Our buddy Bethan visited Busan just lately, and whereas there she explored a few of the greatest cafés the town has to supply. In the event you’re planning your individual go to and need some inspiration for the most effective spots to seize a espresso, a sandwich, or a scrumptious pastry – learn on beneath!
When planning your first journey to Busan, you may need to match some cafes into your itinerary. Korea is the land of beautiful cafés, so I extremely advocate café-hopping in any Korean metropolis, together with Busan. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re sticking to extra tourist-focused locations on your first journey to Busan, discovering well-priced, impartial cafés might be barely harder than the much less well-known areas of the town. I’ve chosen 5 hidden gems which you’ll simply slip into your jam-packed sightseeing itinerary, and can assist you to keep away from these franchise cafés – so these are the most effective cafés in Busan!
(We’ve additionally included a useful Google Map beneath that will help you discover these gems.)
And Espresso, Haeundae
Haeundae is without doubt one of the hottest areas in Busan for vacationers – Haeundae seashore is an ideal trip spot, and the road markets and contemporary seafood that this space is understood for convey hordes of vacationers to Busan yearly. It’s really a must-visit for anyone visiting Busan for the primary time – as a Brit, seeing the skyscrapers alongside the beachfront at night time truly blew my thoughts!
Nonetheless, since Haeundae is such a well-known spot, it could actually typically be tough to seek out an impartial café that gives a comfortable ambiance, an honest value for meals and someplace to sit down. That’s why I used to be so completely satisfied to seek out And Espresso!
This café is massive and welcoming, and gives a brunch menu in addition to a wide range of waffles and drinks. This was the proper spot to cease at for breakfast, and the inside felt heat and gratifying. We ordered a rooster panini and roasted vegetable salad between us. The meals was nicely ready and scrumptious; my panini got here with a Korean gochujang-based sauce which went completely with the rooster and apple sandwich filling, whereas my buddy’s salad got here topped with blueberries which tasted nice. Fascinating ingredient mixtures are a staple of Korean Western meals and is at all times an expertise, whether or not good or dangerous – my favorite thus far being egg mayonnaise and strawberry jam sandwiches – so experiencing Korean-style Western meals when you are here’s a must-do. In the event you go to within the afternoon, you can too seize a chilly beer after a day of sunbathing.
Only a brief stroll from the beachfront, this café is the proper place to begin your seashore day. We arrived round 11am, and the café rapidly bought busy after that, so I like to recommend visiting within the morning if you wish to sit in and eat.
Handle: 317, Haeundaehaebyeon-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan 48095
Avant Garde Café, Gamcheon Tradition Village
In Gamcheon Tradition Village, you’re spoiled for selection with regards to cafés, and the rows and rows of vibrant homes cascading down the mountainside make a improbable backdrop for cafes and eating places. Nonetheless, for the reason that buildings in Gamcheon are very previous, and weren’t initially constructed for tourism, they don’t essentially capitalise on the view. However there was one café that we got here throughout on our journey to Gamcheon that subverted this – Avant Garde.
From the surface, it seems to be like several common café – the tables nonetheless have the watermarks from a franchise café chain which will need to have been right here earlier than! Nonetheless, what sells this café as a hidden gem is the view. If you need to have the ability to sit and drink espresso while surrounded by the colorful village on all sides, that is the place to go. There’s an indoor seating space, in addition to window seating the place you possibly can take pleasure in searching to the coast. There’s additionally a decking space the place you possibly can sit outdoors and really benefit from the view you travelled all the way in which there to see. The costs at this café are normal (round 6,000W per drink), the espresso is sweet and there are some desserts on provide too. So, if the view is an important factor for you when travelling to Gamcheon, this café is ideal for that!
Handle: 121, Okcheon-ro, Saha-gu, Busan 49365
Yao Tea Gallery, Gamcheon Tradition Village
In the event you would like someplace with just a little extra character in Gamcheon, Yao Tea Gallery is the proper place. An excellent various to sitting down for yet one more espresso, this tiny tea café is a good place to sit down and study in regards to the artwork of tea ceremony. The proprietor speaks English and might clarify in regards to the completely different teas, and there’s info on the partitions as nicely to remind you. In the event you share a pot of tea, it prices solely 8,000W per individual – which is a good value, contemplating the time the proprietor takes to show you about tea ceremony and easy methods to put together the tea. Between two individuals, one pot of tea was greater than sufficient.
We ordered puerh tea, a fermented tea originating in China, and have been fortunately guided upstairs to a tiny seating space with simply two tables. If you need a quaint and cosy ambiance, this teeny tiny café is ideal for that. The tables are each dealing with small home windows too so you possibly can take pleasure in a view of the village while sipping your tea. The proprietor got here and confirmed us easy methods to brew and pressure the tea, and supplied us with a standard Korean confection known as yanggaeng, constituted of pink beans and mungbeans. It’s also possible to purchase conventional type art work that’s been hand-painted by the proprietor, which might make a improbable memento from Korea.
