Gwangalli pub in Busan: shredded mango bingsu and highball at Marento

Looking for a relaxed weekend, I went hunting for a brunch spot in Gwangalli, Busan. While strolling toward Millak-dong in the cool sea breeze, I found Marento, a Gwangalli brunch spot with great food and a totally romantic mood. Brunch restaurants usually close early, but at night Marento turns into a charming all-day dining pub full of atmosphere. I went to unwind with sweet dessert and a cold beer, so here's my honest, detailed review!

Where is Marento in Gwangalli?

Marento is on the first floor at 17-9 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 344beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan. It sits about halfway between Millak Waterside Park and Gwangalli Beach, so it makes a perfect date course with plenty of places to wander before or after your meal. By public transit, it is close to the Millak-dong bus terminus, so it is very easy to reach on foot.

What is Marento like in the evening?

Twinkling string lights over the clean white exterior created an exotic terrace mood.

Step inside and the space is much cozier and more romantic than it looks from outside.

The window side has folding doors, so on a nice day you get an open, airy feel connected to the outdoor terrace. Word has clearly spread: even in the evening it was packed with guests chatting warmly, a real local favorite.

How to order at Marento and the 5 PM menu

Each table has a KT Hi-Order tablet, so you can browse the menu with photos, choose and pay without calling a staff member.

By day it is a great Gwangalli brunch spot with pasta, pizza and salads. After 5 PM, the '5 PM menu' tab opens up with dining dishes that go well with drinks, such as boiling seafood, a chicken platter and the fruit plate.

We visited after already having dinner, so to enjoy a light drink and dessert we ordered the fruit plate (₩28,000) and the shredded fresh mango bingsu (₩20,000) as snacks, along with a Suntory Coke highball and a Terra draft beer!

Is Marento's fruit plate (28,000 won) worth it?

Marento's fruit plate is an evening snack loaded with 6 to 7 kinds of fresh fruit. The moment it arrived, we gasped at how gorgeous it looked. It's on a totally different level from the roughly chopped fruit you get at an ordinary bar.

The watermelon was neatly cut into handle shapes for easy eating, and the plate also had dragon fruit, chamoe-style green kiwi (chamdaoe), cherry tomatoes, Shine Muscat grapes, and orange cut with flower-shaped scoring, a generous 6 to 7 kinds of fresh fruit in all.

Every piece was firm and full of sweetness, as fresh as what you'd find at a good fruit shop.

Fruit plate with a Suntory Coke highball

Sweet fruit calls for a drink, of course. Marento's Suntory Coke highball blends the deep oaky aroma of whiskey, the sweetness of cola and the zing of lemon in a golden ratio, and it paired perfectly with dessert.

How does Marento's shredded mango bingsu (20,000 won) taste?

The decisive reason Marento is called both a Gwangalli brunch spot and a dessert mecca: the shredded-thread bingsu (shaved ice dessert)! The ice is thin and delicate, as if fine silk threads were layered one on top of another.

Take a big spoonful and it melts softly in your mouth before you can even chew. Around the bingsu lay plenty of perfectly ripened fresh mango cubes, so you taste the rich, sweet flavor of the fruit itself rather than any artificial syrup sweetness.

They even give you pretty plates so everyone can share out their own portion :)

Is Marento in Gwangalli good for evening dessert and drinks?

When you're tired of the usual bars and cafés, Marento is a gem of a Gwangalli brunch spot where you can romantically handle everything from a meal to dessert to a light drink in one place.