Sokcho café with elevator access and stone-floor seats: Cafe Neorae

After seeing nothing but ocean views in Sokcho — from where we stayed to where we ate — I wanted to experience a different side of the city besides the sea.

That's how I found this Sokcho café, famous for its Ulsanbawi rock view: Cafe Neorae (카페너래).

Where is Cafe Neorae, and is there parking?

Cafe Neorae is located at 114 Wonamhaksapyeong-gil in Sokcho-si. It sits inside the tofu village.

Like other spots here, the first floor is a tofu restaurant and the second floor is the café, so it looked easy to combine both in one visit.

Parking is available right in the café's own lot. There's an attendant managing it too, so parking didn't seem like it would be difficult even during peak hours. Even from the parking lot, you can see Ulsanbawi in the distance — it looked really grand and impressive. It was partly hidden by clouds, but even so, I could imagine how magnificent it must look on a clear day.

There's also an elevator inside the building, which made it easy to get around with a stroller or wheelchair. Details like this matter a lot when you're traveling with a baby, and I was very satisfied.

Cafe Neorae's 2nd floor: wide table spacing and a microwave

Cafe Neorae, 2nd floor

My first impression of Cafe Neorae was bright and airy, yet calm.

You order at the counter on the 2nd floor, and the tables there felt more spread out compared to the 3rd floor.

Sunlight poured in through the big windows and it put me in a good mood.

The space wasn't monotonous — on one side there was a full-length mirror, great for photos,

and there was also an area covered with shallow stones.

It was great for exploring here and there with the baby. Nobody taught her to do it, but she had so much fun walking between the stones.

On the 2nd floor there's a microwave you can use, along with a spot to grab forks and knives.

I liked that there were instructions on how long to warm each type of bread. It's also handy for baby food if you're traveling with a little one!

Cafe Neorae's 3rd floor: the stairway photo spot and changing table

Cafe Neorae, 3rd floor

The staircase up to the 3rd floor was distinctively decorated too. I held my baby's hand and we went up and down step by step.

Exploring a new space is such a great experience for a baby, too.

The 3rd floor had slightly tighter table spacing, but there were plenty of tables to make up for it — since it's a large café, I didn't think finding a seat would be a problem even during busy hours. For reference, the women's restroom on the 3rd floor has a separate baby diaper-changing table, which made this a great café to visit with a baby in many ways.

Cafe Neorae menu and prices: 6,000-7,000 won and the signature Neorae Latte

The most important part — the price! Cafe Neorae's menu runs ₩6,000-7,000 per cup. It's a bit pricier than a regular franchise café, but not outrageously expensive either. After debating what to get, I ordered an iced americano and my husband ordered Cafe Neorae's signature drink, the Neorae Latte.

I liked that there's no extra charge for switching to decaf beans, and that baby drinks are available too. We got a baby juice as well. ^^

Cafe Neorae is a bakery café, so there's a fairly wide variety of bread too. It would be a shame to skip the bread, so we ordered one to try.

The drinks came out before too long, and with the sunlight streaming in and the peaceful café atmosphere, it felt really healing.

The signature drink was really nutty and delicious, and not too sweet — totally my taste. Why did I order an americano... I ended up stealing a lot of my husband's drink.

This was one of the last places we stopped on our Sokcho trip, and it was a satisfying visit. If you're trying to decide which Sokcho café to visit, I'd recommend an Ulsanbawi-view café instead of an ocean-view one for something different. ^-^