Rainy-day window seats at Chodang-dong café Coffee Dripper, Gangneung

Every time I go to Gangneung, I only ever end up at Toetmaru café. This time I thought, "Let's try somewhere different today!" and crossed over to the other side of the street from Toetmaru. That's how I discovered Coffee Dripper! Since it was my first time there, I went in a little excited — ooh, so this place was here all along. Just finding a new café made me weirdly thrilled haha.

Since it's a roastery café that hand-drips coffee from beans they roast themselves, even the feel of the coffee was different, and the store atmosphere was so pretty that even a short stay felt like proper healing.

What is Coffee Dripper, the café across from Toetmaru in Chodang-dong?

There are so many famous cafés around Chodang-dong in Gangneung. I always went to Toetmaru café too, but this time I switched things up a bit and went to Coffee Dripper across the street. It was raining so we couldn't enjoy the outdoor space properly, but there were still plenty of customers the day I visited. We grabbed a row of window seats and enjoyed our coffee there. The whole store was clean and prettily decorated, so just sitting there put me in a good mood! If you're looking for a fresh spot in Chodang-dong instead of the usual obvious places, I think this one is worth considering.

First visit: four signature menus at Coffee Dripper

Since it was a new café, we couldn't just order a plain americano haha. We ordered mostly from the signature and representative menu.

• Coffee soft serve
• Choco cone latte
• Dripper latte
• Choco croffin

Every single one had its own visual personality, so it was fun taking photos too.

Coffee soft serve

The first thing I tried was the coffee soft serve! They say it's made with their own hand-dripped espresso, and the coffee flavor was stronger than I expected while the texture was super smooth. It melts away in your mouth almost instantly haha, like eating cotton candy. The bitterness of the coffee paired really well with the soft, smooth ice cream — a menu item coffee lovers should definitely try.

Choco cone latte: the fun one to eat

Next, the choco cone latte! I ordered it because it's a representative menu item, and it was definitely fun to eat. It's a unique drink where the cone itself acts as the cup, so at first I worried, "Wait, is this going to crack?" — but that worry was unnecessary haha. The cone is layered in a way that makes it sturdier than expected, so I could take a sip of coffee, then a bite of cone, sip again, bite again... It was fun eating it that way. It felt more like enjoying a dessert alongside the drink rather than just drinking one beverage, which made it interesting.

Does the dripper latte give you something to chew on?

I was curious about the dripper latte too, so I ordered it. Because of the topping on the coffee, it felt totally different from a plain smooth latte! The topping gave it a bit of a chewy texture here and there, and it went surprisingly well with the coffee. Since they use their own roasted beans, the coffee itself had great flavor. I think I understood a little why this place is known among people searching for Gangneung café drip coffee.

Finishing with the choco croffin

It'd be a shame to just have coffee, right? So we ordered the choco croffin too. It's a dessert with the layered texture of a croissant but the easy-to-eat shape of a muffin, so it paired nicely with the coffee. The sweetness of the chocolate went well with the coffee's bitterness too. Eating it like this, I knew I had to head home eventually but I kind of wanted to just keep sitting there haha.

They roast the beans right here

Coffee Dripper is apparently a roastery café that has kept classic coffee going in the same spot for over 10 years. Since I heard they roast their own beans, I was curious — "Where on earth do they do that?" Then, on my way to the bathroom, I found it. Oh~~~~ so this is where they roast! The roasting space is open so you can watch as you pass by. Being able to glimpse the coffee-making process added one more layer of fun to exploring the café. They also sell their own roasted beans, so coffee lovers might want to pick some up to take home.

The cup display that caught Kkori's eye

And Kkori, who's normally obsessed with cups, went wide-eyed here again haha. The cups and beans used in the store were beautifully displayed. "Should I buy one of these?" I wondered for a moment... but then I felt my husband's sharp gaze from beside me. 👀 In the end, I just took it all in with my eyes haha. Guess I'll have to come alone next time? 🤣

Is Coffee Dripper worth a short stop on a rainy day?

That day I only stopped by briefly before heading home, so I couldn't stay long. It was raining too, so it was a bit of a shame not to properly enjoy the outdoor space. Still, in that short time I got to drink coffee, eat dessert, admire the pretty space, and even watch the roasting — so it ended up feeling surprisingly full. In particular, the store had a clean but not-too-cold, warm feel to it, making it a great atmosphere to rest with a cup of coffee.

Final verdict on Coffee Dripper

I always used to visit the same old café when I came to Gangneung, so finding somewhere new this time made me weirdly proud — that's Coffee Dripper for you! As a roastery café using its own roasted beans, the coffee itself was great, and menu items you can only enjoy here in a fun way, like the choco cone latte and coffee soft serve, made it even more memorable. Above all, the store's pretty atmosphere made it a great place to sit by the window and relax with a coffee even on a rainy day. If you're looking for a new café in Gangneung, I'd add Coffee Dripper to my Gangneung café recommendation list. Especially if you're searching for good food and cafés in Chodang-dong and want something besides Toetmaru, give this a try. I think next time I'm in Gangneung, I'll switch my last-stop-before-heading-home café to this one.