Rainy-day Dumulmeori café with a 2-month-old: Waltz and Dr. Mahn

Why did we pick Waltz and Dr. Mahn?

We went to Waltz and Dr. Mahn (왈츠와 닥터만), a big café on the north side of the Bukhan River in Namyangju. Waltz and Dr. Mahn... Seoul was too crowded to take our little Bamtol (our baby's nickname) out, so we looked for a spacious big café on the outskirts of Seoul and ended up here. We didn't know it, but I heard it's a super famous café among coffee lovers!

How close is Waltz and Dr. Mahn to Dumulmeori?

Waltz and Dr. Mahn is on Bukhangang-ro in Joan-myeon, Namyangju. It's not right in front of Dumulmeori, but it's a short drive away. It's the first place recommended these days when you search for Dumulmeori cafés, so it was a perfect stop to combine with a Dumulmeori outing.

Is it okay to visit with a baby on a rainy day?

Waltz and Dr. Mahn on a rainy day was even more romantic, and with wide seats and roomy aisles, getting around with a baby wasn't a hassle. It had been raining since morning so I was a little worried, but who knew it would be this romantic on a rainy day..🧡

Watching the Bukhan River hazy in the rain outside, with raindrops sliding down the big glass windows, calmed me down. Since it was an outing with a baby I figured it would be chaotic and didn't expect much, but the seats were wide and the aisles roomy, so moving around with a baby wasn't a problem!

What are the interior and Bukhan River view like?

Waltz and Dr. Mahn is a big café in a red, castle-like building right on the Bukhan River, with vintage props and classic European interiors inside! Every window seat has a river view, so the reviews saying it's a view hotspot wherever you sit are legit!

With the rain, the mountains and river slightly sunk in mist felt even more romantic, romantic romantic. And you know that person in our family who'd be dead without romance? They were completely satisfied.

What are the menu prices at Waltz and Dr. Mahn?

The menu at Waltz and Dr. Mahn, a Dumulmeori-area café

Menu items run from ₩14,000 to ₩30,000, so it's on the pricey side. Still, there's a really wide variety of beans and the hand drip is properly made, so after visiting, the money didn't feel wasted and it felt like a hotel café!

It's a quiet, atmospheric place that would be great for an important meeting with elders, a date, or a family outing. Bring older relatives to a café like this and you'll definitely earn points.

How do the Sumatra Mandheling, Honour & Chevalier and seasonal fruit cheesecake taste?

Our family ordered Sumatra Mandheling coffee (Indonesia), Honour & Chevalier (a parfait-style drink combining Dutch coffee, ice cream and seasonal fruit) and a seasonal fruit cheesecake, and every single item was good. I'd order the same again!

The Sumatra Mandheling had especially fresh beans and a lovely aroma. My wife had been wanting a parfait for ages, so when I saw one I ordered the Honour & Chevalier right away. The coffee and ice cream are layered up, so you taste the Dutch coffee and it feels like a dessert. There were many kinds of fruit on top, it looked pretty, and the fruit was really fresh and sweet. Top🔥

The balance of tangy fruit and soft cream was so good that it was the best ice cream coffee I've had recently! Honour & Chevalier is apparently the signature menu item of Waltz and Dr. Mahn! Definitely order this one.

The seasonal fruit cheesecake? Need I say more, it was great with the coffee! Next time I'm thinking of trying the steak and lunch menu too! Lots of other guests were having full meals.

How was the service at Waltz and Dr. Mahn?

Even more impressive than the coffee was the kindness and neat service of the staff at Waltz and Dr. Mahn, just like any hotel service! Even if the coffee costs more than a regular café, with this level of service, space and taste, it's a price you can easily pay!

Menu transcribed: Premium Variation and other drinks

PREMIUM VARIATION — One drink per person; no refills on drip. (Additional orders are not discounted.)

• 9. Honour & Chevalier: introduced as the signature drink of Waltz and Dr. Mahn, made in honor of medieval chivalry, with Dutch coffee or cold milk, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, French macarons and fresh seasonal fruit.
• 10. Coffee Float Volcano: espresso-based coffee with Kahlúa liqueur and chocolate ice cream, topped with whipped cream and nuts
• 11. Yoger Delight: a combination of fruit sherbet and homemade yogurt ice cream (blueberry, raspberry, mango)
• OTHERS Fresh fruit juice: orange, tomato, kiwi, grapefruit
• Bottled beer: Guinness, Heineken, Asahi, Cloud

Menu transcribed: single-origin hand drip

HAND DRIP COFFEE — Additional drinks ordered are 50% off, except the four top coffees (Geisha, Blue Mountain, Kona, Yemen). SINGLE-ORIGIN: one drink per person; no refills on drip.

• 0. Panama Geisha La Esmeralda: the menu describes it as the "coffee of the gods," an SCA 90+ specialty coffee with deep floral notes and ripe tropical fruit, from the La Esmeralda farm in the Baru volcano highlands.
• 1. Jamaica Blue Mountain: described as a top-grade straight-only coffee with an exquisite balance of taste and aroma, grown in tiny quantities and hard to find in Korea.
• 2. Hawaiian Kona: 100% Kona with a glossy sweetness shaped by volcanic soil and climate
• 3. Yemen Mocha Mattari: coffee grown on rocky mountain slopes in the Bani Matar region at around 2,000 meters
• 4. India Baba Budan Arabica Washed: clean taste from a fermented-then-washed water process
• 5. India Baba Budan Arabica Cherry: natural process, sun-dried without pulping, with floral and spice notes
• 6. Kilimanjaro AA: a limited-quantity coffee grown shade-grown in Machame village, Tanzania, with a deep earthy aroma
• 7. Kenya AA: the Kenyan coffee loved by Karen Blixen of the film Out of Africa, "black gold" grown in red alluvial soil
• 8. Costa Rica Tarrazu: grown at 1,200 to 1,800 meters, with tropical fruit freshness and brown sugar sweetness

With a 2-month-old baby, did we feel self-conscious at Waltz and Dr. Mahn?

We were cautious with a baby only 2 months old, but Waltz and Dr. Mahn has wide spacing between seats and a quiet atmosphere, so we didn't feel self-conscious. It was perfect for drinking while watching the rain out the window. It came in a classic teacup, which made the mood even better..

What about weekend waits and parking?

Waltz and Dr. Mahn is so popular that there may be a wait on weekends, so keep that in mind before visiting! There's no separate waiting area; you just walk the path out front, I was told. It'll be nearly full on weekends, so it would be a bit hectic with a baby. There was a full parking lot too!

If you're looking for a family outing café near Dumulmeori, do go to Waltz and Dr. Mahn, where you can feel the romance even on a rainy day! Even with a baby, it was a place we could visit comfortably 😆

📍 856-37 Bukhangang-ro, Joan-myeon, Namyangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea