Ube latte and strawberry yogurt smoothie outdoors: Caffeine Focus

On a nice day, even after lunch, dessert is a must haha. This time I wanted something sweet rather than coffee, so while looking for a café in Haenggung-dong I ended up at Caffeine Focus.

I've been around this area a lot, but I had no idea there was a standalone three-story café here! Best of all, the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress wall is right in front of it, so it's a perfect spot if you're looking for a café with a Hwaseong Fortress wall view.

Caffeine Focus location, hours, parking

• Address: 15 Changnyongdae-ro 80beon-gil, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Wed–Mon 11:00–20:00
• Closed regularly on Tuesdays
• Parking: free self-parking in front of the store until 6pm

First impressions of the café

Maybe because it was a weekday, it wasn't crowded and there was a parking spot right in front of the shop, so it was an easy visit. Even in September the sun was still pretty strong, and once I saw the sign at the entrance that said 'power AC,' there was no way I wasn't going in.

The exterior was clean and it's right by the fortress wall path, so it looked like a nice spot to rest for a bit while passing through. Once inside, each space had paintings and little objects placed nicely, and the interior really showed the owner's taste and care.

First floor to third — where to sit

Caffeine Focus uses the entire building from the first to third floor. Each floor isn't very big, but they're decorated in a cute, detailed way, so every seat has a different mood.

On the second floor you get a wide, refreshing view of the fortress wall through the window, and the third floor has a terrace that's nice for getting some air. Especially from the third floor, the view of Hwaseong Fortress really opens up wide — I immediately understood why this is known as a café with a Hwaseong Fortress wall view.

That day the breeze was nice and the weather was cool, so I took a seat at the outdoor tables on the first floor. The view in front was great, and I could even see a hot air balloon moving across the sky — really good atmosphere for a date haha.

What I ordered at Caffeine Focus

• Strawberry yogurt smoothie ₩7,000
• Ube latte ₩6,300
• Plain ciabatta ₩4,800

I picked both drinks on the sweeter side, so for bread I went with the plain ciabatta — clean and nutty.

One reason I came to Caffeine Focus was that they make their own sourdough ciabatta and have ube drinks!!

Strawberry yogurt smoothie

When the strawberry yogurt smoothie arrived, the color alone was gorgeous. It's a pastel pink that makes you happy just looking at it haha.

Taking a sip, the sweet strawberry flavor blended smoothly with the tangy yogurt. It felt a bit softer than other strawberry yogurt smoothies I've had elsewhere — totally my type!

Ube latte

The ube latte's purple color was so pretty it almost felt a shame to drink it! The subtle, clean flavor blended well with the soft milk taste, making it just right as a dessert drink.

Such an attractive color and aroma — it made me happy just looking at it! It was almost a shame to see it disappear as I drank it haha. I completely fell for the charm of ube!

Plain ciabatta

The plain ciabatta I ordered alongside was chewy yet moist, and got nuttier the more I chewed.

Dipped in balsamic, the clean flavor got a boost of tanginess, and I kept reaching for more. One sip of the sweet drink, one bite of ciabatta — the combination was really good haha.

Maybe because it's made in-house, it wasn't dry or tough at all — soft and easy to eat!

Since the fermented dough takes a long time to prepare, apparently there's no bread on Wednesdays, the day right after the Tuesday closure. Keep that in mind!!

Overall thoughts on Caffeine Focus

Caffeine Focus isn't just a pretty café — it felt like they put thought into the drinks, the bread, the interior, and the view all together, which made the time spent there feel good.

Especially since you can slowly enjoy sweet drinks and bread while looking at the fortress wall, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a café with a Hwaseong Fortress wall view.

It's great for a date and also great for resting quietly alone, so next time I come to Haenggung-dong I'd love to stop by again haha. If you're looking for an atmospheric café with a Hwaseong Fortress wall view in Haenggung-dong, give Caffeine Focus a try :)