Sokcho café watermelon juice on a holiday: 3rd-floor seat, Cafe Neorae

After eating sundubu (soft tofu stew) in Sokcho, I stumbled onto this huge café with a killer floor-to-ceiling view of Ulsanbawi rock on Seoraksan and fell in love — this is my second visit, so here's the review!!!

Where is Cafe Neorae in Sokcho, and what are its hours?

Cafe Neorae is at 114 Wonamhaksapyeong-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, 2F (Nohak-dong 1055-14). It's open daily 09:00–18:00 with last order at 17:30, and closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month (closed Wed, Aug 26).

• Kids' menu available
• Group seating available
• Separate men's/women's restrooms
• High chairs provided
• Takeout available
• Wifi available
• Wheelchair-accessible restroom
• Wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating
• Disabled parking spot available
• Pets not allowed
• Free parking
• Free valet
• Venue rental available
• Rooftop

Beside the soft tofu village: why Cafe Neorae over Delpino for the Ulsanbawi view

We hadn't actually planned to come here — we went to a sundubu place right next door and ended up at Cafe Neorae right beside it. Usually people go to Delpino The Amproshia for the Ulsanbawi view, and we did too — the view really was gorgeous, but it's always sooooo crowded that it's hard to even find a seat, which was pretty uncomfortable haha :(

So finding a café like this was such a happy surprise the first time that I decided to bring my mom back for a second visit. I was a little worried there wouldn't be a good drink for her, but it turns out they had watermelon juice as a summer seasonal item — yay!

How crowded is Cafe Neorae on a public holiday?

Last time I came on a weekday and it was nearly empty, but this time, on the Liberation Day holiday, it was packed — I could tell weekends must be just as busy. This is the 2nd floor where you order!

What are Cafe Neorae's signature menu items?

Cafe Neorae's signature menu is pretty unique: the ☕Neorae Latte, topped with soft cream and nutty okara (soybean pulp); the ☕Sua Da Einspänner, a Vietnamese condensed-milk coffee topped with cinnamon and a Neorae cookie; ☕Neorae Tea, brewed from roasted okara; and ☕Neorae Pudding, topped with okara crunch, chocolate chips and banana.

I tried all three — the Neorae Latte, Sua Da Einspänner, and Neorae Pudding — and each had its own charm, all delicious. Personally the Neorae Pudding was the most filling, and the okara crunch was so unique that I'd have ordered another if I hadn't already been full :)

They also have corn latte and chestnut latte, plus smoothies, teas, and ades, so there's plenty of drink options!

When should you arrive for bread and cake at Cafe Neorae?

Besides drinks, they also sell bread and cakes, so there's a lot to enjoy. Even though we went right after lunch, most of the popular breads were already gone. But they also seem to bring out new batches, so if there's something specific you want, it's worth asking a staff member!

How did the Subak-kok watermelon juice and Sua Da Einspänner taste?

What we ordered this time: the 🍉watermelon juice & watermelon ice cream set, ☕Sua Da Einspänner, and ☕Iced Americano.

What I loved about the watermelon set was that it had no added syrup — 100% pure pressed juice. Plus it came with watermelon ice cream made from that same juice, and my mom loved it so much haha. The Sua Da Einspänner wasn't too sweet and was delicious too. And isn't the café logo cute? Haha, it's shaped like Ulsanbawi rock~

Ulsanbawi views on a cloudy day from the 3rd-floor window seats

It was cloudy that day, so at first Ulsanbawi was completely hidden behind the clouds, but as the wind picked up while I was out with my husband, it briefly showed its face haha. Yesss~~~ caught it just in time

I almost couldn't get a window seat, but luckily there was one spot left with exactly enough room for the three of us — such a relaxing stop at Cafe Neorae~~ Here's a shot of the 3rd floor caught during a brief lull in the crowds. It's huge with lots of different seating options, so I highly recommend it ❤️