Five Ganghwado cafes compared for someone driving over on a weekend — by weekend closing time, parking, what you see from the seat and what reviews say about waiting. Here is how to choose between Cafe 109 House, Dondae Cafe Outpost, Cafe Tramonto, Cafe Duunri and Joyang Bangjik, situation by situation.
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Pick your situation and jump to that place. 5 places.
At a glance
- Drive to Ganghwado on a weekend and what splits the cafes is less the view than the Sunday closing time. Dondae Cafe Outpost stops taking orders at 17:30 on Sunday; Cafe 109 House stays open until 22:00.
- Sunset at Ganghwa Oepo falls at 18:35 on September 20 and 18:14 on October 4. If you want the sunset from your seat on a Sunday, that means 109 House on the west coast or Tramonto in Dongmak.
- Only one of the five has a 100-car parking lot: Cafe Duunri in Bureun-myeon. Joyang Bangjik's own lot is small, and reviews keep telling you to use the public lot on weekends.
- None of the five list a booking system. Tramonto has only four foot-bath seats, and one post reports a 10-minute wait on a Sunday afternoon.
If you have scrolled through photos of Ganghwado cafes, the seat by the sea-facing window is what sticks first. Read the reviews, though, and what splits a weekend is less that seat than the closing time. Some places shut early on Sunday. By Badatime's Ganghwa Oepo figures, sunset falls at 18:35 on September 20 and 18:14 on October 4.
Dondae Cafe Outpost stops taking orders at 17:30 on Sunday. Cafe 109 House stays open until 22:00 the same day. So this time the five are lined up by weekend closing time and parking first, with the view from the seat and weekend waiting reports set beside them.
If you want the sunset from your seat, that is 109 House on the west coast or Tramonto in Dongmak. If you would rather not think about parking, Duunri in Bureun-myeon looks right. Joyang Bangjik is a place to go once you know the parking story.
01Best when You want the Sunday sunset and a late exit
Cafe 109 House (카페109하우스)
Sunset cafe on the west coast road, floors 2 and 3Ganghwa IslandDiningcode 3.8 (15 ratings)
- Rating
- 4.5Santorini-style sunset cafe on the west coast in Yangdo-myeon, open until 22:00 on Saturday and Sunday
- Location
- 540 Haeanseo-ro, Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
- Phone
- 0507-1352-8109
- Price
- 109 Latte ₩9,500 · chocolate latte ₩8,500 · Orange Sunset ₩9,000 · honey bread with ice cream ₩13,500 · 109 patbingsu for two ₩28,000
- Keywords
- Ganghwado cafe, Ganghwado sunset cafe, Ganghwado ocean view cafe, Yangdo-myeon cafe, Cafe 109 House
- Tags
If you mean to stay for the sunset on a Sunday, 109 House in Yangdo-myeon is the one. It closes at 22:00 on Saturday and Sunday, the latest of the five.
In every photo the white walls and blue doors come first. The building copies Santorini and climbs to a second and a third floor. One review says there were so many rooms that looking around took a while.
It sits on the west coast, so reviews say you still see seawater at low tide. The parking lot is listed at 60 spaces. Only two of the five publish a capacity: here and Duunri.
- Hours
- Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00 (last order 21:30) · open year-round
- Watch out
- Diningcode says closing is 22:00, other listings say 21:00. If you plan to linger past sunset, call and ask. The latte here is the priciest of the five
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- Plenty of spots for photos and the latte is goodDiningcode
- A big cafe with so many rooms it took a long while to look aroundDiningcode
- Unlike other cafes the water does not drain away, so you actually see the seaDiningcode
- Themed on Santorini in Greece, and the setting is lovelyDiningcode
- A resort concept that is fun to explore floor by floorDiningcode
02Best when You want the wide sea on a Saturday afternoon
Dondae Cafe Outpost (돈대카페 아웃포스트)
Ocean view cafe on a hill, two floorsGanghwa IslandDiningcode 3.9 (17 ratings)
- Rating
- 4.0Two-story cafe on a hill in Naega-myeon with wide sea views through picture windows; closes at 18:00 on Sunday
- Location
- 91-2 Ganghwaseo-ro, Naega-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
- Phone
- 032-933-9901
- Price
- Americano ₩7,500 · cafe latte ₩8,000 · Blackstone bingsu ₩25,000 · organic matcha bingsu ₩23,000
- Keywords
- Ganghwado cafe, Ganghwado ocean view cafe, Naega-myeon cafe, Ganghwado Dondae cafe, Dondae Cafe Outpost
- Tags
On Sunday the last order is at 17:30. The sunset here belongs to Saturday.
