Namhansanseong café terrace with pain au chocolat and decaf: Sum

I wanted to unwind on the weekend and enjoy some delicious dessert, so I visited Sum, a large bakery café near Namhansanseong. The modern interior blended with the lush green scenery so well that it was the perfect spot to refresh — I'm leaving this review to recommend it.

Where is Café Sum near Namhansanseong, and its hours and parking

Sum is located at 108-11 Ojeon-gil, Namhansanseong-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open Monday to Friday 10:00–20:30 and Saturday to Sunday 10:00–21:30, though the closing time apparently changes seasonally. Parking is available right in front of the building.

This is the grand exterior of Sum. It's built with a heavy, modern exposed-concrete style, so it gave off a modern vibe even from a distance. There's parking space along the front of the building and up the hill, so it was convenient to bring a car!

This is the main entrance of the café! There's a huge red ribbon accent on the giant glass front, which made it feel like walking into a big gift box.

Sum's bakery counter: what was ordered and what it cost

Walking into the 1st floor of Sum, the long bakery display case is the first thing you see. It's a sleek, elongated case that catches your eye the moment you step in! With the lush Namhansanseong mountain scenery unfolding through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind it, choosing dessert was a treat for the eyes the whole time.

This is the menu board at the order counter. Besides the basic coffee, latte, and ade menus, a signature item called 'Mother's Jujube Tea' caught my eye. My friend and I ordered two decaf coffees and a pain au chocolat!

• Decaf ₩7,500 × 2 = ₩15,000
• Pain au chocolat ₩4,800

This is the wide-open view of the café interior from the 1st floor counter. The ceiling is designed very high, so there's no cramped feeling at all — it felt spacious and comfortable. And that forest view through the floor-to-ceiling windows is a work of art, isn't it? 🥹💗

Bread at Sum, from baked sweets to salt bread

The bakery corner was packed with neatly hygiene-wrapped baked goods, pound cakes, and rusks. There were plenty of desserts like cinnamon rusk and pound cake that pair really well with coffee.

Here are the main breads on trays, giving off a warm, savory smell — salt bread, long sausage pastries, and green onion bread. The trays and tongs were neatly set up, and the breads were baked to a golden brown that got the appetite going just by looking. There were so many kinds of bread that it was fun picking whatever suited my taste ❤️

First-floor window seats and second-floor seating at Sum

Sum's space is divided into the 1st floor seats in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the 2nd floor seating, and the 1st floor outdoor terrace. Here are the window-front seats with a full view of the forest and mountains. With modern-design tables and cushy chairs set up, you can comfortably enjoy your drink while taking in the view outside.

This is the restroom entrance on one side of the store. As you'd expect from a large café, it was managed hygienically and cleanly, so it was very pleasant to use 🤪👏🏻

Heading up to the 2nd floor, you find this cozy seating area. Tables and simple chairs are set up, and it has a quiet, calm charm that's different from the 1st floor. The view from the 2nd floor was also amazing! Through the huge, open floor-to-ceiling windows, the lush mountains and nature were framed like a picture. Being able to look down and enjoy a drink at leisure from up high, I bet the 2nd floor space is really popular too.

Pain au chocolat and decaf Americano on Sum's outdoor terrace

The weather was great, so we grabbed a seat on Sum's 1st floor outdoor terrace! Our two iced decafs came out along with the pain au chocolat, topped generously with sweet chocolate powder, right on time.

The pain au chocolat had a rich, sweet chocolate coating and cocoa powder piled all over the surface, so it looked delicious just from the visuals, right? They even gave us a fork and knife neatly, so it was totally easy to cut and eat!!!

Here's the cross-section after slicing it clean with the knife! The signature flaky, layered pastry texture was properly alive 🤎🥹 Thanks to the rich chocolate tucked in between the crispy-yet-moist layers, every bite exploded with nutty flavor!!!

The decaf Americano also had a clean taste with no acidity, so it went really well with the pain au chocolat.

Sitting on the 1st floor terrace, this is the thick forest and field scenery spread out right in front of you! Just quietly looking at the green nature made all my everyday stress fly away 🥹💗 I feel like you could visit any season and enjoy a different kind of scenery every time.

Who will enjoy Café Sum in Gwangju most

If you want to enjoy dessert and coffee with an open forest view near Namhansanseong, I strongly recommend Sum. Beyond the sleek floor-to-ceiling window interior extending up to the 2nd floor and the modern atmosphere, it also has an outdoor terrace where you can feel the changing seasons right in front of you, making it a great spot to relax with a cool breeze. If you're looking for a café for a drive, a date course, or a relaxed weekend with family, definitely pay it a visit! 🤗💛💛