Namak café with candied chestnut cake and Jeju matcha latte: GRAY LAZY

I stopped by Namak for work this time and ended up at a café — the vibe was so good, and just like the name suggests, I really got to relax and take it easy. Let me introduce GRAY LAZY haha.

• 📍 27 Daejukseo-ro 16beon-gil, Samhyang-eup, Muan-gun, Jeonnam Gwangju, South Korea, 2nd floor
• ⏰ Daily 11:00 - 24:00

Where is GRAY LAZY? Second floor of the Sutgwadakbal building in Namak

GRAY LAZY, a café in Namak, is located on the 2nd floor of the Sutgwadakbal building.

From outside there wasn't a big obvious café sign, so I was like, oh, what's this place? lol. But then I saw this phrase written up, and it felt like the owner's wish that this be a space where people could briefly step away from their busy daily lives and stay awhile, unhurried. And once I actually went in, it really did have that same laid-back mood the café's name promises.

Inside GRAY LAZY: the mood and the park-view seats

The interior is packed with mood ✨ — it's a pretty spacious large café, with an overall calm yet warm atmosphere, so anyone hunting for an aesthetic café would love it. Especially since it's on the 2nd floor, the park view out the window is really pretty. It felt like a little break in the middle of the city, so it was a great place to spend a relaxed café hour in Namak 💛

There's also a room space off to one side. If you want to use it privately with 5 or more people, you can book it through Naver Reservations — good to know if you're coming with a group.

Is GRAY LAZY pet-friendly?

They even had cushions set up just for pets. GRAY LAZY is pet-friendly, so it seems like a great spot for anyone who wants to bring their dog along haha.

How does ordering work at GRAY LAZY?

And here's GRAY LAZY's slightly unusual ordering system! They take orders a bit differently from a typical café so guests can take their time choosing. You just sit down first. Then, using the pencil set out at each table, you write your order directly on the paper.

What's on the GRAY LAZY menu?

Let's take a look at the menu. There's coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea, seasonal specials, and this month's cold brew — plus a pretty wide range of desserts.

What I loved is you can actually see real dessert models in the showcase next to the counter. Aren't these display samples just so cute? lol. It made choosing so much easier. I seriously agonized between the boneless chestnut cake and the custard pudding, but hey, it's autumn again haha — autumn means chestnuts, right? — so I went with the boneless chestnut cake!

They also sell churro gift sets — those looked like a solid gift option too.

Once you've picked your menu, sit down and write the item names and quantities on the order page. Then take the completed slip to the counter, and ordering and payment are done in one go!

After that, you head back to your seat and settle into your own time — alone or with company. When your drinks are ready, staff bring them straight to your table. It felt like even the waiting time was something to enjoy leisurely, which I really liked haha.

How does the autumn candied chestnut (bonuibam) cake taste?

Finally, the boneless chestnut cake I'd been curious about arrived! It's packed with carefully candied whole chestnuts, so the very first bite hit with a rich, upscale chestnut flavor.

It's sweet while carrying that deep chestnut flavor, making it exactly the right dessert for autumn. The cake was deeper and more generous in portion than I expected, which was nice. One note though — it crumbles more than you'd think while eating, so I'd recommend eating it over a tray lol.

The iced Americano and Jeju matcha latte

I ordered an iced Americano to go with the cake haha. It had a nutty, deep, rich flavor that paired perfectly with the sweet chestnut cake.

My friend ordered the Jeju matcha latte! Even at a glance, you could tell each drink was made with care. The matcha flavor was quite deep and rich too — matcha lovers would enjoy this.

Above all, the mood that day was so good that I left satisfied. I'd only stopped in Namak for work, but sitting in the café and resting for a bit felt like real healing haha. A great place to quietly unwind with a good drink and dessert 💛

Coffee beans and small goods for sale near the entrance

Before heading out, I browsed the entrance area too, where they sell all sorts of sentimental little items like drip bags and knives. They also sell coffee beans! Seeing all the small touches and menu curation throughout the café, it really felt like the owner runs this space with genuine taste haha.

I'd recommend GRAY LAZY to anyone in Namak looking for a good-mood café, or wanting to spend some quiet, unhurried time. It seems especially suited to people who want a calm, sentimental space to relax in, rather than the usual large-café feel. If you're like me — just in Namak for work and looking for somewhere to take a quick breather — give this place a try 💛