Rosé shrimp pasta two-person set at a Gimpo café: The Nillai

It was a day I wanted to treat a close friend to a really good meal. Rather than just grabbing food nearby, I wanted us to get some fresh air together after a while apart. Not long ago I saw photos from blog neighbors who'd been to The Nillai in Gimpo, and beyond the food, the view was honestly a work of art.

The scenery beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a space styled like a pool — I saved it thinking I had to go sometime, and this time my friend and I finally made it.

Why the view opens up even though The Nillai is on the G floor

The Nillai is a large café at 80 Yangchonyeok-gil, Yangchon-eup, Gimpo, on the building's G floor. From the photos alone, I assumed it was one of those big Gimpo cafés on a rooftop or upper floor.

Standing at the elevator wondering which floor it was on — turns out it's the G floor!

From above it looks almost like a basement, but because the building sits on elevated ground, once you're inside the café the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows opens up wide.

The pool-like space I'd fallen for in photos was even more impressive in person. And since we came by car, the large, unhurried parking lot was a real plus too — when you're planning a meetup, finding somewhere easy to park matters almost as much as finding somewhere pretty.

The Nillai two-person set: rosé shrimp and truffle cream pasta

For the 2-person set at The Nillai, we chose rosé shrimp pasta and truffle cream pasta. Ordering was easy since you can pick from menu photos on the kiosk.

Honestly, at big cafés the atmosphere is often great but the food can be disappointingly ordinary. So the question on my mind was: could brunch at a place with such a great view actually taste good too?

I'd heard The Nillai in Gimpo is run by a chef who used to work at the 63 Building, so my expectations for the food were pretty high.

The rosé shrimp pasta had shrimp mixed into the rosé sauce, which tasted great, and the truffle cream pasta had a noticeable truffle aroma the moment it hit the table — plus instead of finely chopped bits, it had generously sized bacon pieces that made it look pretty hearty.

Ordering both together was fun too — one bite of rosé shrimp, one bite of truffle cream, back and forth.

I'd come that day wanting to properly treat my friend, and after we both enjoyed the meal, I thought, 'I'm glad we came here.'

Filling up on The Nillai's long cream bread before brunch arrived

But that day, the real star of The Nillai turned out to be the bread.

We came for brunch, but the bread on display looked so good I couldn't just walk past it.

There were so many kinds that we browsed for a while before finally picking a few.

Of everything, what I remember most is the long cream bread we had before the meal.

At first I only meant to have a small taste before the pasta arrived.

But one bite in, the cream felt different from the whipped cream you'd usually expect.

Soft and moist, melting away in your mouth — more like eating a sweet milk pudding, somehow.

The bread and cream never felt separate; together they blended so smoothly that what was supposed to be one bite kept turning into another. By the time the pasta arrived, we'd nearly finished the whole long loaf. I'm the person who came for brunch and filled up on bread first.

Coffee with acidity, and chocolate salt bread packed to go

The coffee exceeded expectations too — it was right up my alley. I like coffee with a bit of acidity, and this had a pleasant tang that paired nicely with the bread. I got so absorbed drinking it that I suddenly went, 'Oh! The coffee photo!' and snapped it mid-sip.

And since it felt like a shame to leave without it, I packed a chocolate salt bread as a snack for my kid. When I got home and gave it to them, they ate it so happily that I never got a single bite myself. It disappeared before I could even say, 'Mom wants a taste too!' — next time I'll have to buy one just for me.

Why you won't want to leave The Nillai right after eating

The Nillai was also fun to slowly wander around after the meal. The media art space was more mysterious and entertaining than I expected, and browsing the goods and souvenirs made time fly.

I also personally liked that it's an open kitchen, so you can watch the cooking happen.

The self-service corner is well stocked with plates, cutlery, forks, plus a microwave, oven, and packaging tools, so warming up bread or packing it to go looked easy.

With kids' drinks and high chairs on hand too, I thought it'd work well to bring my child next time, and the restrooms were clean, which I appreciated.

Would I come back to The Nillai in Gimpo?

I'd originally saved this large Gimpo café after falling for photos of its art-like view and pool space. But after actually going, it's the brunch, bread, and coffee that stuck with me just as much as the view.

On a day I want to meet a friend after a while, eat a good lunch, drink coffee, and talk — or a day I want to spend with my mom or someone good to me — I think this place will come to mind again.

The satisfaction of eating well, taking in a pretty view, and wandering slowly for a proper breather. I went planning to treat my friend, but I ended up feeling like the one who got treated.