# Gonjiam bakery café before Hwadam Forest fireflies: cookies, La Cuesta - By Lunch Chime (https://superchart.com/en/@lunch-bell/) - Written Jun 22, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Gwangju, Gyeonggi - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@lunch-bell/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@lunch-bell/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@lunch-bell/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/index.md) ## In short La Cuesta Gwangju is a large bakery café in Gonjiam, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, a short drive from Hwadam Forest. With time to spare before seeing the Hwadam Forest fireflies, the writer tried La Cuesta's meju bread (a bean-packed loaf), sausage bread, La Cuesta latte and lemon bow ade, then decorated cookies for two with the cookie decorating set. With a big parking lot, meju bread full of whole beans and a cookie session full of laughs, La Cuesta is a good stop before or after Hwadam Forest. ## Good to know - **Location**: 278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi (an easy drive from Hwadam Forest) - **Parking**: Fairly large parking lot - **What we ordered**: La Cuesta latte, lemon bow ade, meju bread, sausage bread, cookie decorating set - **Signature**: Meju bread (a wholesome loaf with kidney beans and green peas; a sign notes its appearance on SBS Live Today) - **Bread selection**: Salt bread, assorted bagels, pastries and desserts *as written by the visitor on Jun 22, 2026* ![La Cuesta, a bakery café in Gonjiam](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-01-1g01b-1200.webp) ## Why we stopped at La Cuesta in Gonjiam before the Hwadam Forest fireflies La Cuesta (라꾸에스타) is a large bakery café in Gonjiam, Gwangju. Before going to see the fireflies at Hwadam Forest, I was looking for a café nearby to have coffee after dinner, and I found a bakery café that was totally my taste, can you believe it?! ![Visiting La Cuesta, a large café near Hwadam Forest](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-02-18z1q-966.webp) It's La Cuesta, a big café in Gonjiam, Gwangju~ We had a bit of time before the fireflies, so we dropped in for a short break, and it was bigger than I expected, the bread was good and the mood was nice, so I was really happy with it haha. La Cuesta is an easy drive from Hwadam Forest! ![Parking lot and building of La Cuesta Gwangju](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-03-1xnuh-966.webp) ### Is parking easy at La Cuesta? The parking lot is fairly large, so you can visit without worrying about parking! If you're looking for a café near Hwadam Forest, you might want to save this one haha. ![Entrance area of La Cuesta](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-04-1girj-966.webp) Near the entrance there was a sign about an appearance on SBS Live Today~ Turns out the place is famous for its meju bread! My expectations went up before we even went in haha. ![TV appearance sign at the La Cuesta entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-05-1tu8i-966.webp) ![Entrance and path into La Cuesta](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-06-11aa5-966.webp) ## What breads does La Cuesta have? The bakery has a wide display, from salt bread to assorted bagels, pastries and desserts. The moment we opened the door... the smell of good bread greeted us! If you're a real bread lover, brace yourself before you go in haha. ![Bread display at La Cuesta bakery](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-07-1dhd3-966.webp) ![Assorted breads on display at La Cuesta](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-08-13was-966.webp) ![Breads and desserts displayed at La Cuesta bakery](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-09-13xcd-966.webp) With everything from salt bread and bagels to pastries and desserts, just looking around was fun. ![Browsing the breads at La Cuesta bakery](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-10-1mjmv-966.webp) The signature meju bread (메주식빵, a bean loaf named after fermented soybean blocks) grabbed our eyes right away!! At first I honestly thought it was a real meju block?! haha. Anyway! After some deliberation we ordered a La Cuesta latte, a lemon bow ade, meju bread, sausage bread and a cookie decorating set! ![Bread and drinks ordered at La Cuesta](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-11-1xmgp-966.webp) ## How does La Cuesta's meju bread taste? La Cuesta's meju bread is a healthy loaf packed with kidney beans and green peas, more nutty and plain than sweet. At first, because of the name, I wondered if it was a loaf shaped like a real meju block, but it turned out to be a bread full of beans! It's less a soft, sweet sandwich-loaf style and more a plain bread with a strong nutty flavor. I liked the texture of beans popping as I chewed, and the subtle nuttiness kept me reaching for more haha. It isn't very sweet, so it goes well with coffee, and I think people who like healthy breads will love it! ![La Cuesta meju bread with kidney beans and green peas](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-12-1ytdu-966.webp) We liked it so much after one bite that we packed two more meju breads to take home on the way out haha. ![La Cuesta meju bread and drinks on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-13-ydao1-966.webp) ## La Cuesta latte and lemon bow ade The La Cuesta latte is a latte topped with cream. The cream was really soft and sweet, totally my taste~ The bitterness of the coffee and the sweetness of the cream blend well, so it's perfect with dessert. ![La Cuesta latte topped with cream](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-14-s7s98-966.webp) The lemon bow ade is fresh and fizzy, and a sip between bites of bread cleans up your mouth! Personally I was happy with both haha. ![La Cuesta lemon bow ade and other drinks](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-15-6caaw-966.webp) ![Table with La Cuesta drinks and bread](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-16-8ltmt-966.webp) ## La Cuesta's cookie decorating set: fun for couples too? At La Cuesta you can order a cookie decorating set and decorate cookies yourself at the table. Honestly, the most memorable part of the day was the cookie decorating haha. My boyfriend brought it over all excited, and at first I was like, "Why are we doing this?" But once we started, we both went totally silent and focused haha. It was so much more fun than I expected that we lost track of time decorating. I think it's worth trying once with kids or as a couple haha. ![Decorating cookies with the La Cuesta cookie set](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-17-nje7m-m-966.webp) ![A couple decorating cookies together](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-18-1ewyf-966.webp) And now, the big reveal.... ![Finished cookies from the La Cuesta cookie set](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-19-smfx2-966.webp) That's how it came out... I think we're breaking up^^ It was so funny that we laughed for ages... haha. Still, I think making a small memory like this made the day even more memorable. ![Wrapping up the visit to La Cuesta, a café near Hwadam Forest](https://img.superchart.com/images/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making-20-vzcm2-966.webp) ## Why I recommend La Cuesta before or after Hwadam Forest La Cuesta was a Gonjiam café we stopped at briefly before seeing the Hwadam Forest fireflies, and the visit turned out much better than I expected. A big parking lot, a pleasant space, a wide range of bakery items and tasty drinks, plus the cookie decorating, made it even better haha. If you're looking for a big café in Gonjiam, Gwangju, or a bakery café near Hwadam Forest, I totally recommend La Cuesta! Stop by before or after Hwadam Forest for a cup of coffee and some delicious bread :) ## Where it is - La Cuesta Gwangju (라꾸에스타 경기광주점) - 278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea - 경기도 광주시 곤지암읍 경충대로 278 라꾸에스타 - 37.3360668, 127.372023 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%9D%BC%EA%BE%B8%EC%97%90%EC%8A%A4%ED%83%80%20%EA%B2%BD%EA%B8%B0%EA%B4%91%EC%A3%BC%EC%A0%90/@37.3360668,127.372023,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@lunch-bell/gonjiam-lacuesta-firefly-cookie-making/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt