Gwangju hanok café for a mother-daughter outing: Hoyang Horim

Hoyang Horim (호양호림) is a handmade-dessert café that gives traditional desserts such as gaeseong juak and injeolmi waffles a modern twist. It is also a Yangnim-dong roastery café with a courtyard that preserves the tiled roof and toenmaru, the raised wooden porch.

A Hanok Dessert Café in Yangnim-dong, Gwangju

• Daily 11:00–21:00; last order 20:30
• Signature menu: gaeseong juak ₩2,500, gotgam sando ₩4,500, injeolmi waffle ₩9,500
• Iced black sesame cream latte ₩6,000; vanilla bean cream latte ₩5,500

Hoyang Horim is in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, near Gwangju Christian Hospital and the Wilson Missionary House. Yangnim-dong is known as a village of modern history and culture, but lately its cafés tucked into old alleys have made it an even more frequently mentioned Gwangju destination. Among them, Hoyang Horim is hard to pass by: its tiled-roof gate catches your eye right away.

Hoyang Horim Parking Information

There is no dedicated parking lot, but nearby partner lots are available. On weekdays, park at Gwangju Yangnim Church Parking Lot: the first hour is free, then ₩500 per 10 minutes. On weekends, public holidays, and weekdays after 5 p.m., use Gwangju Christian Hospital Parking Lot: the first hour is free, then ₩400 per 15 minutes. A little farther away, Yangnim History and Culture Village Public Parking Lot is about an eight-minute walk and is free for two hours.

An A-frame sign with a green teapot logo stood in front of the gate. In keeping with its phrase, “Making Korean things part of everyday life,” it sells traditional desserts reinterpreted with a modern sensibility. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., so it also works nicely for an evening stroll in Yangnim-dong after visiting Penguin Village and the Wilson Missionary House.

The Courtyard and Wooden-Porch Atmosphere

Past the gate, a broad gravel courtyard and the hanok building come into view at once. The posts and rafters were left as natural wood, the walls were white, and the roof was finished with black tiles, making a crisp contrast against the blue sky. A wooden porch runs along the front of the building, supported by a stone wall, and several earthenware jars gave it a hint of a grandmother’s country-house yard.

There are tables on the porch too, so it would be lovely to drink coffee there in the hanok-café atmosphere. We came at 2 p.m. on a weekday and had plenty of room without waiting, but by 3 p.m. the café was full. On weekends or public holidays, a wait seems likely.

Wooden platforms stood side by side in one corner of the courtyard. Since you take off your shoes and sit with your legs stretched out, they looked especially comfortable for people visiting with pets. Hoyang Horim is pet-friendly, and there was indeed a guest with a dog inside when we visited.

A panda doll was sitting on one platform, hugging a post tightly. If you want coffee with friends in an open outdoor space, the platforms seem like a great choice too. Especially on a September or October outing in Yangnim-dong, they would be perfect for chatting while looking at the hanok.

A pomegranate tree stood in the middle of the courtyard, with real pomegranates growing on it. If you are with children, it could be a chance to show them what a pomegranate is in the middle of the city. I was out in Yangnim-dong with my mom, and only learned it was a pomegranate tree because she told me. TMI, but pomegranates are in season from September through December.

Pet-Friendly Café Rules

The entrance provides detailed rules for visitors with pets. Only fully vaccinated pets may enter, and inside the café you must use a designated chair, carrier, or leash restraint. Human tableware is not allowed; only pet-specific dishes may be used, and waste must go in the designated in-store bin. Onnuri gift certificates and the Nam-gu Companion Card are accepted, and YangnimPASS verification gives 10% off drinks.

Sunlit Floor Seating and the Interior

Inside is a raised floor-seating area with a green floor. It has round white cushions, octagonal wooden tables, round hanji-paper lamps, and windows retaining their traditional latticework, so you can see bamboo outside while seated.

My favorite part was the shadow the window light made on the floor. The shape of swaying bamboo leaves was projected onto the green surface so clearly that it looked as if someone had painted a picture there. Visit when the morning or afternoon sun comes in and you can enjoy this natural shadow scenery.

Traditional details such as lattice folding screens, colorful traditional lamps, and onggi earthenware accents are placed throughout, deepening the hanok-café feeling. On the other side are regular tables and chairs rather than floor seating, which is a good option if sitting cross-legged is difficult.

