Gonjiam café on a rainy Chuseok: French country bread, La Cuesta

A café recommendation near Hwadam Botanic Garden: La Cuesta Gwangju, a large bakery café in Gonjiam, Gyeonggi. On Chuseok day, with rain falling all afternoon ☔️, the whole family had gathered at my parents' place, so we headed out to La Cuesta for coffee and some fresh air.

My parents' place is near Hwadam Botanic Garden, so we drove over — took about 10 to 15 minutes.

With Hwadam's fall foliage season about to start, this looked like a good spot to stop for brunch before heading in, or for coffee on the way back.

Having actually been there, I thought this café suits families — kids to parents — more than couples.

Why the mejusikppang is gone by afternoon at La Cuesta, Gonjiam

Walking in, the bread display is the first thing that catches your eye at this large Gonjiam bakery café. But by the Chuseok afternoon we arrived, a lot of the popular breads were already gone.

The bread 🥐 is the first thing you notice walking in — quite a wide variety, though since we came in the afternoon a lot of it was already sold out. The one I was most looking forward to was the mejushikppang (soybean-block sourdough loaf) they're famous for...

Gone. 🥹 Guess showing up in the afternoon really is too late for the popular breads haha. So we picked from what was left that day.

French country bread, olive bagel and oatmeal cookie at La Cuesta

We picked French country bread and an olive bagel, plus a melon bread and something that looked like corn bread to take home for grandma!

We all tore into the French country bread together — studded with cranberries and raisins, so it had a nice chew, and it went well with coffee. As you can see in the photo, we really went at it haha.

I also bought my niece a cookie, and it turned out the oatmeal cookie is a patented product! Guess I picked a good one!!

Is the signature La Cuesta latte worth ordering?

We ordered several coffees, and since I was there, I had to try the signature La Cuesta latte.

Soft cream on top, latte underneath — the sweet, smooth cream and the latte worked really well together when you got both in one sip. The cream wasn't overly sweet and didn't drown out the coffee, so it went fine with the bread too.

Apparently there's more than just coffee and bread here — a brunch menu too. When I mentioned the place to my aunt while making jeon (savory pancakes) the day before,

"The brunch there is good too~"

she said haha. Apparently she'd already gone with friends! Maybe I should try the brunch next time... but between Chuseok food and all that bread, I feel like I've already eaten enough for dinner too 🤣

How La Cuesta works as a Gonjiam café with a child along

There's a nicely decorated space to look around on La Cuesta's 2nd floor, so I went up with my niece to take photos and look around. She came along this time, which made the place feel even more suited to family visits.

Personally, I loved the view from the 2nd floor! The café feels surrounded by forest, so you get all this green through the windows — and with the rain that day, it actually added to the mood.

The restroom is indoors too, which felt convenient for visiting with kids or parents.

The outdoor picnic area at La Cuesta, missed because of the rain

La Cuesta isn't just an indoor café — it has a fairly large outdoor space too. There's a spot for picnicking and facilities kids can use, so on a nice day it seems worth enjoying the outdoor space along with the indoor.

We happened to visit on Chuseok day itself, in a rainy afternoon, so we couldn't really explore outside properly. A bit of a shame ㅠㅠ Still, the indoor space was big enough that spending time with family over coffee and bread on a rainy day was still good. Next time I want to come on a nice day and check out the outdoor space too.

A bakery café to pair with a Hwadam Botanic Garden day

With the weather turning cooler, Hwadam's fall foliage season is coming up soon 🍁 If you're looking for a café near Hwadam Botanic Garden, pairing it with La Cuesta seems like a solid plan.

• Before Hwadam Botanic Garden → brunch at La Cuesta → Hwadam Botanic Garden
• After Hwadam Botanic Garden → bread + coffee at La Cuesta → head home

Coming from my parents' side (near Gonjiam Resort), it was about 10 to 15 minutes — not a big commitment. What stood out most was that it's a large café with bakery, brunch, and both spacious indoor and outdoor areas, not just a small spot for coffee — which made it a great fit for a family visit.

One-line verdict on La Cuesta after visiting

If you're looking for a café near Hwadam Botanic Garden where the whole family — parents and kids included — can enjoy bread and coffee plus brunch and outdoor space all in one place, this large Gonjiam bakery café delivers. But if you're after the mejushikppang like I was... go earlier, not in the afternoon 🤣 I'm still bummed I missed it, so I'll definitely be back.