Total, this was a vastly stress-free expertise, which left me with some new cultural information and a refreshed thoughts after ingesting heat tea and admiring the view in a comfortable, peaceable café. This café is hidden away up some winding staircases but when you could find it, it’s nicely well worth the go to.
Handle: 1, Gamnae 2-ro 119beon-gil, Saha-gu, Busan 49363
madame, madame, Nampo
Busan Tower is one other must-visit spot in your first journey to Busan, so if you happen to’re on the lookout for a spot to relaxation up after your go to, madame, madame is the proper place.
I heard this café earlier than I noticed it, after a brief stroll via Yongdusan Park, the realm surrounding Busan Tower. Traditional Christmas songs have been enjoying as we approached, and the café was decked out in traditional pink and inexperienced decorations, which I actually loved! This café is nestled alongside one in all many exit staircases on the outskirts of Yongdusan Park, and the way in which it’s so secluded made it really feel like a cottage from a fairytale or a Ghibli film. Aesthetically, this café is simply actually fairly and gratifying. Madame, madame has really embraced the European cottage aesthetic, offering an ornamental kitchen space with faux meals and dim lights which additionally give this place a romantic feeling. I imagine this café turns into a restaurant at night time, however through the day, it gives a wide range of mushy pretzels and pretzel sandwiches. We opted to sit down outdoors on the decking, to benefit from the view of the café and the Christmas decorations.
The pretzels are scrumptious and we each ordered sizzling chocolate, which was a few of the greatest sizzling chocolate I’ve had in Korea – very creamy and candy. On condition that it’s simply outdoors of the park, it’s the good spot to cover away and chill out for a bit, making it the most effective cafés in Busan. In addition to, the cafe comes with a cat – so what extra may you ask for?
Handle: 30-18, Gwangbok-ro 67beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan 48949
Offo, Gijang
Probably the most underrated areas in Busan for cafés is Gijang, a principally residential space on the outskirts of Busan. Whereas there is probably not as a lot to do in Gijang as different bustling areas like Haeundae, Gwangalli or Gamcheon, what this space does completely is ocean-view cafés. There are cafés dotted all alongside the shoreline right here, and it’s value travelling outdoors of central Busan to expertise it.
Of all of the cafés alongside this shoreline, my favorite must be Offo. You’re greeted with trendy structure and loads of area so that you’ll remember to have someplace to sit down after making a protracted journey. Whereas the principle attraction of this cafe is the ocean view, the bread and pastries served listed below are as scrumptious as they’re fairly, and never overpriced regardless of the placement and the ambiance being one in all an costly café. There are additionally brunch choices if you would like a heartier meal. You possibly can select to eat indoors or outdoors, the place there are tiered seats and tables dealing with the ocean. Since we visited in December, the café supplied blankets for visitors, which made sitting outdoors with a cake and a sizzling drink much more cosy. There are additionally tent areas outdoors the place you possibly can sit round a heated desk in colder climate. The picnic bench setup and tented areas make this cafe an awesome place to go to as a household with children or a bunch of mates.
Nonetheless, my favorite factor about this café is that there’s entry from the cafe to the rockpools and ocean beneath. While I really like traversing rocks alongside the seafront in any climate, I can think about this to be an awesome place to dip your toes within the summertime. Total, this café was a comfortable place to sit down and benefit from the sea breeze, and a part of me wished I had introduced a guide together with me to really really feel like I used to be on trip!
To get to Gijang, you possibly can simply take the subway to Gijang station – nonetheless to achieve the coast, I’d really useful to rent a automobile or take a taxi. Taxis are additionally comparatively low-cost in Korea in comparison with many different nations so, particularly for a bunch of individuals, a taxi can be the easiest way to journey. Why not make a day of café-hopping alongside the coast in Gijang?
Handle: 860, Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 46078
The Bonus Café: Magnate, Nam-gu
I needed to embody this café, though it is a bit more on the well-known aspect. Magnate is owned by the mother and father of BTS’s Jimin, so it’s a well-known spot amongst Okay-pop followers. Nonetheless, to those that know nothing about Okay-pop, this café nonetheless stays a hidden gem.
The café isn’t BTS-themed in any respect, that means it may be loved by everybody – and it ought to be. The shining stars of this place are the pastries, which aren’t solely extraordinarily scrumptious, however stunning to take a look at too. When you munch on a croissant or cheesecake, you possibly can benefit from the industrial design and fascinating art work adorning the partitions. This café is cosy, the vibe is chilled, and there’s even a tiny out of doors backyard the place you possibly can sit and revel in iced espresso in the summertime. It’s the proper spot for a date or espresso with mates, and the most effective cafés in Busan.
Handle: 135, Jinnam-ro, Nam-gu, Busan 48448
