Our good friend Bethan visited Busan not too long ago, and whereas there she explored a number of the greatest cafés town has to supply. If you happen to’re planning your personal go to and need some inspiration for the very best 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 attractive cafés, so I extremely advocate café-hopping in any Korean metropolis, together with Busan. Nevertheless, in the event you’re sticking to extra tourist-focused locations to your first journey to Busan, discovering well-priced, impartial cafés could possibly be barely harder than the much less well-known areas of town. I’ve chosen 5 hidden gems which you’ll be able to simply slip into your jam-packed sightseeing itinerary, and can enable you to keep away from these franchise cafés – so these are the very best cafés in Busan!
(We’ve additionally included a useful Google Map beneath that can assist you discover these gems.)
And Espresso, Haeundae
Haeundae is among 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 thought for deliver 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 evening really blew my thoughts!
Nevertheless, since Haeundae is such a well-known spot, it could actually typically be tough to search out an impartial café that gives a comfy environment, a good worth for meals and someplace to take a seat. That’s why I used to be so blissful to search out And Espresso!
This café is giant and alluring, and presents a brunch menu in addition to quite a lot of waffles and drinks. This was the proper spot to cease at for breakfast, and the inside felt heat and pleasing. We ordered a hen 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 hen and apple sandwich filling, whereas my good friend’s salad got here topped with blueberries which tasted nice. Fascinating ingredient mixtures are a staple of Korean Western meals and is all the time an expertise, whether or not good or dangerous – my favorite to this point being egg mayonnaise and strawberry jam sandwiches – so experiencing Korean-style Western meals when you are here’s a must-do. If you happen to go to within the afternoon, you can even seize a chilly beer after a day of sunbathing.
Only a brief stroll from the beachfront, this café is the proper place to start out your seashore day. We arrived round 11am, and the café shortly 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 incredible backdrop for cafes and eating places. Nevertheless, 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 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! Nevertheless, what sells this café as a hidden gem is the view. If you would like 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 may be an indoor seating space, in addition to window seating the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from searching to the coast. There may be additionally a decking space the place you’ll be able to sit exterior and really benefit from the view you travelled all the best way there to see. The costs at this café are customary (round 6,000W per drink), the espresso is sweet and there are some muffins on provide too. So, if the view is crucial 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
If you happen to would like someplace with slightly extra character in Gamcheon, Yao Tea Gallery is the proper place. An ideal various to sitting down for one more espresso, this tiny tea café is a good place to take a seat and be taught in regards to the artwork of tea ceremony. The proprietor speaks English and may clarify in regards to the completely different teas, and there’s data on the partitions as nicely to remind you. If you happen to share a pot of tea, it prices solely 8,000W per individual – which is a good worth, contemplating the time the proprietor takes to show you about tea ceremony and how one can put together the tea. Between two folks, one pot of tea was greater than sufficient.
We ordered puerh tea, a fermented tea originating in China, and had been fortunately guided upstairs to a tiny seating space with simply two tables. If you would like a quaint and cosy environment, this teeny tiny café is ideal for that. The tables are each going through small home windows too so you’ll be able to get pleasure from a view of the village while sipping your tea. The proprietor got here and confirmed us how one can brew and pressure the tea, and offered us with a standard Korean confection referred to as yanggaeng, produced from crimson beans and mungbeans. You can even purchase conventional type paintings that’s been hand-painted by the proprietor, which might make a incredible memento from Korea.
Total, this was a massively stress-free expertise, which left me with some new cultural data and a refreshed thoughts after consuming heat tea and admiring the view in a comfy, peaceable café. This café is hidden away up some winding staircases but when you will discover it, it’s nicely definitely 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 in the event you’re searching 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 by way of Yongdusan Park, the realm surrounding Busan Tower. Basic Christmas songs had been taking part in as we approached, and the café was decked out in basic crimson and inexperienced decorations, which I actually loved! This café is nestled alongside one in every of many exit staircases on the outskirts of Yongdusan Park, and the best way 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 pleasing. 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 evening, however throughout the day, it presents quite a lot of tender pretzels and pretzel sandwiches. We opted to take a seat exterior 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 number of the greatest sizzling chocolate I’ve had in Korea – very creamy and candy. Provided that it’s simply exterior of the park, it’s the excellent spot to cover away and loosen up for a bit, making it among the best cafés in Busan. Apart from, the cafe comes with a cat – so what extra might you ask for?
Handle: 30-18, Gwangbok-ro 67beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan 48949
Offo, Gijang
One of the vital underrated areas in Busan for cafés is Gijang, a largely residential space on the outskirts of Busan. Whereas there will not be 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 exterior of central Busan to expertise it.
Of all of the cafés alongside this shoreline, my favorite needs to be Offo. You’re greeted with fashionable structure and loads of area so that you’ll you should definitely have someplace to take a seat after making a protracted journey. Whereas the primary attraction of this cafe is the ocean view, the bread and pastries served listed here are as scrumptious as they’re fairly, and never overpriced regardless of the placement and the environment being one in every of an costly café. There are additionally brunch choices if you need a heartier meal. You’ll be able to select to eat indoors or exterior, the place there are tiered seats and tables going through the ocean. Since we visited in December, the café offered blankets for visitors, which made sitting exterior with a cake and a sizzling drink much more cosy. There are additionally tent areas exterior the place you’ll be able to sit round a heated desk in colder climate. The picnic bench setup and tented areas make this cafe an amazing place to go to as a household with children or a gaggle of associates.
Nevertheless, my favorite factor about this café is that there’s entry from the cafe to the rockpools and ocean beneath. While I like traversing rocks alongside the seafront in any climate, I can think about this to be an amazing place to dip your toes within the summertime. Total, this café was a comfy place to take a seat and benefit from the sea breeze, and a part of me wished I had introduced a e book together with me to really really feel like I used to be on trip!
To get to Gijang, you’ll be able to simply take the subway to Gijang station – nevertheless to succeed in the coast, I’d really helpful 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 gaggle of individuals, a taxi can be one of the best ways 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 embrace this café, regardless that 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 Ok-pop followers. Nevertheless, to those that know nothing about Ok-pop, this café nonetheless stays a hidden gem.
The café isn’t BTS-themed in any respect, which means it may be loved by everybody – and it needs to be. The shining stars of this place are the pastries, which aren’t solely extraordinarily scrumptious, however lovely to have a look at too. When you munch on a croissant or cheesecake, you’ll be able to benefit from the industrial design and fascinating paintings adorning the partitions. This café is cosy, the vibe is chilled, and there’s even a tiny outside backyard the place you’ll be able to sit and luxuriate in iced espresso in the summertime. It’s the proper spot for a date or espresso with associates, and among the best cafés in Busan.
Handle: 135, Jinnam-ro, Nam-gu, Busan 48448
