# Gangneung café with lemon ginger tea and gateau chocolat: Cafe Giwa - By Irin (https://superchart.com/en/@cup-meal-stubs/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Gangneung, Gangwon - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@cup-meal-stubs/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@cup-meal-stubs/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/index.md) ## In short Cafe Giwa is a hanok café on Chodangwon-gil 54beon-gil in Chodang-dong, Gangneung. Halfway through a day of beaches and restaurants, we sat at a lattice window seat with Cafe Giwa's signature ggotbunhong latte (strawberry milk), a lemon ginger tea and a gateau chocolat from Maman Gateau. With a wide private parking lot and a well-kept garden, Cafe Giwa is a good place to pause in the middle of a Gangneung trip. ## Good to know - **Location**: 15 Chodangwon-gil 54beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon State - **Parking**: Wide private parking lot right in front of the café - **Signature drinks**: Giwa Black Latte (black sesame cream), Mung Bean Flower Latte, Ggotbunhong Latte (strawberry milk) - **What we ordered**: Ggotbunhong latte, lemon ginger tea, gateau chocolat - **Desserts**: Maman Gateau cakes — gateau chocolat, mugwort injeolmi gateau, pure milk roll cake - **Also**: Hand-drip coffee menu available *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* ![Exterior of Cafe Giwa, a hanok café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-01-1g8oq-1200.webp) In the middle of a trip packed with beach visits and restaurant hopping, we headed to 'Cafe Giwa' looking for a moment to catch our breath and slow down. You know how a travel schedule can wear you out and make you crave rest? A cup of coffee under a quiet hanok roof, looking out at a lush green garden — just thinking about it feels like a comma dropped into your day. 🌿 ![Cafe Giwa's tiled roof and garden scenery](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-02-1yn8f-966.webp) ## Is parking easy at Cafe Giwa in Chodang-dong? Cafe Giwa has a spacious private parking lot right in front of the café. As a hotspot in Chodang-dong, I worried about parking before arriving, but even as a novice driver I was able to park with total ease. Nothing starts a trip off better than skipping the parking stress! ![Private parking lot in front of Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-03-22h70-966.webp) ## Stone wall path and wooden gate: Cafe Giwa's entrance photo spot After parking, following the signs leads you down a stone-walled path that feels like entering a secret garden. The entrance is full of fresh wildflowers, which instantly lifted my mood. ![Stone wall path and wildflowers at the entrance of Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-04-1gztu-966.webp) Walking along the path, you come to a stately old wooden gate — through this weathered timber gateway, a neat tiled-roof house quietly reveals itself. It was the perfect photo zone for a moody shot. Passing through the gate into the yard, a picturesque scene unfolds: the quiet tiled roof, beautiful hydrangeas, and wildflowers I honestly couldn't name, all blending together in harmony. The refined charm of a traditional hanok combined with the lush greenery — I immediately understood why so many travelers seek out this Gangneung hanok café. ![Tiled roof and hydrangeas in the yard of Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-05-14af3-966.webp) Scattered around the yard, antique metal chairs and vintage props blended naturally into the garden landscaping. Just wandering slowly through the carefully tended flower beds felt like it washed away all the trip fatigue. ![Antique metal chairs and vintage props in the Cafe Giwa yard](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-06-44eoc-966.webp) Walking on the neat flagstones across the yard, we approached the entrance of the main café building. The floor-to-ceiling windows and old wooden window frames worked together beautifully, giving off both the warmth unique to hanok and a sleek, modern feel. ![Entrance to Cafe Giwa's main building with floor-to-ceiling windows and wooden frames](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-07-xll86-966.webp) ## Cafe Giwa's three signature lattes and what we ordered Cafe Giwa's signature is a trio of house-made lattes. The Giwa Black Latte topped with black sesame cream, the slightly bitter Nokdu Flower Latte made with mung bean cream, and the sweet strawberry-milk-based Ggotbunhong Latte — all eye-catching from the moment you see them!! All three signature drinks are distinctive and pretty, and it's genuinely fun picking the one that suits your taste. We ordered the ggotbunhong latte, plus lemon ginger tea since the weather had turned a bit chilly. ![Sign for Cafe Giwa's three signature lattes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-08-1pf13-966.webp) At the counter bar, glass jars of fresh coffee beans were neatly lined up. A hand-drip coffee lineup that shows the barista's care! ![Glass jars of coffee beans at the Cafe Giwa counter bar](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-09-1sq96-966.webp) ### Dessert showcase at Cafe Giwa: Maman Gateau cakes The dessert showcase was neatly filled with premium cakes from Maman Gateau. From the gateau chocolat to the mugwort injeolmi gateau and the pure milk roll cake, every single one looked luxurious — after much deliberation, we ordered the rich, dense gateau chocolat. ![Dessert showcase filled with Maman Gateau cakes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-10-1fnv6-966.webp) ## Ggotbunhong latte at a lattice window seat Our order arrived neatly arranged on a wooden tray. Sitting at a prime spot where a lattice window looked out onto the green yard, just gazing at the drinks and dessert felt like healing in itself. The signature ggotbunhong latte, which drew gasps just from its looks, had the sweetness of strawberry milk paired perfectly with the deep, subtle flavor of dutch coffee. I loved it even more because it's a drink you can't find at other cafés. Pretty to photograph, healing to look at, and healing again in taste! ![Ggotbunhong latte and lemon ginger tea served on a wooden tray](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-11-m2l4b-966.webp) ### How dense is the gateau chocolat? The rich, dense gateau chocolat had a really excellent deep chocolate flavor. A sugar recharge is essential on a tiring travel schedule! The moment the fork pressed into it, the dense texture gave a satisfying weight, and once in the mouth, deep, slightly bitter cacao flavor spread and melted away. It wasn't overly sweet — more of a refined sweetness — so I enjoyed it happily down to the last bite. ![A slice of dense gateau chocolat](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau-12-yg2ei-966.webp) ## Worth a stop during a Gangneung trip? Sipping signature coffee in the antique hanok atmosphere, enjoying a rich dessert, and taking in the carefully tended garden — it all added up to a perfect moment of rest. If you're looking for a Chodang-dong café with mood, taste, and comfort all in one, definitely make a note of this place! ☕ ## Where it is - Cafe Giwa (카페기와) - 15 Chodangwon-gil 54beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea - 강원특별자치도 강릉시 초당원길54번길 15 카페기와 - 37.7859541, 128.9163704 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B9%B4%ED%8E%98%EA%B8%B0%EC%99%80/@37.7859541,128.9163704,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@cup-meal-stubs/gangneung-chodang-hanok-cafe-giwa-gateau/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt