Located in Paris’s fifth arrondissement, Plus 82 Paris (+82 Paris) is the city’s first Korean-style dessert café. Its signature menu includes bingsu topped with red bean, injeolmi, and other traditional ingredients, as well as classic Korean treats like bungeoppang, a fish-shaped pastry filled with sweetened red bean paste. The café‘s interior is designed to evoke a distinctly Korean ambiance, with elements such as a cotton banner inscribed with “Hello” in hangeul, traditional soban tables, and dalhangari pottery. The menu is written in both French and Korean, while Korean music plays in the background to enhance the authentic atmosphere. The cafe’s name was inspired by Korea’s country code “82,” which sounds similar to “Paris” in Korean.

Locals line up outside Plus 82 Paris (+82), the first Korean-style dessert café in Paris’s 5th arrondissement. /Courtesy of Plus 82 Paris
This photo from Plus 82 Paris Instagram shows the interior view of the café selling Korean desserts in Paris.

Plus 82 Paris was founded in May 2018 by Min-ae Yang, a Korean student in Paris. Having moved to France as a middle schooler to study art, she ventured into the café business out of her love for iced coffee. “It was difficult to find cafés in Europe that served iced coffee. When I was a student in Paris, Starbucks was the only place that offered it,” Yang recalled. “I wanted a space where I could freely enjoy my favorite iced coffee and collaborate on creative projects with my artist friends.”

As Yang considered opening a café, she noticed several Korean restaurants already established in Paris. With Korean pop culture gaining popularity in Europe, more locals were beginning to seek out Korean cuisine. “Seeing how Korean restaurants were embraced by Parisians made me believe that a Korean café could succeed as well,” she said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce Korean culture through a café.” Her prediction proved correct. Plus 82 Paris quickly became popular among Parisians, with sales growing more than 300% since its early days.

This combined from Plus 82 Paris’s Instagram shows red bean bingsu (left) and bungeoppang sold at the café.

Yang selected the menu items reflecting her nostalgia for Korean culture. Yang said, “When I asked myself, ‘What desserts represent Korea?’ I thought of bingsu for summer and bungeoppang for winter.” She explained, “Bingsu was especially unfamiliar in Paris, as there were hardly any places selling it. My memories of missing bingsu with friends had a big influence on choosing these items.” Fortunately, the French embraced both bingsu and bungeoppang, and these two items became signature offerings at Plus 82 Paris, accounting for a large portion of its sales.

Running a Korean-style dessert shop in France, however, comes with challenges. While Paris has well-established Korean grocery stores, sourcing ingredients for new menu items remains difficult. Importing specialized products from South Korea requires navigating complex customs procedures and high shipping costs. “I want to introduce a wider variety of Korean desserts, but the limited availability of ingredients makes experimentation difficult,” Yang said.

With a background in arts management, Yang has positioned Plus 82 Paris as more than just a cafe, transforming it into a cultural exchange hub through collaborations with South Korean artists. The space doubles as an exhibition venue, showcasing Korean artwork on its walls and occasionally hosting live performances. Until earlier this month, the cafe displayed paintings by Kang Sang-mi, a South Korean artist active in France. When Plus 82 Paris first opened seven years ago, it launched with a photography exhibition exploring Korean sentiment, marking the start of its artistic collaborations.

Yang Min-ae, founder of Plus 82 Paris, poses in this photo provided by her.

Over the years, the café has hosted various cultural events, including dessert collaborations with traditional Korean sweets brands and book talks featuring Korean authors. One of Yang’s most memorable partnerships was a July 2023 pop-up store with the Korea Heritage Agency (KHA), themed around “Korean aesthetics.” “It was deeply meaningful to introduce traditional Korean craftsmanship and elements like dancheong, the decorative coloring used in Korean architecture,” she said. Another standout event was a May 2023 concert featuring Mia & Yeore, a Korean duo known for their piano and harmonica performances.

Yang remains dedicated to promoting Korean culture through Plus 82 Paris. In 2020, she launched a second cafe, Paris Dabang, with an even stronger focus on exhibitions. This year, she plans to open a multipurpose cultural space dedicated to Korean-themed exhibitions and pop-up events. “I want to create a platform for Korean artists and businesses looking to expand overseas,” she said. “With this new cultural space, I hope to showcase a broader range of Korean cultural elements and deepen Parisians’ appreciation of Korea.”