Forest café on a former US base in Uijeongbu, 16-hour Basque: Forerest

Today I visited Forerest, a big café in Uijeongbu. It's a nice spot for a light drive out of Seoul, and it feels like a little forest with really good Basque cheesecake. Take a look at Forerest in mid-October!

Forerest location, hours and parking

Forerest is at 181 Nogyang-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi (Nogyang-dong 46-13), and it's open every day from 11:00 to 24:00 all year round. Parking is free and fairly roomy, and there are spaces behind the building too.

• Location: 181 Nogyang-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi (Nogyang-dong 46-13)
• Hours: daily 11:00 - 24:00 / open all year
• Parking: free, fairly roomy (more spaces behind the building)
• Pets welcome (vaccinated pets only)

What are Forerest's exterior and outdoor areas like?

I heard Forerest stands on the site of a former US army base. Maybe that's why the grounds are so huge.

There are unusual sculptures and props all around starting at the entrance, so there's plenty to look at even before you go in.

There are quite a lot of outdoor seats too, so on a nice day it looks like a great place to sit outside with a forest view and a coffee.

The exterior reminds me of a fairy-tale house in the woods.

Inside Forerest: atmosphere and seating

Mirror photo spot at the entrance

Step across the wooden deck and there's a mirror photo spot by the entrance, and lots of people were taking pictures there. We took a selfie there with the baby too, haha.

High-ceilinged main hall and terrace

Past the entrance, the main hall is a big space with a high ceiling and soft lighting. The floor looks just like an old elementary school classroom floor, hahaha.

One side has full-length windows connecting to the terrace, which was perfect for sitting and chatting on a nice day like these.

This is where we sat today. Warm sunshine, a gentle breeze, is this heaven?! The trees shaded the sun and the breeze kept coming. So nice.

Rooms with a different mood each

Besides the main space, Forerest has several rooms.

Each room is decorated with its own character, so I spent a long time deciding where to sit.

Every room has big windows, so wherever you sit you get a green view! After debating, we picked the terrace.

Forerest Basque cheesecake: which flavor to order?

Forerest is famous for its Basque cheesecake, and it really is delicious.

Besides the original cheese, Forerest's Basque cheesecake comes in chocolate, matcha, black sesame and Earl Grey. Just one felt like a shame, so we ordered the most popular plain Basque cheesecake and the chocolate Basque cheesecake!

• Iced americano
• Iced latte
• Basque cheesecake
• Chocolate Basque cheesecake

The original Basque cheesecake, aged 16 hours

Forerest bakes its cheese Basque cake in-store and ages it in the fridge for 16 hours, and just as people say, it was really, really good. The cake is dense and rich, and it melts in your mouth with a cheesy aroma. It isn't very sweet either, so I never got tired of it, no matter how much I ate.

One bite of the rich cake, one sip of coffee, and you're right in the middle of autumn *-*

Chocolate Basque cheesecake and coffee

You can see how rich the cheese is even in the photo, right? The chocolate Basque cheesecake wasn't sweet either and was really good! I recommend ordering the original plus one other flavor.

The coffee, robbed of its starring role by the cake, was great too!

Forerest verdict: who should go?

Sipping coffee with a view of the tree-surrounded forest at Forerest made for a properly healing day. The space is big and every room has a different mood, so exploring is fun, and with easy parking and pets allowed, I think it works with anyone.

It will probably feel different on a rainy or snowy day, so we decided to come back! Above all, the cake was so good that I'll go again just for the cake, haha.

If you're looking for a café with a view near Seoul or a large café in Uijeongbu, I recommend Forerest!