Most of the photos show the sea spread wide beyond the picture windows on a hill in Naega-myeon. Tucked among the reviews is a note that the building won an iF Design Award. Inside the ceilings are high, with floor seating and a terrace.
A review calling it packed with tourists and a five-star review saying the space was big enough that a crowd caused no trouble sit on the same page. There is also one post about the slope on the way up, so on a day out with an older relative it is worth knowing.
- Hours
- Sat 10:00–19:30 (last order 19:00) · Sun 10:00–18:00 (last order 17:30)
- Watch out
- Sunday closing is 18:00, so you have to be out before the 18:35 September sunset. The sunset is a Saturday-only view from your seat. One review notes the slope can be hard for anyone who walks with difficulty
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- A cafe on Ganghwado with a good view and an unusual moodDiningcode (5.0)
- The view fills the wide windows and the interior is cozy tooDiningcode (5.0)
- Even when it filled up the space was roomy and the ceilings high, so it never felt crampedDiningcode (5.0)
- The setting is splendid, though the slope up might be hard on older visitorsDiningcode (4.0)
- A beautiful space that won an iF Design Award for its architectureDiningcode
- The walk up is pretty and the seats are comfortableDiningcode
03Best when You want 20 minutes with your feet in water by the sea
Cafe Tramonto (카페 트라몬토)
Foot bath cafe at Dongmak Beach, floors 1 and 2Ganghwa IslandDiningcode 4.4 (10 ratings)
- Rating
- 4.0Picture-window cafe beside Dongmak Beach where you soak your feet for 20 minutes facing the sea
- Location
- 2680-16 Haeannam-ro, Hwado-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
- Phone
- 0507-1374-2165
- Price
- Americano ₩6,500 · cafe latte ₩7,500 · Tramonto latte ₩8,500 · Lotus waffle ₩12,000 · blueberry cream cheese waffle ₩13,000 · foot bath ₩6,000 for one, ₩10,000 for two
- Keywords
- Ganghwado cafe, Dongmak Beach cafe, Ganghwado foot bath cafe, Hwado-myeon cafe, Cafe Tramonto
- Tags
Reviews of this place tend to open with a photo of feet in water. It is on Haeannam-ro in Hwado-myeon, next to Dongmak Beach.
The foot bath is ₩6,000 for one, ₩10,000 for two, for 20 minutes. There are four seats, and one post reports a 10-minute wait on a Sunday afternoon. The order is cold water first, temperature adjusted, then the bath salts.
One review says the window seats at the picture windows fill first on weekends, while another says there is so much terrace that outside is better on a fine day. Sunday closing is 19:00, so you leave soon after the sunset.
- Hours
- Sat 11:00–21:00 · Sun 11:00–19:00
- Watch out
- Sunday closing is 19:00, so after the 18:35 sunset on September 20 you have 25 minutes. With four foot-bath seats you may wait on a weekend afternoon. Parking capacity and whether it is free are not listed, so you have to call
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- Right on the sea, so the view is good, and there is plenty of outdoor seating for fine weatherDiningcode (5.0)
- A Ganghwado cafe with a sea view, and the prices are reasonableDiningcode (4.0)
- Good setting, a terrace outside, and the inside is nicely doneDiningcode (4.0)
- Soaking my feet in warm water while looking at the sea washed the tiredness awayDiningcode
- On a Sunday afternoon there were not many foot-bath spots, so we waited about 10 minutesPersonal blog
- The coffee was quite good too, with a quiet acidityPersonal blog
04Best when You want to park easily in a 100-car lot
Cafe Duunri (카페 두운리)
Garden brunch cafe in the fields, two-floor main building and greenhouse annexGanghwa IslandDiningcode 3.5 (18 ratings)
- Rating
- 3.5Brunch cafe in the fields of Bureun-myeon with parking for 100 cars, a greenhouse annex and a hydrangea garden
- Location
- 36-8 Bureunbuk-ro, Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
- Phone
- 0507-1311-3240
- Price
- Duunri brunch for two ₩25,000 · three-mushroom risotto ₩19,900 · gorgonzola pizza ₩22,900 · Duunri cream latte ₩8,500 · fries ₩8,500
- Keywords
- Ganghwado cafe, large cafe Ganghwado, Ganghwado brunch cafe, Bureun-myeon cafe, Cafe Duunri
- Tags
There is no sea here. What there is, is a parking lot that holds 100 cars.
