Big Paju café with brownie Basque cheesecake and a photo zone: Barirus

A big Paju café we've visited since our dating days

Paju has quite a few large cafés. Barirus is so famous that, even before this Supermembers visit, my husband and I often stopped by on drives to Paju back when we were dating.

When we first visited 4 to 5 years ago, 20 to 30 people lined up together to hear an explanation of the filming location while looking around the space. A lot of time has passed since then, but Barirus is still full of people. Coming back after so long brought the old memories back, so I looked around the café with a slightly fresh feeling.

Barirus's signature photo zone

The photo zone is a must when you visit Barirus. It's the space people think of first when they hear the name, and it was easy to spot visitors taking pictures there. Since it had been so long, I took some photos too.

A wide menu from drinks to meals to bread

As you'd expect from a big café, Barirus has a pretty wide menu, not just drinks but meals too.

The bread selection in particular was huge. There were so many kinds that I couldn't fit them all in one photo, and with different shapes and flavors, everyone should be able to find bread that suits their taste.

That said, we came right after a big meal, so sadly I couldn't try the various breads or the meal menu. Next time I'd like to come with more room in my stomach and pick out a few breads.

Seating from indoors to outdoors

Barirus has outdoor space as well as indoor space. Tables and chairs are arranged in all sorts of ways in each area, and the views out the windows are nice, so it seems fun to pick the spot you like depending on your taste.

Above all, the space is so wide that even with lots of people it felt less stuffy. I thought it was a good place to sit comfortably, drink coffee and chat.

A good spot for a late-night date

Another plus of Barirus is that it stays open late. From Friday to Sunday it's open until 2 a.m. the next day, so it works well when you're heading to a café late.

It looked especially good as a date spot: drive out to Paju, have dinner, then stop by the café, or on a day when you want to talk leisurely into the night.

What we ordered: brownie Basque cheesecake

We ordered an iced americano, a decaf americano, a vanilla latte, a brownie Basque cheesecake and a croissant. Since we'd eaten a big meal beforehand, we didn't pick much bread and just had a light dessert with our coffee.

The most memorable was the 🍰 brownie Basque cheesecake. I first assumed it wouldn't be much different from an ordinary Basque cheesecake, but the texture was really chewy and dense. The soft cheesecake flavor plus the rich taste of brownie made it far tastier than I expected.

Maybe because it's such a sweet, heavy dessert, it went really well with the iced americano. Even though I was full, the brownie Basque cheesecake was so good I kept reaching for it. We ordered a croissant too, and if we visit again I'd like to try the other bakery items we missed this time, one by one.

Restrooms and a baby diaper changing table

For such a big café, the restrooms at Barirus were kept clean, and there was a diaper changing table for families visiting with babies. For parents going to cafés with kids, even a small facility like this matters a lot when choosing, so I thought it was a nice touch for families.

Still crowded after all these years: Barirus

Barirus is a place I've been visiting since our dating days, so this visit felt a little more special. There were lots of people the first time, and seeing so many still coming after all this time made me think it's a large Paju café that has stayed steadily loved.

It's so big that wandering around inside was fun, and with such varied seating it's great for spending a relaxed time over a cup of coffee. With bread and meals on the menu too, it works for a quick drink or for enjoying a meal and dessert together. If you're looking for a big café in Paju, or a wide space to chat at leisure, Barirus is worth a visit at least once.