Gangneung gelato café with Kobe butter brown cheese: Hi Gelato

Looking for a good gelato spot while traveling in Gangneung? Gangneung is famous for sundubu (soft tofu) gelato, but Hi Gelato actually has a lot more variety than I expected. This time I ordered the Hi Gelato Signature plus a small gelato cup so I could try several flavors. They have a wide range of gelato here, but what really caught my eye was the signature menu.

• You can pick several gelato flavors at once
• The signature is a combo of gelato + sorbet + compote
• You can even taste the famous sundubu gelato here

Where is Hi Gelato in Gangneung, and what are the hours?

Hi Gelato is at 158 Toseong-ro, 1F, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do (73-3 Imdang-dong), and it's open daily from 11:30 to 20:00. A lot of places in Gangneung close on Tuesdays, but this one is open every day!!

There's no dedicated parking for the store, so I parked in a nearby alley. Since it's close to Gangneung Jungang Market and Seobu Market, it's a great spot to stop by before or after browsing the markets.

Hi Gelato menu and prices

• Hi Gelato Signature ₩9,000
• Gelato small cup ₩5,000 → choose 1–2 flavors
• Gelato large cup ₩6,500 → choose 2–3 flavors
• Take-home small box ₩16,000
• Take-home medium box ₩22,000
• Take-home large box ₩32,000

If you want to try several flavors, it might be better to go with a small cup with a couple of picks rather than just ordering one cup.

If you join the Naver receipt event, your small cup gets upgraded to a large cup! And if you follow them on Instagram, you get 10% off!

Which gelato flavors can you choose?

What makes Hi Gelato special is that they make their gelato fresh in small batches at the store every day!

• A place that pursues the natural flavor of ingredients over artificial sweetness
• Something anyone, from kids to adults, can enjoy without worry

Looking at the gelato showcase, there was everything from familiar fruit flavors to some pretty unusual ones. When I visited, names like coconut butter brown cheese, Motus biscuit, and riso caught my eye—things I don't usually see at gelato shops. So it took me a while to pick, haha.

In a moment like that, I'd recommend asking the staff about the flavors or trying a taste sample before choosing. I got a taste spoon too and picked based on that.

What comes in the 9,000 won Hi Gelato Signature?

The Hi Gelato Signature isn't just one gelato — it's blueberry compote + lemon sorbet + vanilla gelato, plus a taste spoon of Kobe butter brown cheese on top.

It looked so pretty as soon as I got it that I took a bunch of photos first, haha. The blueberry compote especially gives it a look that's clearly different from a regular gelato cup.

🫐 Blueberry compote — compared to just eating blueberry gelato, adding the compote made the flavor feel a bit deeper and richer.

🍋 Lemon sorbet — it cleanses your palate between the blueberry and vanilla, so the overall combo worked really well. The lemon sorbet reminded me a bit of the sherbet at Double Bianco ice cream! Tangy and refreshing, so so good 👍

🧀 Kobe butter brown cheese — little bits of brown cheese scattered throughout 🤎 Salty and savory, and I was totally into it! Being able to try so many flavors in one go made me really glad I ordered the signature.

The 5,000 won small cup: Dating Mango and Strawberry

For the small cup I picked Dating Mango and Strawberry. Cute name, right, haha. It's a mango and strawberry combo, so if you like tangy, sweet fruit flavors, it's an easy one to enjoy. And here too I got a taste spoon of something else—

What I tasted was sundubu (soft tofu) gelato! You really can't skip sundubu gelato when you're in Gangneung. It has that distinctive nutty, mild flavor of soft tofu, so it felt clearly different from a typical sweet gelato. If you're the type who's been thinking

I should try sundubu gelato at least once

during your Gangneung trip, it might be worth trying it here at Hi Gelato too.

What the Hi Gelato shop feels like inside

The inside isn't huge, but it's decorated in a cute, cozy way. It felt like a comfortable place to just pop in for a quick treat.

Hi Gelato is near Gangneung Jungang Market and Seobu Market, so it's a great place to swing by before or after browsing the markets. Whether you're craving something sweet after a meal or need a quick dessert break during your Gangneung trip, a cup of gelato here hits the spot.

I went in only thinking about sundubu gelato, but there ended up being way more variety than I expected, which made choosing half the fun. If you're like me and enjoy trying a little bit of several flavors, I'd recommend the signature plus small cup combo. If you're looking for a gelato spot in Gangneung that's a bit different from the usual desserts, give Hi Gelato a try. 🍨🤍