One side has a self-service station for water, paper cups, and napkins. The Wi-Fi ID and password are posted directly above it, which is handy for anyone working on a laptop. The restroom is inside the café and is shared by all genders.

Extra cushions and blankets were folded in layers inside a green cabinet. I appreciated the blankets for covering your legs if you use the floor seats in a skirt or short shorts. There is also a high chair, making this seem like a good café to visit with children. Posters above the cabinet featured menu items including gotgam sando, jar chestnut tiramisu, vanilla bean cream latte, and black sesame cream latte.

What We Ordered and the Decaf Option

Desserts include gaeseong juak, injeolmi jar bingsu (shaved ice), and injeolmi waffles. Gaeseong juak comes in varieties based on the accompanying ingredients: original, apple cinnamon, lemon, red bean butter, yakgwa, and candied walnuts. Coffee choices include black sesame cream latte, vanilla bean cream latte, house-made vanilla latte, and condensed-milk cinnamon latte; non-coffee drinks include rice shakes, maesil sherbet ade, and chamomile-yuja-apple tea. For an extra ₩500, any coffee can be made decaf.

We ordered the injeolmi mugwort waffle, gotgam sando, vanilla bean cream latte, and a decaf Americano. I had tried gaeseong juak when I came before with my dad and sister, so this time I went for the waffle and the new gotgam sando. Order at the kiosk and the owner personally brings your food to the table when it is ready. Seeing the desserts and coffee arranged so prettily on a tray suddenly reminded me of the floating-breakfast trend from a while ago. The waffles are baked to order, so allow about 15 minutes.

Injeolmi Mugwort Waffle

The injeolmi mugwort waffle had a deep-green mugwort waffle generously covered in soybean powder, with a scoop of ice cream and scattered almond slices. It was crisp outside and chewy yet soft inside, with a texture closer to a well-grilled rice cake. When I was little, my grandmother would bring mugwort rice cakes home from the temple, and my mom would refrigerate them before pan-frying them in oil. It tasted exactly like that memory.

The mugwort flavor does not hit you too strongly, so I think even people who do not absolutely love mugwort could enjoy it; they also sell a plain injeolmi waffle. The ice cream was delicious too—clean and light, almost like sherbet. My mom loved it as well. It is definitely a dessert that suits grown-up tastes, so I would recommend this place if you are bringing your parents out or looking for a café with a warm mood.

Gotgam Sando

Gotgam sando is a dessert of dried persimmons filled with black sesame and walnut cream cheese. It arrived stacked on a small plate, and the orange persimmon and grayish cream cross-sections were pretty enough for photos. The walnuts in the cream cheese added a nutty bite, and the distinctive texture of dried persimmon paired well with the soft cream cheese. Black sesame gave it an overall rich nuttiness, and since it is sweet, it goes especially well with an Americano.

Vanilla Bean Cream Latte

The vanilla bean cream latte came in a glass with distinct layers of milk and coffee, topped with cream and powder. It was pleasantly strong and sweet, with good balance—a helpful little sugar boost. I recommend it if you are looking for sweet, delicious coffee.

Decaf Americano and the Bean Card

For an Americano, you can choose Hoyang, which is rich and nutty, or Horim, which has lighter acidity. I ordered a hot decaf Americano; it had a slight acidity and came in a heat-resistant glass. The vanilla bean cream latte was more obviously delicious, but Americano was just right with sweet desserts, so my mom and I shared both drinks. You can also try blended or single-origin beans as hand-drip coffee.

When I ordered the Americano, they also gave me a bean card. Usually, cards are offered only for regular beans, so I found it interesting that this place has a separate card for decaf beans too. It identified the coffee as Colombia Huila Supremo Decaf, with cup notes of nuts, caramel, and orange. The growing altitude is 1,700 m, and it uses the sugarcane decaf process.

A Café That Is Great with Children

On one café wall were drawings that looked as if children had colored them, with sketch sheets below for coloring activities. It showed thoughtful consideration for family visitors, and Hoyang Horim is a Yangnim-dong dessert café that is great for families visiting with babies.

If you are looking in Yangnim-dong, Gwangju, for an atmospheric hanok café or a dessert café to take your parents to, Hoyang Horim is a choice that should leave you satisfied. The new gotgam sando and vanilla bean cream latte were delicious, but I can confidently say that the injeolmi mugwort waffle is a dessert worth recommending on a Gwangju trip. Its location also makes it easy to pair with the Wilson Missionary House and Penguin Village for a Yangnim-dong date.