Icheon brunch café for one: Arc Plate and tomato juice at Cafe Arc

Why I came to Cafe Arc in Icheon on my half-day off

Cafe Arc is a bakery and brunch café in Baeksa-myeon, Icheon, and I went there alone on a day I'd taken a half day off. I had no special plans, but staying home felt like such a waste of time. I wondered where to spend this rare bit of me-time, and ended up searching for an Icheon brunch spot where I could relax, heal a little and eat something delicious.

Is parking easy at Cafe Arc?

You can park right in front of Cafe Arc or in the empty lot next to the GS25 convenience store, so it's easy to visit by car. When I arrived, I was greeted by a modern building sitting in harmony with the trees.

Cafe Arc 1st floor: pine-view windows and baby chairs

The 1st floor has huge glass windows, and the green pine trees outside look like a painting. I walked in excited, and little emotional touches like casually placed dried flowers added warmth to the space. Baby chairs are provided for families, so people visiting with kids can stay comfortably too.

What breads does Cafe Arc have?

Cafe Arc lines a wide display by the window with salt bread, croissants, Danish, Dubai pound cake, cookies and sablés. There are salt breads in several flavors, so picking is half the fun, and there are crispy croissants, sweet cinnamon and chocolate Danish, the currently trendy Dubai pound cake, and all kinds of cookies and sablés. Just looking at the lineup makes you happy.

In the showcase there was a fresh peach whipped cream bottle cake, perfect if you want a sweet finish.

Cafe Arc brunch and drink menu

Cafe Arc isn't just a bakery; it's an Icheon spot with a wide range of brunch and meal menus. There's the signature Arc Plate, refreshing fruit French toast, and also pasta and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). With sandwiches, panini and poke salad too, you can choose whatever suits your appetite that day. I hear you can also order delivery through the Baemin (Baedal Minjok) app, so that's worth knowing.

For drinks, besides Americano and café latte, I noticed distinctive options like the smooth, sweet cream latte, nutty peanut cream latte and corn cream latte. Fruit drinks such as refreshing ades, teas and cool watermelon juice are well covered too, so whatever dish you order, you can find something to go with it.

Cafe Arc 2nd floor and private room: good for gatherings?

The 2nd floor of Cafe Arc is bright and spacious, with a different charm from the 1st floor. After ordering, I went upstairs and this space welcomed me.

Clean white walls, wooden furniture and green plants outside the windows made everything feel easy on the eyes. The rattan lighting was so pretty too.

The 2nd floor has big solid wood tables that are great for sitting around with a group, plus a private room separated by glass partitions. The private room is available for 3 or more people, so it looked lovely for small gatherings or families who want to chat and eat cozily. I hear it takes group gatherings and reservations of up to 20 people, so it's worth knowing if you're planning a get-together.

A stylish brunch poster on the wall was another nice touch for the atmosphere. On one side there's a self-service bar with cold water, napkins, cutlery and cups, so you don't have to go up and down to the 1st floor during your meal. Very convenient.

Ordering the Arc Plate and tomato juice

What I picked at Cafe Arc was the signature brunch Arc Plate and a tomato juice. After happily agonizing over so many menu items, this is what I settled on.

It comes on a pretty round wood tray with a bit of height to it, which felt sturdy when I carried it from the 1st floor up to the 2nd.

How does the tomato juice at Cafe Arc taste?

The tomato juice at Cafe Arc wasn't sweetened artificially with syrup; it was full of the healthy, fresh flavor of real tomato. I love tomatoes anyway and thought it would pair nicely with a meal, and I really enjoyed it.

What's in the Arc Plate and how does it taste?

So colorful and generous it's a feast for the eyes! It looked absolutely delicious.

The Arc Plate at Cafe Arc is centered on thick French toast dusted with powdered sugar, surrounded by plump scored sausage, golden grilled bacon, cute round baby potatoes, nicely cooked broccoli and mushrooms, fresh cherry tomatoes, a fresh vegetable salad and scrambled eggs, all piled generously on one plate.

Is the French toast moist?

The French toast, the star of the Arc Plate, was moist and soft with no dryness at all, and I could feel the fluffiness as soon as I cut it with the knife. It was baked golden so the outside was slightly crisp, which made it even more my taste! Drizzling the sweet maple syrup that came with it over the bread was so good I thought, this is happiness~

The thick sausage and crispy bacon kept their salty savory flavor, and together with the sweet bread they were a textbook sweet-and-salty combo that lifted the flavor.

The baby potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli were cooked just right, with a clean natural flavor and a good bite. The fresh vegetable salad with dressing refreshed my palate between bites, and the scrambled eggs were as soft as pudding, great with the bread.

Would I order the Arc Plate at Cafe Arc again?

The Arc Plate at Cafe Arc is well put together, and the flavors of each ingredient balance so nicely that it was a filling, feel-good meal. The French toast was so good that next time I'm thinking of ordering the fruit French toast from the menu. Getting high-quality food and bread in a lovely setting made it a really good place for a relaxed time. If you want a healing break with tasty desserts and a meal together, I definitely recommend a visit :)