Seogwipo two-floor café with a choco madeleine: Forest Jeongbang

A mid-trip coffee stop at Forest Jeongbang in Seogwipo

When you're traveling around Jeju, you end up walking way more than you expect in a day. After wandering around sightseeing here and there, at some point your legs start aching and you just want to sit down with a coffee. That's how I ended up stopping by Forest Jeongbang on the Seogwipo side of the island.

Big cafés with ocean views are great when you're in Jeju, but honestly, the cafés you can casually pop into mid-trip to relax with a coffee tend to stick in your memory just as much. Forest Jeongbang, which I visited this time, was exactly that kind of place. :)

What is the atmosphere like at Forest Jeongbang?

True to its name, Forest Jeongbang had an overall comfortable, calm atmosphere. You could feel it the moment you stepped inside. After being outside all day while traveling, just walking into somewhere cool was already a win, haha. A lot of people treat cafés as their own stop on the Jeju travel course, right?

What we ordered: Udo peanut latte and Americano

At Forest Jeongbang we ordered an Udo peanut latte and an Americano. We love coffee, so whenever we spot a café that looks decent while traveling, we tend to stop in — and that day I was especially craving something sweet. Looking over the menu, I figured since we were in Jeju, I'd try something a bit more special than my usual coffee, so I picked the Udo peanut latte and added an Americano on the side.

The 2nd-floor terrace view, with drinks brought to the table

Going up to the 2nd floor and stepping out onto the terrace — wow, the view was seriously no joke. The sky was so pretty, it just felt like everything opened up. And the coffee was carried all the way up to the 2nd floor for us.

That Jeju flavor: Udo peanut latte 🥜

I took a first sip of the Udo peanut latte I'd ordered. Right away, the nutty flavor came through quite strong. That peanut-specific nuttiness combined with the latte's smoothness worked better together than I expected. If it had just been a plain sweet drink, I probably would have gotten tired of it after a few sips, but because the nutty flavor came through too, I kept reaching for more.

Can't go wrong with the classic Americano ☕

When you're eating and drinking your way through a trip, sometimes right in the middle of it you suddenly crave a non-sweet Americano. Sipping the Udo peanut latte and then taking a sip of the Americano cleaned my palate — the combo of the two worked well together. You could tell the beans were fresh too, haha. With such a great, open view, the coffee tasted amazing.

Choco madeleine: the dessert we added

Craving something sweet, we added a choco madeleine, and it was so good. Thanks to the rich chocolate, I definitely got my sugar fix, haha.

Why Forest Jeongbang works as a rest stop on a Jeju itinerary

Between finding restaurants from the morning, sightseeing, taking photos, and moving on to the next spot, a whole day can fly by before you know it. At Forest Jeongbang, instead of rushing straight to the next place, it was nice to be able to sit down for a bit and rest with a coffee.

We talked about where to go next, looked back through the photos we'd taken that day, and spent a rare, unhurried stretch of time there. I don't think a Jeju café has to be flashy or huge to be worth visiting. Sometimes what you actually need mid-trip is a place you can casually stop into for a good drink and a short rest.

If you're looking for a café to rest at while traveling around Seogwipo in Jeju, or want a café near Jeongbang Waterfall, Forest Jeongbang is worth checking out. Seeing and doing as much as possible in Jeju is great, but sometimes just sitting with a coffee and doing nothing is part of the trip too.

Where to go next: the Jeongbang Waterfall walk

After a relaxed coffee at Forest Jeongbang, it's also worth pairing it with a look at Jeongbang Waterfall nearby. You can see the waterfall crashing down along with Jeju's ocean scenery — a spot well worth stopping by during a Seogwipo trip. After resting at the café and then walking over to see the waterfall, it felt like I'd properly taken in the classic Jeju scenery. :)