Namyangju riverside café for a parents' outing: Waltz and Dr. Mahn

Those of you living in Seoul and the greater capital area, you go to Yangpyeong a few times a year on weekends, right? Right now is just perfect for a café with a terrace. This place is already famous beyond famous—a Yangpyeong-certified century-old business.

Gothic and antique, with service worthy of a five-star hotel. White tablecloths spread across the tables—woooow. For 30 years, like this? The care put into a place that sells food and coffee is honestly incredible. Waltz and Dr. Mahn, a large Yangpyeong café and restaurant.

Why I Came to This Century-Old Business by the Bukhangang River

If you have done the Yangpyeong and Dumulmeori café circuit, it would be a shame to leave this one out.

A tempting location right in front of the Bukhangang River, alongside the bike path. Waltz and Dr. Mahn is a century-old business that everyone who knows, knows.

With 30 years in business, it must be a major branch of Korean coffee history.

This is a place full of the dignity and antiques that reveal the resolve of an interior-loving owner who fell for coffee and decided to create a business that would last a hundred years. Open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with parking available.

Was I perhaps an aristocrat? I think I was. Ah, memories of a past life.

That is the sort of thought inspired by the old-world elegance and the staff's finely honed service. You really do feel looked after. Please do come with your parents. There is a high chance they will like it more than other Yangpyeong river-view cafés.

An Antique Space That Keeps Its Sense of Time

Beauty designed with a hundred years in mind.

It practically drips with preciousness. There are occasional reviews about the facilities feeling old, but shouldn't a place like this carry the feeling of time?

Because it was autumn, the glass windows had been folded open. You can eat and drink coffee while facing the Bukhangang River directly.

The river sits right at eye level, and cafés stretch along the bike path out front.

The concept of a place that preserves its character whenever you happen to return over a hundred years feels like something only this place could pull off.

A lamp said to have been used by the British royal family. Its price was compared with a Tico car—amazing... Search up the price of a Tico. It was ₩3 million in the 1990s, so ₩10 million... if you estimate its value today.

Drinking coffee while looking at expensive things...

House-Roasted Coffee Worth Waiting for Slowly

House roasting, of course, and service from baristas trained to exacting standards.

They handle well over 20 types of coffee beans. Everything from selection through drip brewing is rigorously managed. This is not the kind of place that rushes coffee out just because it is busy. Take it slow and look at the river while you wait.

If You Order Coffee with a Meal

TIP. Coffee is 50% off when ordered with a meal.

There are some Friday evenings with concerts, so keep checking the events. Any season, you can enjoy the atmosphere of the Bukhangang River and mountains. I am waiting for winter, when I can have a cup of coffee looking out at the frozen river. As you sip, it is quite fun to watch cyclists pass along the bike path in front of you.

Couples who dated here and married would already be senior couples if they came when it first opened.

They were couples who came to the best café of that era, so I am sure they are still happy now. There are not many places that aim to become somewhere that protects memories spanning decades like this. Waltz and Dr. Mahn is best visited with someone you love—especially family and parents.