Kid- and dog-friendly sea-view café in Ilgwang, Gijang: De Mer

An Ilgwang brunch café to stop at after clamming at Sinpyeong Sopark

One weekend I took my child to Sinpyeong Sopark in Ilgwang, Gijang, for some exciting clamming (haerujil, hunting for shellfish on the shore).

After a good long play at the beach we were hungry and craving something both cool and warm, so we went to the ocean-view brunch café right across the way. It's an Ilgwang brunch café called De Mer (드메르), and we were so happy with it that I want to introduce it in detail!

• Name: De Mer (드메르)
• Address: 582-48 Ilgwang-ro, Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan
• Hours: 10:00–20:00 (20:40 on Sat/Sun), closed every Monday
• Parking: available

Where is De Mer, and how is the ocean view?

De Mer sits right in front of Sinpyeong Sopark, so it's a great stop before or after looking around the beach with kids. The sea is literally right under your nose!

With its big picture windows, it's perfect as a date spot too!

Is parking easy at De Mer?

De Mer has private parking lots on both sides of the building, so parking was easy. For families with kids, parking matters most of all, right? If the lots are full at weekend peak time, you can use the breakwater parking lot next to Blue Moon Café, just a 2-minute walk away.

De Mer pet policy and seating

De Mer is a large café with a first and second floor, and pets are allowed only on the first floor. The moment you walk in, the blue Ilgwang sea opens up beyond the big windows, and it felt so refreshing.

It looked like a great place to walk your dog on the beach out front and then enjoy a leisurely brunch.

2nd-floor floor-seating tables and table ordering

Going up to the second floor, the view was definitely even better. The wide windows are filled with blue sea, and just sitting there felt healing.

The second floor has group seating and also floor-seating tables! Kids can sit and rest comfortably there, so they're popular with families with little ones.

You can also order by table order (ordering on a screen at your table) on the second floor, which is handy.

De Mer menu and what we ordered

De Mer offers waffles and croffles (croissant waffles) made daily with fresh ingredients, plus risotto, salads, pizza, pasta, hearty brunch dishes and a wide range of drinks.

I ordered the spicy chicken tender plate and a hot truffle mushroom soup, plus 100% real mango juice and lemonade for something refreshing on the side.

Spicy chicken tender plate (₩17,000)

The moment De Mer's spicy chicken tender plate arrived at the table, its tasty smell teased my nose.

The tenders are fried crispy outside and juicy inside, generously coated in a sweet-salty sauce that clings to your mouth. As the name "plate" suggests, it came with fresh salad, fries and more, so the spread was really full.

For a filling brunch, I don't think you can beat it. It's the kind of dish everyone, young and old, will like.

Truffle mushroom soup (₩8,000)

My body was a little chilled from clamming at the beach, but with the first spoonful of De Mer's truffle mushroom soup I felt myself melt. A rich, smooth mushroom soup base with a subtle, luxurious truffle aroma, and the flavor was really deep.

Dunking the bread that comes with it into the smooth soup is sooo good. The best! +_+

Mango juice and lemonade

De Mer's thick, sweet mango juice isn't artificially sweet; it's full of smooth, rich, true mango flavor, and my child drank it right up. Thumbs up, said it was sooo delicious!

The lemonade I sipped whenever I needed something fresh had a zingy fizz and fresh lemon that cleansed the palate, and it paired well with the brunch dishes.

A Gijang ocean-view café that works for kids and dogs

Delicious food and the beautiful Gijang sea beyond the windows made it a perfect healing time all on its own. The beach in front of De Mer is great for walking a dog, and it fits neatly into a day of clamming at Sinpyeong Sopark with your child to make special memories. The space is big and even has floor-seating tables, which won this mom's heart at Ilgwang's De Mer! This weekend, why not enjoy a tasty brunch with your loved ones and spend a relaxed time at ocean-view De Mer?