Gangneung café with a butterfly garden and milk roll cake: Cafe Giwa

A quiet, peaceful hanok (traditional Korean house) café I found during a trip to Gangneung — Cafe Giwa. The outdoor garden is full of flowers with butterflies flitting around, and the interior is filled with cute little props, so it seemed great for bringing a kid or even your parents. Here's my detailed review ✍️

Where is Cafe Giwa? Parking and opening hours

Cafe Giwa is at 15 Chodangwon-gil 54beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, and free parking is available right in front.

When I visited around noon on a weekend, there was plenty of parking space.

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00–21:00 * Closed every Wednesday

This is the entrance to Cafe Giwa. The path walking up to the café is so pretty it really builds anticipation.

The flower garden at Cafe Giwa and its swallowtail butterflies

Cafe Giwa's garden was full of well-tended flowers and plants that suited the hanok atmosphere beautifully.

I kept thinking this would make a gorgeous spot for baby photos, too.

This is the overall look of Cafe Giwa's outdoor space.

Every corner had something pretty, so we took pictures of our kid and spent ages together looking at all the different flowers.

While we were looking around, our kid ran into a huge swallowtail butterfly they'd only ever seen in books — such a memorable, wide-eyed moment ❣️

Cafe Giwa menu: signature lattes and five cakes

Here's Cafe Giwa's menu board. There's a wide range of coffees and drinks, plus dessert cakes.

There are three signature menu items: Giwa black latte, mung bean flower latte, and pink flower latte.

There are about five kinds of cake — chocolate, mugwort injeolmi (rice cake with bean powder), green tea, pure milk, and tiramisu. We ordered the pure milk roll cake to share with our kid.

Inside Cafe Giwa: hanok atmosphere and seating

While waiting for our coffee, we looked around the inside. Our kid was curious about why the coffee grounds were dripping the way they were, so I explained it to them.

The interior atmosphere is really lovely too. Floor-to-ceiling windows let you see the trees for a refreshing view, and the furniture felt antique and full of character.

It was fun just checking out the interior design :)

Antique props can easily look cheesy or worn out if placed carelessly, but Cafe Giwa's props were done with real taste.

Every space had such a different mood that we spent a while deciding where to sit. It really looked like something out of a magazine.

How did the mung bean flower latte and Giwa black latte taste?

• Giwa black latte
• Mung bean flower latte
• Peach iced tea
• Pure milk roll cake

Our order arrived. The weather was warm, so we grabbed an outdoor seat. The vibe at Cafe Giwa was so good that I went ahead and picked the signature menu.

Mung bean flower latte

I'd never seen this drink before, so I was curious and tried it — turned out to be my pick ✨. Since it's made from ground mung beans, the texture is slightly thick, but not overly so, and it's savory with a refreshing aftertaste. It's a bit hard to describe, but bottom line: it was delicious. It's a flavor you can't find anywhere else, so if you visit Cafe Giwa, give it a try.

Giwa black latte

Made with grain milk and black sesame powder, the first sip is strongly savory, but as you keep drinking, a subtle coffee aroma comes through. The texture is a bit heavy, similar to misugaru (roasted grain powder drink). The Giwa black latte was also pleasant to drink — I think it'd suit older palates well.

Pure milk roll cake

I ordered this as a snack for our kid, and the whipped cream was so soft that they ate it right up.

Peach iced tea

We ordered our kid a peach iced tea to go with the roll cake. Sweet plus sweet — they were absolutely thrilled :)

Is Cafe Giwa worth a visit with kids?

This pleasant café outing became even more memorable when we spotted some kittens on our way out. Both our kid and my husband and I were very satisfied with the experience.

If you're looking for a café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung, I recommend this hanok café, Cafe Giwa.

• ✔️ Quiet, peaceful atmosphere
• ✔️ Beautiful outdoor garden with well-designed interior too
• ✔️ Delicious signature menu items