Gwangju hanok café with folk games and persimmon terrace: Hoyang Horim

Today I visited a beautifully atmospheric hanok café in Yangnim-dong, Gwangju! Yangnim-dong has so many pretty cafés tucked into its alleys that I sometimes struggle to pick where to go, but I want to tell you about a place that keeps the calm, unhurried mood of a hanok fully intact — Hoyang Horim, a café and dessert shop in Yangnim-dong, Gwangju.

Hoyang Horim's tiled-roof exterior and persimmon-tree courtyard

Hoyang Horim is a hanok café in an alley in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, and you can feel the hanok atmosphere even before you step inside. The entrance has a tiled roof and wooden doors and window frames, keeping the old hanok feel completely intact!! It matched the quiet mood of the Yangnim-dong alley really well, haha.

Once you walk past the entrance, you'll see a spacious outdoor hanok terrace with a big persimmon tree. There are also traditional games set up here and there, like jegichagi (shuttlecock kicking) and tuho (arrow-throwing), so it seemed like a fun spot to play with kids too. The space doesn't feel like an old worn hanok — overall it has a clean, refined hanok-café feel ❗️

What is the seating like inside Hoyang Horim?

The hall at Hoyang Horim isn't a huge, sprawling café, but with the hanok courtyard view through the windows and sunlight warming the interior, it never felt cramped. The whole space just felt genuinely warm!

The interior design stood out too — instead of just leaning into traditional elements because it's a hanok, they mixed in modern touches, which gave it a clean, emotive mood. 👏🏻 With a variety of seating like group tables and floor seating, it looked like a comfortable spot for visiting with friends or family in a larger group.

Hoyang Horim's menu: mostly traditional Korean desserts

Yangnim-dong's Hoyang Horim has a lot of menu items that reinterpret traditional Korean desserts in a modern way, rather than typical dessert-café fare.

There were traditional items that suit a hanok café, like gaeseongjuak (fried glutinous rice cake) and hodujeonggwa (candied walnuts), as well as desserts that go well with coffee, like waffles and bingsu (shaved ice). The gaeseongjuak came in various types, so it looked like it'd make a good gift to pack up and take home 🙆🏻‍♀️. I didn't get to try the chestnut tiramisu bingsu on the menu, but... the visual alone made me want to!

How did the injeolmi waffle, hodujeonggwa and coffee taste?

At Hoyang Horim we ordered injeolmi waffle + hodujeonggwa + coffee! The one I enjoyed the most was the injeolmi waffle. 🧇

At first I expected it to be like a regular waffle, but the texture was quite different once I tasted it! Rather than the usual flour-batter waffle, it had a chewy texture like it was actually made from rice cake. The outside was slightly crisp while the inside was chewy — if you like tteok (rice cake), this is a must-try!! Seriously, must-try.

The gaeseongjuak looked really, really sweet, but once I actually ate it, it was chewy and sweet in a way that paired perfectly with coffee. I think it'd taste better with coffee than with a sweet drink! And the coffee was, of course... delicious. A nutty flavor with no acidity! Since the dessert itself is quite sweet, a coffee that's too strong could clash, but this one was mild and nutty enough to pair nicely, haha.

Who should visit Hoyang Horim?

Yangnim-dong café Hoyang Horim was a great place to enjoy traditional desserts while taking in the hanok and natural surroundings at a leisurely pace. All the menu items are desserts that even older family members can enjoy without hesitation, so it seems fine to visit as a family. Personally, the injeolmi waffle is one dish I'd order again!

Hoyang Horim location, hours and parking

• Location: Yangnim-dong 405, Nam-gu, Gwangju (4 Uwolsun-gil, 1st floor)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Pet-friendly
• Parking: Kidokbyeongwon Parking Lots 1 & 2 (1hr free) / Yangnim Church parking (1hr free) / Yangnim Historic Culture Village public parking (2hr free)
• Rating: ★★★★☆
• Would revisit: ★★★★★

Yangnim-dong is a neighborhood worth exploring slowly, alley by alley, beyond just Penguin Village. If you're out and about in Yangnim-dong looking for a quiet, comfortable café to rest at, this one is well worth a stop. 🩵