Red bean snowflake bingsu at La Cuesta, a Gonjiam bakery café
In short
La Cuesta Gwangju is a two-story bakery café on Gyeongchung-daero in Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi. After a trout sashimi lunch in Icheon, the writer stopped in for snowflake red bean bingsu (shaved ice) at 14,000 won, an injeolmi roll (roasted soybean cake roll) at 5,500 won and the signature La Cuesta latte at 8,000 won, and the deep red bean flavor with soybean powder was the highlight. La Cuesta is worth a stop for coffee and dessert after a meal near Hwadam Botanic Garden or Gonjiam.
Good to know
- Address
- 278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (La Cuesta)
- Hours
- Daily 10:00–22:00 (last order 21:30)
- Brunch hours
- 10:30–20:30
- La Cuesta latte
- 8,000 won
- Snowflake red bean bingsu
- 14,000 won
- Injeolmi roll
- 5,500 won
- Size
- 2 floors plus outdoor terrace
- Parking
- Available in front of the building
as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026
The sky was perfectly clear that day~ I'd gone to Icheon for trout sashimi! After a delicious lunch, what's next but a café, right? Haha. I was debating where to go and ended up at La Cuesta Gwangju, a Hwadam Botanic Garden-area bakery café I'd had my eye on for a while.
Where is La Cuesta Gwangju and what are its hours?
La Cuesta is located at 278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open daily 10:00–22:00, last order at 21:30, with brunch served 10:30–20:30.
The entrance branches off the road directly, so if it's your first visit, take it slow. You could easily pass it by, but there are signs that make it easy enough to find. At first I thought, "Wait, there's a café right on the roadside?" but once inside, the whole vibe completely flipped~~
First impressions of the Gonjiam bakery café
Parking was easy right in front of the La Cuesta building, and as I got out of the car and headed toward the entrance, I could hear water trickling. There was a pretty flowing stream and even a fountain, so the mood felt peaceful before I even stepped inside. With two floors plus an outdoor terrace, the place was bigger than I expected.
Seating and interior inside La Cuesta
The moment I walked in, my eyes were darting everywhere haha. Cute little props and pretty interior touches were everywhere, and there was a wide variety of seating up through the second floor.
There were plenty of tables and comfortable seats, so it looked like a great place to spend relaxed time with family, a partner, or friends. On nice-weather days especially, you can enjoy not just the indoor space but the outdoor terrace too — it really suits anyone looking for a bakery café near Hwadam Botanic Garden.
La Cuesta bakery display and what we ordered
True to being a bakery café, the variety of bread was really impressive! Rows of breads that looked delicious just to look at made me want to try one of each haha.
Since I'd already eaten a big lunch, I only picked out my favorite, the injeolmi roll. This place also has pasta and brunch menus alongside bread and coffee~ It felt less like a dessert-only café and more like a Hwadam Botanic Garden-area bakery café where you can enjoy everything from lunch to dessert in one spot.
- La Cuesta latte ₩8,000
- Snow-flake red bean bingsu ₩14,000
- Injeolmi roll ₩5,500
Injeolmi roll (인절미롤), 5,500 won
First up, the injeolmi roll! Roasted soybean powder (콩고물) really is delicious no matter how many times I have it haha.
The cream inside the soft bread paired so well with the nutty soybean powder that it melted in my mouth. If you love injeolmi (glutinous rice cake coated in soybean powder), you have to try this one~ Total hit for my taste!
Snowflake red bean bingsu (눈꽃 팥빙수), 14,000 won
La Cuesta's snow-flake red bean bingsu (shaved ice dessert) had more injeolmi rice cake, generously coated in soybean powder, than I expected. Pouring the milk over and mixing the red bean and snow-flake ice together made it completely refreshing~!
Rather than a bunch of complicated toppings, I liked that you could really taste the sweet, deep flavor of the red bean.
Signature La Cuesta latte, 8,000 won
The La Cuesta latte is the café's signature drink. I don't usually drink lattes often, but the rich coffee flavor and subtle sweetness paired together better than I expected.
A bite of injeolmi roll followed by a sip of latte was a great combo! I only meant to have a few sips, but it was so good I ended up sipping away and finishing the whole thing~ haha.
If you like sweet lattes, this is a menu item worth trying at La Cuesta, the Hwadam Botanic Garden-area bakery café.
Is La Cuesta worth a stop near Hwadam Botanic Garden?
Having visited in person, La Cuesta wasn't just a big café — it was a place where you could enjoy bakery items, bingsu, brunch, spacious seating, and an outdoor area all together. The atmosphere was quiet and comfortable, great for lingering and chatting slowly, and everything I tried was really good overall.
If you're looking for a bakery café near Hwadam Botanic Garden, or a relaxed spot for coffee and dessert after a meal in Gonjiam, this place is worth a stop. Next time I want to come right from lunchtime and try the brunch and other breads too! Great atmosphere overall at La Cuesta!
Where it is
278 Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea경기도 광주시 곤지암읍 경충대로 278 라꾸에스타
