Gwangju brunch with 30-min waitlist, refill coffee: Bueokgan Sangmu
In short
Bueokgan Sangmu Branch is a brunch and Italian restaurant in Seo-gu, Gwangju, near Sangmu district. On a late weekday lunch with her mom, the writer signed a handwritten waitlist at the door, waited 30 minutes, then ate romaine Caesar salad, shrimp anchovy oil pasta, basil margherita pizza and bottomless batch brew coffee. Worth the wait for the pasta and salad alone.
Good to know
- Address
- 25 Seogwangju-ro, 1st floor, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
- Hours
- 11:00–22:00 (break 16:00–16:30, last order 21:00)
- Romaine Caesar Salad
- ₩16,000
- Shrimp Anchovy Oil Pasta
- ₩18,000
- Basil Margherita Pizza
- ₩19,000
- Batch Brew Coffee (iced)
- ₩3,000, unlimited refills
- Pumpkin Soup
- Regular price ₩8,000 (received as waiting-service treat)
- Parking
- Bueokgan's own lot, roadside in front, or Mudeung Church parking lot
- Waitlist
- Sign the handwritten notebook at the entrance, about 30-minute wait
- Other
- Takeout available, group seating available, Wifi available
as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026
Boo-ha~ (that's how Bueokgan Sangmu Branch says hi!)
A weekday-afternoon brunch spot near Shinsegae Department Store in Sangmu
I went shopping for clothes with my mom at Shinsegae Department Store on a weekday and got hungry, so we stopped by Bueokgan, a brunch spot near Sangmu. Even though we went during a slightly late lunch hour, the place was packed.
There were a lot of group parties too — honestly this is a hot spot in Sangmu, no question. Spoiler alert: it's popular for a reason, since the food is that good, haha.
Location, hours and parking at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch
Address: 25 Seogwangju-ro, 1st floor, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
It's near Seogwangju Station and Geumho-dong, and about a 10-minute drive from Kim Dae-jung Convention Center, Gwangju World Cup Stadium, and Gwangju USquare Bus Terminal.
- Hours: 11:00 – 22:00
- Break time: 16:00 – 16:30
- Last order: 21:00
- Parking 1: Bueokgan's own lot (go past Jjamppong Jijon and turn right)
- Parking 2: roadside in front of the restaurant
- Parking 3: Mudeung Church parking lot
- Takeout: available
- Group seating: available
- Wifi: available
No waitlist kiosk here — just a handwritten notebook and a 30-minute wait
It was kind of unique that instead of a waitlist machine, there's a handwritten notebook thing stuck to the entrance where you write your name. We waited about 30 minutes before getting seated!
The tables were spaced out and the tables themselves were big, so even with the place fully booked there was no cramped feeling. The staff were all friendly despite being busy!
You order via a tablet at each table, and true to being a well-known Italian spot in Gwangju, there's a wide range of salads, pastas, pizzas and more.
Romaine Caesar Salad, ₩16,000
This was my first time trying a romaine Caesar salad and it was way better than expected!! It didn't look like what I imagined — kind of unique — and the taste was different from a typical salad too.
Honestly good enough that I wanted to steal the recipe and make it at home. (Security was too tight, so I didn't.) The texture was great, but the dressing paired so well with the romaine.
The balance was just insane, and even though it's a salad, the portion was huge — I started getting full from the Caesar salad before the mains even arrived. That's how much it's my type, haha.
Shrimp Anchovy Oil Pasta, ₩18,000
This was the best thing I ate at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch! I usually like oil pasta anyway, but with the umami of the anchovy added, it was so good. Ugh.
The shrimp were big too, and the sauce felt like it had really soaked into the noodles. Next time I come I'm definitely ordering the shrimp anchovy oil pasta again. It really is a great pasta spot in Sangmu.
Just — so good. So good.
Basil Margherita Pizza, ₩19,000
A classic pizza with tomato sauce, savory cheese and basil on top!
The pizza itself was tasty, and the dough especially was on point.
We were too full so we packed up the leftover pizza, and I liked that they boxed it up neatly. Haha, we brought it home and ate it there!
Batch Brew Coffee, ₩3,000, unlimited refills
I'm not great with coffee usually, but Bueokgan's batch brew was low in acidity and nutty, so I enjoyed it. Plus it's unlimited refills, so the value is great too — perfect for taking your time over Sangmu brunch.
I had a dentist appointment so I couldn't stay long, but honestly if I hadn't had plans afterward, I would've wanted to stay and chat longer.
The pumpkin soup we got as a waiting-service treat
They gave us pumpkin soup (regular price ₩8,000) as a service, apologizing for the wait! I was torn between ordering the salad or the soup and ended up with the salad, so I was glad I got to try the pumpkin soup too. This was so good. Soft and sweet — there's basically no way anyone could dislike it!!!
Actually, one of Bueokgan Sangmu Branch's signature menu items is the 'pastry soup' — apparently it's pumpkin soup topped with a pastry lid that you scoop into? I need to order that next time, haha.
Eating this made me think of my dad, who loves pumpkin porridge, haha. I'm thinking of bringing him along to try it sometime too!
Would come back again
The classic atmosphere was great, the staff were all friendly, and the pasta and salad were so good — I left Bueokgan Sangmu Branch very satisfied!
Somewhere I'd want to come back to whenever I'm craving good brunch or pasta in Sangmu. Haha, I'd definitely visit again!
Where it is
25 Seogwangju-ro, 1st floor, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea전남광주통합특별시 서구 서광주로 25 1층
