Hanok café near Gangmun Beach with iced drip coffee: Cafe Giwa

While planning my trip and looking up shops in Chodang-dong, I found a gorgeous hanok café in Gangneung and headed straight there without hesitation. From the reviews I'd seen beforehand, the old-fashioned exterior and interior had already caught my eye, so my expectations were high. Once I actually got there, it exceeded my expectations — not just satisfying but genuinely impressive, with great coffee and dessert quality on top of everything else. I spent a lovely, relaxed time there.

This is Cafe Giwa (카페기와), a hanok café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung.

Cafe Giwa address and opening hours

• Address: 15 Chodangwon-gil54beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon, South Korea
• Hours: 10:00 – 21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Closed every Wednesday

How close is Cafe Giwa to Gangmun Beach?

The first thing I loved was the location. When I first checked the map I thought it might be a bit far, but once I actually got there, it wasn't far at all. There are lots of pretty shops, prop shops, and good restaurants nearby too! Route planning matters a lot for travelers, and this Gangneung hanok café is perfectly positioned in that regard. It's an especially good spot if you're getting around by car.

Parking at Cafe Giwa

There's a spacious private parking lot right next door, so you can visit without any parking stress.

The 130-year-old hanok and its garden

Walking past the tiled wall and stepping inside, an old-fashioned hanok that's a full 130 years old unfolds in front of you. The weathered charm of the space, combined with a wide and beautifully arranged garden, made just looking around and walking through it feel like a proper trip. Step into the hanok, which has an airy, open structure, and a whole different set of charms spills out.

Tasteful little props reminiscent of a vintage shop are scattered throughout the interior, so there's plenty to look at. Under a traditional ceiling structure with exposed rafters, antique furniture and stylish lighting come together in harmony to create a really distinctive mood.

The seating options are quite varied too. There are tables for two and for four, along with a spacious area and group seating that can comfortably fit larger gatherings. That makes it a great fit for a romantic date or a meetup with family or friends.

Cafe Giwa menu and prices

Looking at the menu, the range of options is huge, so whoever you come with, everyone can find something to their taste. The café was so pretty that I got busy taking photos of everything and forgot to snap the menu board itself.

• Drip coffee ₩6,500–7,500
• Americano ₩5,000/5,500
• Espresso ₩5,000
• Cappuccino ₩5,000/5,500
• Ade and smoothies ₩6,500
• Teas ₩5,500–6,500
• Latte ₩5,500/6,000

The menu board is posted clearly on Naver Place, so check there for reference!

Alongside signature lattes, there's a range of coffee menus made with high-quality beans like Colombian and Ethiopian, plus fragrant black teas and herbal teas for anyone who doesn't drink coffee.

Desserts at Cafe Giwa

The dessert lineup was just as impressive, with items like the mugwort injeolmi gateau, plain milk roll cake, gateau chocolat, green tea triangle, and tiramisu roll cake all catching my eye — rich desserts that bring together Korean ingredients and Western-style baking.

The four drinks and desserts we ordered

• Giwa black latte ₩6,500
• House-made grapefruit ade ₩6,500
• Giwa drip coffee ₩7,000
• Mugwort injeolmi gateau ₩7,500

Since this was our last stop in Gangneung, we wanted to fully experience the charm of this hanok café, so we ordered the Giwa black latte, iced Giwa drip coffee, house-made grapefruit ade, and mugwort injeolmi gateau.

Giwa black latte, 6,500 won

Among everything we ordered, the standout was the house signature drink you can only find here, the Giwa black latte. It's built on a nutty grain milk base, topped with a heavy, rich espresso shot, and finished with a generous amount of sweet, chewy black sesame cream made with their own recipe. One sip and the nuttiness of the black sesame spreads through your mouth, followed by the espresso's bitterness and the milk's smoothness folding in with perfect balance. It wasn't too sweet but had deep flavor, a sophisticated taste that even older folks would love. (Though it is a cream latte, so it does have some sweetness!)

Iced Giwa drip coffee, 7,000 won

The Giwa drip coffee was surprisingly good — better than I expected. I'd secretly worried, since a lot of places serve iced drip coffee that turns watery as the ice melts. But despite being packed with ice, this one wasn't diluted at all, keeping the weight and body of a freshly pulled shot. The coffee itself was nutty and deep with a clean finish, completely my style. I'd go so far as to say this Gangneung hanok café's drip coffee was the most impressive black coffee I drank on this entire Gangneung trip — the quality was that good.

House-made grapefruit ade, 6,500 won

The house-made grapefruit ade we ordered alongside it also stood out for its fresh, house-syrup character rather than any artificial syrup taste. The fizzy carbonation and the grapefruit's bittersweet, tangy flesh made for a refreshing palate cleanser, a great pick to alternate with heavier desserts or coffee. On a hot summer day, or after a filling meal, this would be perfectly quenching.

Mugwort injeolmi gateau (rice cake gateau), 7,500 won

The mugwort injeolmi gateau (쑥인절미갸또) I picked for dessert was fantastic from the first bite. Even as I pressed my fork in, the dense gateau sheet had a chewy bite and a satisfying sweetness. A gentle mugwort aroma spread through and anchored the whole thing.

Best of all was the thick layer of nutty injeolmi (rice cake) cream piled on top, which was genuinely delicious. The soft, melting cream and the rich nuttiness of the injeolmi harmonized beautifully with the mugwort sheet, so I finished it off satisfied down to the very last bite.

Why Cafe Giwa beats the beach on a cloudy day

This is a space where the visual calm of a historic, old-fashioned hanok, a beautiful garden, and desserts good enough to hold their own anywhere all come together in harmony. It's a wonderful spot for a date or a family get-together. If you're near Gangmun Beach and looking for a café with great atmosphere and easy parking, be sure to stop by this Gangneung hanok café. It's especially good on days when the weather's not great and an ocean view just doesn't feel worth it. Amid the relaxed scenery of the hanok, you can sip a carefully made drink and make some memories you won't forget.