Gonjiam bakery café: ₩6,000-range sweet pumpkin campagne, La Cuesta
In short
La Cuesta Gwangju (라꾸에스타 경기광주점) is a large bakery café in Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, known as a good stop after a Hwadam Forest outing. On the way home from a younger sibling's house, the writer tasted free bread samples, then picked the sweet pumpkin campagne, a white roll and a kouign-amann, along with the signature La Cuesta latte. La Cuesta Gwangju has a large parking lot with attendants and well-spaced tables, and its most recommended bread is the sweet pumpkin campagne at around 6,000 won.
Good to know
- Address
- 278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- Hours
- Daily 10:00–22:00 (last order 21:30)
- Parking
- Large lot with on-site parking attendants
- Seating
- Group tables, baby chairs, outdoor seating
- Sweet pumpkin campagne
- Around ₩6,000
- Drinks ordered
- La Cuesta latte (signature), decaf iced Americano
- Brunch menu
- Shrimp rosé pasta, spicy oil pasta, mushroom cream pasta and more
- Summer bingsu (shaved ice)
- Snowflake red bean, snowflake watermelon, snowflake mango and more
- Price reference
- ₩6,000 ≈ $4.5 (2026-10-11)
as written by the visitor on Jul 18, 2026
We'd gone to visit my younger sibling, and going straight home felt like a waste, so I searched for a big bakery café in Gonjiam and ended up at La Cuesta Gwangju (라꾸에스타 경기광주점). It has a reputation as a great stop after a trip to Hwadam Forest, so I'd been curious. In person, it was perfect: huge space, tasty bakery and a brunch menu too.
La Cuesta Gwangju location and opening hours
La Cuesta Gwangju is at 278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, and is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 (last order 21:30). It has a large parking lot with attendants, group seating and a brunch menu.
It's close to Seoul, so it's an easy trip, and you get a comfortable space, good bakery and brunch: La Cuesta, a big bakery café in Gonjiam, Gwangju.
Is parking easy at La Cuesta in Gonjiam?
The lot at La Cuesta Gwangju is roomy and parking attendants are on duty, so traffic didn't back up. Most people come by car, so a big lot is one of the most important things for a large café. The attendants guide you in personally, so everything moved smoothly, which I loved.
La Cuesta atmosphere and seating
The moment I walked into La Cuesta Gwangju, the lush green trees seen through the big windows felt like a rest for my tired eyes. The tables aren't crammed together but nicely spaced, so it was easy to chat without being bothered by other guests.
On a nice day, the outdoor area seemed like a decent choice too at this bakery café near Hwadam Forest.
Baby chairs and group seating are well provided, so it seems good for family gatherings or outings with a baby.
La Cuesta bread selection and tasting samples
La Cuesta Gwangju displays a wide variety of bread, and some come as tasting samples, so you can try before you buy. As a bakery café near Hwadam Forest, it had lots of kinds, and being able to taste and then choose was great.
There's salt bread, croissants and pastries, plus distinctive breads you only find here, like meju loaf (bread shaped like fermented soybean blocks), so it could work as a bread-tour stop too.
I'd been craving the white roll, a taste I already knew, since before I got here, so I grabbed it right away.
La Cuesta brunch and bingsu menu
Besides bakery and coffee, this Gonjiam brunch café sells a variety of brunch dishes like shrimp rosé pasta, spicy oil pasta and mushroom cream pasta. There were also cooling summer must-haves like snowflake red bean bingsu (shaved ice), snowflake watermelon bingsu and snowflake mango bingsu.
What I picked: sweet pumpkin campagne, white roll, queen amann and La Cuesta latte
So many good-looking breads that choosing took forever, but I went with the sweet pumpkin campagne, white roll and queen amann (a buttery caramelized pastry), which I fell for after trying the samples.
For drinks, I ordered a decaf iced Americano that I thought would go great with the white roll, and La Cuesta's signature drink, the La Cuesta latte, which I figured would pair well with the plain, mild pumpkin campagne.
Is the signature La Cuesta latte very sweet?
The La Cuesta latte is topped with plenty of smooth, slightly thick cream, and it isn't very sweet. The nutty coffee aroma blends well with the soft, sweet cream, and I could see why it's the signature drink. I'd worried it might be too sweet or heavy, but it wasn't very sweet, which I liked, and it paired so, so well with the really mild sweet pumpkin campagne.
La Cuesta white roll taste
The white roll, which I love so much. Like they say, a familiar taste is scary: chewy dough and sweet cream, so good.
It's a flavor anyone, any age, would like, so if you can't decide what bread to eat, I confidently recommend the white roll!
La Cuesta sweet pumpkin campagne, the ₩6,000-range pick
I put the sweet pumpkin campagne on my tray right after trying the sample because it was so good. The outside looks rustic, but it isn't hard or tough, just chewy, which I liked.
On top of that, the nuts studded through the crust add a nutty crunch, which made this campagne perfect.
It's packed with sweet pumpkin and cream cheese, so, so good, and the price in the ₩6,000 range was reasonable too. This sweet pumpkin campagne is a really, really big recommendation!
It was so good that I could see why they confidently put it out as a sample.
Why La Cuesta Gwangju is a good stop after Hwadam Forest
Both the coffee and bread were so good that I got curious about the brunch too: La Cuesta Gwangju, a big café in Gonjiam, Gwangju. With plenty of parking, it's a good bakery café to drop into after a family outing or date at Hwadam Forest, a worthwhile spot near Seoul.
Where it is
278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea경기도 광주시 곤지암읍 경충대로 278 라꾸에스타
Lacuesta Gyeonggi Gwangju: hours, menu and prices →
