Gimpo café for grilled seafood oil pasta and salmon salad: The Nillai

The weather's been so nice and cool lately that staying home felt like a waste, so I went searching for a brunch spot to drive out to in Gimpo — and found out there's a big café there run by a chef who used to work at the 63 Building? It wasn't far from home, so my husband and I hopped in the car and headed to 'The Nillai' in Yangchon, Gimpo.

Where The Nillai is and when it opens

The Nillai is a large brunch café on the G floor at 80 Yangchon-yeok-gil, Yangchon-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open weekdays 10:00-20:00, weekends 10:00-21:00, with a weekday brunch menu break time from 15:30-16:30.

• Address: 80 Yangchon-yeok-gil, Yangchon-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, G Floor
• Hours: Weekdays 10:00-20:00 / Weekends 10:00-21:00
• Weekday brunch menu break time: 15:30-16:30
• Amenities: group-friendly, separate restrooms, high chairs, free Wi-Fi

As soon as we arrived, the open exterior and the large parking lot meant we could park comfortably right away — a good start.

The Nillai also shares its building with a branch of the famous camping brand KZM STORE, so you can enjoy a delicious brunch and browse camping gear all in one trip — pretty appealing. TMI: my husband and I both love camping and couldn't resist stopping by the shop, haha.

The Nillai's G-floor window seats, Nillai Garden and media room

Taking the elevator down to the GF floor, the moment we stepped inside, the sheer scale and the clean interior caught my eye. One whole side is a floor-to-ceiling window, giving it a great sense of openness, and with the high ceilings the whole place felt wonderfully airy.

Even though it was a bit earlier than lunchtime, a few people were already there enjoying brunch.

Greenery and sunlight poured in through the windows — from the plush sofa seating to the space filled with fresh ingredients and plants, the tables were spaced generously, making it perfect for a relaxed, healing kind of afternoon.

True to its large scale, there were tons of seats and generous spacing between tables, so you wouldn't feel cramped by the table next to you.

On one side of the café, there's a care kids zone media room where you can enjoy brunch and drinks while watching media art — fun to browse. It seems like a genuinely enjoyable space if you're visiting with kids.

Further inside is another themed space, the Nillai Garden. Unfortunately, this area is a no-kids zone, so families with children can't use it.

Since (conveniently?) no one else was around, I peeked in and found what looked like a pond-style interior inside. Such a pretty space — but I could see why it's a no-kids zone, since there's some risk if children were running around in there.

What bakery items does The Nillai have?

Between the ordering counters, a variety of baked goods were neatly arranged.

Cute bite-sized meringue sandwich cookies, crunchy rusks, and garlic baguette were served in cups — perfect for kids to grab one at a time.

The plain salt bread — always a crowd favorite for its light, savory flavor — was neatly wrapped in plastic, while the crunchy, sweet churros and golden egg tarts caught my eye too.

From the golden, light basic croissant to the chocolate-coated croissant, the nutty soboro chestnut bread, and the cute mini strawberry jam sandwich bread, there was plenty to pick from according to taste.

Soft, fluffy-looking bakery items too — this place really knows how to win over a bread lover's heart.

What we ordered at The Nillai and what it cost

A banner at the ordering counter mentioned that in addition to brunch from a chef who used to work at the 63 Building, the café also offers coffee curated by a barista certified as a Q Arabica Grader. Even before ordering, the sense of expertise from food to drinks got me even more excited.

You order the brunch menu and drinks up front. The brunch menu includes pasta, pizza, salad, and more, available à la carte or as sets.

• Iced Americano: ₩6,000
• Grilled seafood oil pasta: ₩18,900
• Salmon salad: ₩15,000
• Croissant: ₩5,000
• Milk stick: ₩6,800

And if you leave a receipt review on Naver, you get a free cold brew — so we ordered just one Americano and got a cold brew on top! Haha (owner's little secret tip 😝‼️)

What's on the self bar at The Nillai

Next to the pickup zone, there's a self bar set up.

There are forks, knives, and small plates, plus a microwave and even an oven.

There's also a water dispenser — interestingly, you turn a lever on top to use it. Nearby, there are paper boxes and plastic bags for taking bakery items to go.

How the grilled seafood oil pasta and salmon salad tasted

After exploring the café more, and with expectations riding on the 63 Building chef title, our brunch order and bakery items arrived — the table filled up with a generous spread, and the oily pasta aroma alone made me sigh with satisfaction.

The main dish, the grilled seafood oil pasta — this dish really hit my exact taste, ugh. It had just a slight kick of spice, an oily richness, and was generously loaded with clams, plump shrimp, and mushrooms. It wasn't overpowering at all, which I loved — so, purely personal preference, but I'm daring to recommend this one.

Rolling the pasta up together with the light layer of arugula on top made it even more delicious, ugh.

The baguette was casually placed on top — soak it well in the oil sauce, add some vegetables and shrimp, and this combo is a must-eat.

The salmon salad had savory salmon, cherry tomatoes, and capers over fresh vegetables, all tied together with balsamic glaze and grated cheese — the first bite burst with freshness and paired really well with the oil pasta.

The vegetables were very fresh and the salmon was wonderfully chewy, with a texture that got better the more you chewed. My husband, a self-proclaimed salmon killer, felt the portion of salmon was a bit small — his one point of disappointment, haha.

What does The Nillai's milk stick taste like?

We ordered a croissant and a milk stick, but since we'd already gone all-out on brunch, we only tried the milk stick, which we'd been curious about, alongside coffee. My husband and I both love that soft, fluffy castella-style texture, and the milk stick was exactly that. The bread was chewy and packed with cream, but not greasy at all, making it a perfect match with coffee. A day of enjoying everything from brunch to dessert to the fullest with my husband 🤗

Who is The Nillai in Gimpo best for?

With delicious brunch and bakery items, plus eye-catching media art and plenty to look at, this is a great spot for a family gathering or a weekend date course. If you'd like to enjoy the cuisine of a chef who worked at the 63 Building alongside coffee from an expert barista, I highly recommend a drive out to Gimpo this weekend to check it out :)