Tamburins and Boon the Shop: The Two Most Talked-About Stores in Seoul
Some places in Seoul aren’t really about the shopping — they’re about the experience. Tamburins feels closer to an art gallery than a beauty store, and Boon the Shop is famous as the go-to spot for Korean celebrities. Both are even connected through BLACKPINK’s Jennie, which makes learning about them together far more interesting than visiting either one cold.
Tamburins: Walk in for Perfume, Feel Like You Just Entered a Gallery
Tamburins is the sister brand of eyewear label Gentle Monster, focused mainly on perfume and skincare. But what actually draws people in has less to do with the products and more to do with the space itself.
Its recently opened Seongsu flagship is the clearest example. Built from concrete and glass, the store creates an underground space that feels more like a subterranean art gallery than a retail shop. At the center sits a life-sized sculpture of an elderly couple, the man gently applying the brand’s lip balm to the woman’s lips, surrounded by dried leaves and earth arranged to evoke an autumn mood. Brand ambassador Jennie of BLACKPINK made an appearance during the store’s opening weekend.
Seongsu isn’t the only spot worth knowing. HAUS NOWHERE Dosan houses Gentle Monster, Tamburins, and dessert café Nudake all under one roof, spread across different floors — meaning you get three distinct experiences in a single building. Since Seongsu and Dosan have completely different interior concepts, comparing the two makes for an interesting route if you have the time. Add the Sinsa flagship, and you’ve got three entirely different themed spaces to explore.
Location: The Seongsu flagship is at 8 Yeonmujang 5-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul — close enough to Seongsu’s café street that you can easily follow up your visit with coffee nearby.
The product lineup is just as distinctive as the space. Tamburins centers on perfume alongside body-care items like lip balms and hand creams, with scents that lean bold and distinctive rather than universally “safe.” If you’re looking for something more subtle, it’s worth testing in person rather than buying blind — staff are generally happy to walk beginners through the scent notes in detail.
Boon the Shop: Where “Finding a Celebrity Who Hasn’t Been Here” Is the Harder Task
Boon the Shop is a completely different kind of place. Founded in 2000 and owned by Shinsegae Group, its Cheongdam flagship was designed by world-renowned architect Peter Marino — Korea’s first true luxury concept store.
It opened in 2000 as the country’s first multi-brand menswear boutique, then established its luxury identity with the Cheongdam flagship in 2004, before Peter Marino’s 2014 renovation gave it the architectural presence it’s known for today. For over two decades, it has held its position as the place that introduces Korea to emerging designers first.
Boon the Shop is known for curating everything from major international luxury houses to up-and-coming designer labels, and it’s a well-known haunt for celebrities, influencers, and broadcasters — G-Dragon among them. Jennie of BLACKPINK has also appeared at brand events held there in the past. It’s earned a reputation as a place where, as the saying goes, “it’s faster to name the celebrities who haven’t shopped here” — a genuinely iconic fixture of Korea’s fashion and entertainment scene.
What’s especially worth noting is the range of the curation. Alongside major international names, the store also carries Korean designer labels like Kiok and Kye, making it a great place to see how local designers approach their craft. It’s also had standalone collaborations with international streetwear labels like Off-White in the past, so each visit — depending on the season — can turn up a completely different mix of brands.
Location: The Cheongdam flagship is at 21 Apgujeong-ro 60-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a short walk from Cheongdam Station on Line 7. Beyond the Seoul flagship, there’s also a branch inside Shinsegae Centum City in Busan, so you can experience Boon the Shop’s curation even without a Seoul stop.
Why It’s Worth Knowing Both
Put side by side, these two stores reveal two different sides of what makes a place worth visiting in Korea.
- Tamburins draws people in because of the art space the brand itself built — the space is the story, regardless of who’s visited
- Boon the Shop draws people in because celebrities actually shop there — the people are the story, more than the space
It’s a nice detail that Jennie connects to both. The same person being both the face of a fragrance brand and a regular at a luxury concept store shows just how tightly Korean celebrity marketing weaves across different industries.
If You’re Visiting, Here’s How to Approach Each One
Tamburins is worth visiting expecting a photogenic, immersive space. The Seongsu flagship doesn’t require a reservation and is open from noon to 9 p.m. Even if you only buy a single fragrance, the point of the visit is really the experience of shopping in that space.
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Boon the Shop calls for a different mindset. As a luxury concept store, prices run high, and rather than going in with “I need to buy something from this brand,” it’s more realistic to treat it as a way to see what Korea’s upper-tier fashion scene is paying attention to right now. Just browsing the Cheongdam store gives you a real feel for where Korean fashion is heading. Keep in mind it closes earlier than Tamburins, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., so it’s safer to build it into your route first.
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Both stores sit close to each other around Cheongdam, Seongsu, and Dosan, so covering all of them in a single day is entirely doable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are all the Tamburins stores this artistic? Each location has a different concept. The Seongsu, Sinsa, and HAUS NOWHERE Dosan flagships are each themed differently, so comparing them as you go is part of the fun.
Q: Can tourists visit Boon the Shop comfortably? Yes, anyone can walk in. Keep in mind it’s a luxury concept store with high price points, so plenty of visitors go simply to browse the space and curation rather than to buy.
Q: Can I get a tax refund at either store? Yes — as long as the standard conditions are met (a receipt of 15,000 won or more, unopened items, staying in Korea under six months), you’re eligible for an immediate or after-the-fact refund. Just have your passport ready at checkout.
Q: Can I visit Boon the Shop outside of Seoul? Yes, there’s a Boon the Shop branch inside Shinsegae Centum City in Busan, so you can experience its curation without a trip to Seoul.
Q: If my budget is tight, which one should I prioritize? Tamburins has a lower barrier to entry — even one fragrance or lip balm lets you enjoy the full store experience. Boon the Shop’s price points mean an actual purchase takes real budget, so if time or funds are limited, treating it as a quick browse rather than a shopping stop is the more realistic plan.
At both stores, the mindset that pays off most is going in less to buy something and more to experience the sense of Seoul that the space and the brand represent.
Quick Checklist
- Decided which Tamburins flagship to visit? (Seongsu, Sinsa, and Dosan each have a different theme)
- Planned extra time at Boon the Shop for browsing, not just shopping?
- Put Boon the Shop earlier in your route? (It closes sooner than Tamburins)
- Ready for a tax refund at both stores? (15,000 won minimum, items unopened)
