Garden terrace café for kids near Gwangalli, Busan: Café Buajang

We had lunch with the kids in Gwangalli, walked along the beach, and ended up at Café Buajang that day.

It took about 20 minutes walking slowly with the kids from Gwangalli Beach, though it's only about a 15-minute walk at adult pace. When you go to a café with kids, a pretty atmosphere matters, but what really matters is whether the kids won't feel too cooped up and mom can rest for even a moment. Café Buajang is a place I'd recommend on exactly that front.

How to walk to Café Buajang from Gwangalli Beach

Café Buajang sits among houses a little away from Gwangalli Beach. Walking a bit inland from the beach, the surroundings change completely — a very different feel from the bustling main street of Gwangalli. Weaving through the residential blocks, I wondered if a café could really be here, and then Café Buajang appeared down the alley.

The exterior felt well kept from the moment I saw it. The greenery blends nicely with the tidy facade — personally it reminded me of the pretty cafés you find around Gijang. So even before going in, I was a little curious what kind of space it would be.

Inside, the two owners greeted us warmly, not overbearing but genuinely welcoming, which made a great first impression. Going into a café with kids can feel a little tense from the moment you walk in, but being welcomed so comfortably put me at ease too.

Where to sit at Café Buajang in Minrak-dong, Busan

Once inside, the space was much bigger than I expected. It's not a café with all the tables crammed into one corner — each area has a slightly different mood, so much so that I had trouble deciding where to sit.

There was an outdoor table, a cozy nook further in, seats along the wall, and group seating at a large table, which also looked good for visiting with several people.

With so many options, we spent a while deciding where to sit with the kids. They wouldn't sit quietly for long, but I also didn't want to bother other guests too much.

That's when the owner told us it was fine to sit on the outdoor terrace and set the seat up for us right away. So we settled into the terrace without any more hesitation.

Why the outdoor terrace is the seat to ask for with kids

In the end I really loved this seat. The outdoor terrace only fits one or two seats, so it's a bit set apart from the rest of the café and felt private — I didn't have to worry much about our surroundings even with the kids around. Best of all, there was a small garden-like area nearby, so whenever the kids got restless, they could wander around and look at things for a bit.

They looked at the flowers, checked out the grass and leaves, wandered here and there — there was plenty to look at. Kids seem to find this kind of natural scenery more entertaining than you'd think. The café also had gelato on the menu, so the kids ate gelato while we adults had coffee.

Going to a café with a kid is definitely easier when there's a menu item for them, rather than just ordering coffee for the adults. Our kids spent a happy stretch of time eating their gelato.

Gelato, coffee and photos: resting with the kids at Café Buajang

What I liked most about Café Buajang wasn't just that the space was pretty. What I really appreciated was that the kids didn't have to stay glued to their chairs.

That doesn't mean letting them run around inside the café — but around the outdoor terrace where we sat, they could move around a little, looking at the flowers, grass, and leaves. So the kids never got bored, and I could sit back with my coffee and actually relax a bit.

That day I got to rest for a while without putting on Pororo for the kids. When you go to a café with a child, you often end up chasing them around instead of actually enjoying your coffee. But here, thanks to the spacious layout and the outdoor terrace, the kids spent their time looking around on their own. And looking around the inside of the café, there turned out to be quite a few spots that were surprisingly good for photos.

I'd just assumed it was a pretty interior, but different corners actually photographed really well, so since we were there with the kids, I snapped a photo of my own too. There was even a spot for straight-on shots almost like a self-photo studio — I stood my kid there and the photo came out prettier than I expected.

Going to a café with a kid usually means you only end up with photos of them eating, but this time we naturally came away with some nice photos from the café too.

The owner also mentioned that a kitten sometimes drops by the area, which got the kids even more interested. Being told they might get to watch the cat come for food made just sitting at the café into a little spectacle for them.

Our kids kept eating their gelato, wandering off to look around, checking out the flowers and grass, coming back to the table, then wandering off again. Thanks to that, I got to spend some relaxed time drinking my coffee for once without having to hold onto the kids the whole time. So I think this kind of space would work really well for anyone looking for a Gwangalli café to visit with kids.

If you're looking for a café to visit with kids in Gwangalli, or a quieter Gwangalli dessert café, Café Buajang is worth considering. We went with the kids, but it wasn't just them who enjoyed it — I got to rest a little too, so it's a place I'd like to stop by again next time I'm in the Gwangalli area.