Gwangju bakery café for salt bread and lattes: La Cuesta

Last Sunday, I went to Gonjiam Resort. We had a late breakfast at home and headed straight to Gwangju, but had quite a bit of time before check-in, so we thought, shall we go to a café? That’s when we found La Cuesta Gwangju.

It’s not far from Gonjiam Resort, so it makes for an easy stop before or after a trip. Hours are daily from 10:00 to 22:00, with last orders at 21:30.

What are the parking and entrance like?

As you’d expect from a large café, there is plenty of parking in front of the building and down below, so you can come in comfortably without worrying about parking.

Green trees and a lawn line both sides of the stairs to the entrance, so it feels a little like walking up a forest trail 🌿🌲

There’s even a mini waterfall(?) with a lovely rushing-water sound~

Follow the stairs up to the second floor and you’ll find outdoor terrace seating, too! It would be perfect to sit out there with coffee on a nice day, haha.

There’s also a cute little artificial pond(?), with water trickling down from above.

From brunch to dessert

As soon as I walked in, the bingsu (shaved ice dessert) and brunch banners caught my eye.

At La Cuesta, you can finish everything from a meal to dessert. There are lots of drinks, including coffee, ade, and smoothies, plus a good variety of pasta and sandwiches, so it looked like a nice place for a full meal, too!

The good-value brunch set for two also looked nice, so I think plenty of guests visiting for a meal would choose it.

The bakery and meju bread

The bakery display is packed with variety: canelés, campagne loaves, cream bread, melon bread, corn bread, croissants, kouign-amann, and even bagels. Bread lovers will lose their minds~ Everything looked delicious, so choosing was hard ⚆_⚆

The one that caught my eye most was La Cuesta’s signature meju bread! Shaped into squares just like meju, fermented soybean blocks, this loaf is made with black sesame and squid ink for a savory dough. Peas and kidney beans are dotted throughout, giving it a mild outer layer and a sweet, nutty center.

(I don’t like beans, so I didn’t buy it ^^....) There was also a discount event for buying two, so it looked good as a gift. I actually saw customers packing up three or four loaves at a time! It would make a perfect gift for older relatives or anyone who loves beans.

A space that’s nice to visit with kids

Maybe because it was Sunday, the café was fairly busy. I wanted to sit upstairs, but it was full, so I settled in on the first floor~ If it hadn’t been drizzling, I would have sat on the terrace, which was a little disappointing, haha. (Though with all the trees, I imagine there might be lots of mosquitoes..!)

There are lots of no-kids cafés these days, but the first floor has an area where children can color and draw, so it looked like families with kids could enjoy themselves comfortably, haha.

There were also stacks of books by the window beside the stairs to the second floor, and they seemed to be free for anyone to read.

There was even a photo booth, similar to Life Four Cuts, on the second floor, which looked like a fun little way to make a memory. 📸

Salt bread, canelé, and the signature latte

We had ramen at home before leaving, so I couldn’t go for the more tempting, heavier breads. Instead, I chose the easy, not-too-heavy options: salt bread and a canelé! 🤤 They were those reliably familiar flavors, and so delicious with coffee!!

For drinks, we had the signature La Cuesta Latte and an iced Americano. As you can see, the La Cuesta Latte comes topped with a generous layer of soft cream, so it was a proper sugar boost. The iced Americano was nutty without any acidity, which I liked. ☺️

La Cuesta is a café worth visiting at least once when you’re heading to Gonjiam. I recommend it for families or group get-togethers! 🙃