Millak brunch restaurant: Mare Brunch and watermelon bingsu at Marento

Right by Millak Waterside Park, so it's an easy stop on a Gwangalli day out, and a great brunch spot.

Marento (마렌토) is a brunch spot in Gwangalli with lovely outdoor tables and a lovely indoor space too. We went at lunchtime and liked the value and the makeup of the Mare Brunch. The space is open and airy, so we had a really pleasant weekend lunch on a nice day.

Where is Marento, and what are the hours and parking?

Marento is on Gwanganhaebyeon-ro in Busan. It's open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight, last order is at 11 p.m., and it's closed every Tuesday. There's a public parking lot right in front, so parking was easy.

Millak Waterside Park is nearby, so it fits nicely into a day out.

What are the terrace and atmosphere like?

When the folding doors are fully open, the indoors and outdoors connect into one open space, and there are quite a lot of outdoor tables. If you're looking for a terrace seat in Gwangalli, Marento is worth a visit.

Here's the entrance area of Marento, a brunch favorite in Gwangalli.

Maybe because we went on a nice day, they had all the folding doors open, and it felt wonderfully open. There were quite a few outdoor tables, and we could see people eating outside.

That's Gwangan Bridge in the distance. The public parking lot is right in front, but since it's open space, the view still felt good.

Marento's indoor space and wine

Inside there's a photo zone with a nice feel, and a restroom indoors, so it's convenient.

There were lots of bottles on the wine rack and in the wine fridge. It looked like a good place to have wine with brunch, or to order dishes that pair with wine in the evening.

Is Marento pet-friendly?

You can visit Marento with a pet if you use a carrier or a pet stroller.

What are Marento's brunch menu and prices?

At Marento we ordered an iced latte (₩4,500), the Mare Brunch (₩16,000) and the Cheongyang truffle oil pasta (₩19,000), and it was quite a lot of food for two.

Since it's brunch, we started with an iced latte. At ₩4,500, that's a good price for coffee at a popular brunch spot.

Here are the brunch dishes we ordered: the Cheongyang truffle oil pasta (₩19,000) and the Mare Brunch (₩16,000). It was quite a lot for two people. Personally I love scrambled eggs for a late breakfast, so I was very happy that the Mare Brunch includes scrambled eggs.

What's in the Mare Brunch

The Mare Brunch is said to be Marento's signature brunch plate, with sausage, bacon, seasonal fruit, salad, bread and scrambled eggs. And it shows: it looks like brunch at first glance, the lineup is great and the plating is lovely, so it's perfect for a relaxed brunch.

How is the Cheongyang truffle oil pasta?

Marento's Cheongyang truffle oil pasta is an oil-based pasta where Cheongyang chili (a spicy Korean green chili) adds a kick to the truffle aroma. Thanks to the chili it isn't too heavy, so it's easy to eat, and I think it's a pasta everyone can enjoy, whatever their tastes.

With plating like this, we got to enjoy a relaxed brunch at Marento. As you'd expect from a Gwangalli brunch favorite, the Instagram-style plating was lovely, and the food tasted great too, so it really felt like a trip to Busan.

How was Marento's dessert, the watermelon thread bingsu?

After the meal we also had Marento's watermelon thread bingsu (shaved ice). The watermelon was so sweet that it held its own against the thread-like shaved ice. Bingsu at a brunch café on a weekend afternoon... what a happy moment, haha.

Is Marento good for a drink or a date?

Marento sells not only wine but also highballs, beer and other drinks, so it looked like a good place to have a drink with brunch, and there are set menus too, so you can enjoy a variety of dishes at a reasonable price. The atmosphere is nice, so it looked good for an evening visit too, and I think this brunch restaurant would appeal to anyone looking for a date or blind-date spot nearby.