Mangpo Station café with Jeong Ji-young Roastery latte: Hongrad

What is Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch like?

Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch is a big, retro-feeling café newly opened on the 4th floor of a building on Deogyeong-daero, near Mangpo Station. My husband and I had lunch, then visited this brand-new café, Hongrad Mangpo.

I found it while looking for somewhere to get a coffee near Mangpo Station. Among the cafés I've visited lately, this one pleased me on both atmosphere and drinks.

📍Hongrad Mangpo location: 1529 Deogyeong-daero, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi (4th floor) / Hours: daily 10:00–23:00

Lots of cafés have been opening around Mangpo Station lately, and when I heard Hongrad had opened, I told myself I had to try it. Since I'd heard it was a big new café, I first assumed the whole building was the café. When we got there, NH Bank was on the 1st floor and the café was on the 4th.

Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch interior and seating

Hongrad is on the 4th floor of an older building, but a retro space opens up the moment you step out of the elevator. The building itself felt old, yet the mood changed completely the second I got off on the 4th floor.

A space full of retro charm greets you right from the entrance.

Inside, cute little knick-knacks are placed all around.

There are so many nostalgic decor touches that you end up wandering around the café before you even order.

The plush sofas and warm lighting make the whole place feel cozy. I thought it was a space you could happily stay in for a long time.

The seating is varied too. With tables for 2 up to 4, it looked fine for dates, get-togethers with friends or a quick meeting.

It was a weekday afternoon and quite a few customers were there, but the seats are spaced widely, so it never felt stuffy.

What we ordered at Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch, and the beans

We ordered three things: a café latte, a coconut latte and Basque cheesecake (a burnt-top cheesecake). The coffee uses beans from Jeong Ji-young Roastery (정지영로스터리), a Suwon local brand.

• Café latte
• Coconut latte
• Basque cheesecake

The café uses Jeong Ji-young Roastery beans. Seeing it team up with a local brand made me like it even more. I personally love this kind of mutual-support culture.

It also accepts Suwon Pay (the local currency card), so paying was easy. While we waited after ordering, one thing really stood out.

An owner who stayed kind, even working alone

Customers kept coming in on a weekday afternoon, yet there was only one staff member. The owner was taking orders, making drinks, preparing desserts and serving customers, all alone.

Honestly, it could have been chaos, but the owner never lost their kindness. They were moving so busily that I almost wanted to say, "Please, take your time with our drinks." Keeping a bright face and warm manner in a situation that must have been tiring was really impressive.

I think the attitude of whoever runs a café creates the mood of the space, and you could really feel that at Hongrad. While we looked around and waited, our order came out.

How does Hongrad's coconut latte taste?

Hongrad's coconut latte has the texture of a cold coffee slush with chewy bits of coconut pulp, and it was the most memorable item of the day. The one that stuck with me most was, without a doubt, the coconut latte.

At first it feels like sipping a cold coffee slush, and the finish leaves a rich, sweet, creamy coconut flavor. The bits of coconut pulp you chew here and there made the texture satisfying too. It was so good that I kept stealing sips of the coconut latte my husband ordered, haha.

Café latte with Jeong Ji-young Roastery beans

The café latte was better than I expected too. The nutty richness and the bittersweet coffee flavor were well balanced. From the first sip I thought, this is a place where the coffee itself is good.

Basque cheesecake topped with whipped cream and cherries

Hongrad's Basque cheesecake is a soft cheesecake topped with whipped cream and cocktail cherries. The Basque cheesecake we ordered alongside was satisfying too.

Whipped cream sits on the soft cheesecake, and cocktail cherries are added on top of that.

Something delicious piled on top of something delicious, so it couldn't really fail.

It went well with the coffee, so we could finish the dessert neatly too. Overall the drinks were good and the space was comfortable. The softly playing jazz made the time feel even more relaxed.

Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch verdict and parking tip

Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch satisfied me on all three: coffee, atmosphere and service. The one catch is that there's no dedicated parking lot, so if you drive, you'll need to use the nearby public street parking.

These days, when choosing a café I care not just about the coffee but also about the atmosphere and service, and Hongrad delivered on all three. Above all, what stayed with me after I got home was the owner's kindness. Pleasant kindness lingers in your memory longer than you'd expect. Thanks to that, I could enjoy my stay too.

The coffee, the dessert and the cozy mood were all satisfying. I'd order the coconut latte again next time in particular. If you want to spend a relaxed time near Mangpo Station, I recommend visiting Hongrad Mangpo.

Again, there's no dedicated parking lot. We used the nearby public street parking. If you're planning to come by car, it's worth checking the parking situation beforehand.