.

Along the walls there's a long couch with small round tables in front — two-person spots spaced out at regular intervals. Curved timber chairs give this area a slightly different look from the rest of the floor. The light tones here would probably feel quite different on a sunny afternoon visit.

There's also a designated meeting room area — no actual door, so it's not completely closed off, but the wooden lattice screen around it creates a decent sense of separation. L-shaped sofa inside, one table in the middle. Fits four or five people comfortably. Korean cafés are often used for study groups and informal meetings, so this kind of semi-private space gets plenty of use. Not all Hollys stores have it — you'll mainly find it in the larger locations.

Working at 4am — Korean café culture in action

Full view of the second floor. Dark ceiling, track lighting dotted around, overall calm and settled atmosphere. Handwritten-style phrases on the walls, green plants in various spots — for a franchise, it's clearly had some thought put into it. At 4 in the morning, there was someone sitting with a laptop open, getting work done. But as I said earlier, that's just normal here. Korean cafés aren't just somewhere to grab a drink — they double as proper work and study spaces, and the mix of seating styles means you can find your spot whether you're solo or in a group.

The back corner of the second floor. Honestly, this was my favourite spot in the whole store. Tiered seating arrangement, green plants tucked into every corner, small round mood lights glowing softly — it suited the early-morning hour perfectly. Power outlets at every seat too. I'll be straight with you — I always thought Hollys lost out to Starbucks and Twosome on interiors. But this store was different. That said, there's a huge amount of variation between locations. Same brand, completely different vibe depending on the store — I've been to other Hollys branches before and walked back out thinking "nah, not feeling it." So go in with realistic expectations: the interior might be great, or it might be ordinary. It's luck of the draw.

Hollys Coffee merchandise — Korean café tumbler prices

Down on the ground floor there was a merch display — tumblers, mugs, keyrings and so on. Just like Starbucks has built a reputation around its merch, Hollys has its own range of branded products. Korean café chains have leaned into merchandise as a meaningful revenue stream alongside drinks.

Got up close to have a proper look. Ceramic tumbler 650ml at A$35.60, handled mug-style tumbler at A$27.80, slim tumbler at A$14.50, City Modern tumbler 350ml at A$24.50. With a range from A$14.50 up to A$35.60, there's something for most budgets. The designs are understated, logos kept small — so even if you've never heard of Hollys, it just reads as a clean, functional tumbler. It's not the kind of thing that gives you the collector's itch like Starbucks seasonal drops, but that restraint makes them more practical for everyday use. I've seen people pick up café tumblers as Korea travel souvenirs, and the slim one in particular would be easy enough to pack — lightweight and doesn't take up much room.

Years ago when I was living in Bangkok, I picked up a Hollys tumbler from a store near the Korean Cultural Centre there. That branch closed around 2015 when Hollys pulled back from overseas markets, so that tumbler's become a bit of an odd little relic. The brand's mostly operating within Korea now, but clearly going strong — just as you'd see from a visit like this.

Hollys Coffee — the honest verdict

Went out at 4am with zero expectations, just restless and looking for somewhere to be. Ended up having a genuinely good time. A lit-up Korean café on a rainy night street — that alone does something to your mood. Hollys isn't quite at the level where it represents Korea the way Starbucks does, but being the country's first dedicated espresso café, still going strong since 1998, counts for something. Menu prices sit in line with the Korean franchise average, and the stores have come a long way in terms of atmosphere compared to the early days. The inconsistency between locations is frustrating, and the cakes are a bit lean on portion for the price. But if you happen to stumble across a 24-hour Hollys while you're travelling Korea and need somewhere to exist at 3am, it delivers. My wife and I just sat there in silence drinking our coffees, not really saying much. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.