Passion fruit ade and fudgy brownie at a Mangpo Station café: Hongrad

📍 Hongrad (Mangpo Station Branch)

• 1529 Deogyeong-daero, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 4th floor
• Daily 10:00 - 23:00
• Pet-friendly / group-friendly / takeout available

Where is Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch, and how do you get up to the 4th floor?

Today I went to Hongrad, a well-known café near Mangpo Station in Suwon. Hongrad seems to have several branches, but I went to the Mangpo Station branch since it's close to home. It's on the 4th floor of the building, so you really have to look carefully to spot it. After finding the location, I spotted the standing sign, went inside the building, took the elevator up to the 4th floor, and walked down a little hallway — and there was the pretty café, Hongrad.

Inside Hongrad: cushioned chairs that keep you sitting for hours

Once you go up to the 4th floor and walk through the entrance, this pretty space opens up. The chairs are so cushy, too — so comfortable. These days a lot of cafés have uncomfortable chairs that make it hard to sit for long, but Hongrad near Mangpo Station has such comfy chairs that it'd be great whether you're visiting alone, on a date, or on a blind date. The atmosphere was cozy and really relaxing too.

Lately when I go to cafés my backside gets sore from how hard the chairs are... but Hongrad near Mangpo Station in Suwon has really, really, really comfortable chairs. It seemed like a great place to go alone, work, and pass the time ordering different desserts.

Hongrad's dessert menu, from croffles to Ex-Boyfriend Toast

Hongrad near Mangpo Station is great to visit not just for coffee but for its really varied dessert menu too. Croffle, brownie, basque cheesecake, kaya toast, and even the recently-trending Ex-Boyfriend Toast. Dessert lovers would completely lose their minds here.

There are also unique signature drinks you can only try at Hongrad, like the bear einspänner and bear matcha einspänner, which felt fresh and fun. I tried the croffle last time — so moreish. And a croffle with vanilla ice cream? Need I say more. Good stuff.

What we ordered: passion fruit ade, peach oolong tea and the Hongrad brownie

• Passion fruit ade ICE ₩6,500
• Peach oolong tea ICE ₩6,000
• Hongrad brownie ₩7,500

We'd already had coffee before coming, so we went for non-coffee drinks. Passion fruit ade is one of my favorite café orders, so I ordered it the moment I saw it on the menu. Isn't the Hongrad brownie so cute too? It comes topped with vanilla ice cream, and the brownie-and-vanilla-ice-cream combo is out of control good.

Is Hongrad a good café for working side by side with a friend?

The iced peach oolong tea was really tasty too, and the passion fruit ade was refreshingly moreish. They also added a little banana on top of the brownie, so we got to enjoy the combo nicely. We'd come to each work on our own things, and the store was quiet with a good atmosphere — a perfect environment for getting work done. On past visits I usually got an Americano — and the Americano here is exactly the coffee flavor I like too!

The fudgy Hongrad brownie with vanilla ice cream and banana

Honestly, it looked so pretty that it felt almost a shame to eat it. If even adults love it this much, kids would go crazy for it too. At the next table, someone had stuck a birthday candle in this brownie for a mini birthday party — it photographs beautifully and is fun too, totally recommend.

This is one of the cafés I visit often because the chairs are so comfortable. The owner is kind too, and my goal is to visit often enough to try every single one of their tasty desserts! They pile the vanilla ice cream on generously, and above all the brownie is so incredibly fudgy and moreish. We tasted it and held ourselves back from ordering another one... My friend and I are both chocolate fiends, and this one hit the spot for both our tastes. Honestly, you could easily do one brownie per person, one brownie per day with this.

I completely recommend Hongrad near Mangpo Station in Suwon. It's easy to visit since it's right near the station, and since it's located in a strip full of restaurants and food spots, it's also a fantastic dessert café to hit up after dinner. Hongrad near Mangpo Station in Suwon — completely recommend it!