Inland in the fields of Bureun-myeon, a main building and a greenhouse annex sit with a hydrangea garden alongside. The main building is a modern space with picture windows, and the annex, reviews say, is filled with plants.
With brunch for two at ₩25,000 plus risotto and pizza, it suits a day when lunch happens at the cafe too. The review about a forever-beginner driver parking with ease says what this place is.
- Hours
- Sat–Sun 10:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
- Watch out
- You cannot see the sea. On a day built around the sunset this is the wrong place. No weekend waiting reports turned up, so call to ask how seating is running
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- Parking is easy and the place is decentDiningcode (5.0)
- The main building is modern and pretty, while the annex is filled with greeneryDiningcode (4.0)
- The interior is nicely done and there are plenty of seatsDiningcode (3.0)
- The parking is so comfortable that even a forever-beginner driver parked with easeDiningcode
- A wide, airy space, so it was easy to visit with a childDiningcode
05Best when You want to sit and wander until 9pm
Joyang Bangjik (조양방직)
Old mill cafe and bakery in Ganghwa-eup, main hall, annex and terraceGanghwa IslandDiningcode 4.0 (104 ratings)
- Rating
- 4.0Cafe in Ganghwa-eup that still uses the workbenches of a 1933 textile mill as its tables
- Location
- 12 Hyangnamu-gil 5beon-gil, Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
- Phone
- 0507-1307-2192
- Price
- Americano ₩7,000 · cafe latte ₩7,500 · purple sweet potato latte ₩8,500
- Keywords
- Ganghwado cafe, Joyang Bangjik, Ganghwa-eup cafe, large cafe Ganghwado, Ganghwado bakery cafe
- Tags
A 1933 textile mill turned cafe, so it never misses a Ganghwado list. Its own parking lot is small and lines form on weekends, and the advice to use the public lot repeats across reviews. One post says to arrive before 11 in the morning.
Inside, the mill's workbenches are still the long tables. The 4.5-star review is the one about how many places there are to sit across the main hall, the annex and the terrace. The canelé and the cheese soufflé bread come up often too.
With 104 ratings at 4.0, it has the most ratings of the five. Weekend closing is 21:00, so it works as an evening stop after a round of sea-view cafes.
- Hours
- Sat–Sun 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20) · open year-round
- Watch out
- Reviews report a line in front of the parking lot on weekends. The advice to park in the public lot and walk in repeats. There is no sea view
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- Museum, exhibit space, cafe or bakery — whichever you come for, you leave satisfiedDiningcode (5.0)
- Huge, and every space has its own character and is well done, so it is fun to wanderDiningcode (5.0)
- The long tables the mill once worked on are now the cafe's tablesDiningcode (4.5)
- Large in scale, with lots of places to sit across the terrace, main hall and annexDiningcode (4.5)
- The bread is good, the canelé and the cheese soufflé breadDiningcode (4.5)
- The space is wide enough that a crowd did not bother us, and two or three hours go by fastPersonal blog
The 5 Ganghwado cafes at a glance
- 1Cafe 109 HouseYou want the Sunday sunset and a late exitClosing time differs page to page4.5
- 2Dondae Cafe OutpostYou want the wide sea on a Saturday afternoonCloses 18:00 Sunday, slope4.0
- 3Cafe TramontoYou want 20 minutes with your feet in water by the seaFour foot-bath seats, 19:00 Sunday4.0
- 4Cafe DuunriYou want to park easily in a 100-car lotNo sea, closed first Wednesday3.5
- 5Joyang BangjikYou want to sit and wander until 9pmSmall private lot, weekend wait4.0
Choosing in more detail
- If it is a rainy weekend — Cafe Duunri and Joyang Bangjik. Duunri has the greenhouse annex; Joyang Bangjik has a wide indoor main hall and annex. The sea-view cafes are half terrace, which disappoints in rain.
- If you leave at 9 in the morning — Cafe 109 House. It opens at 09:00 on Saturday and Sunday, the earliest of the five. Duunri and Outpost open at 10, Joyang Bangjik and Tramonto at 11.
- If lunch has to happen in the same place — Cafe Duunri. Brunch, risotto and pizza. Tramonto stops at waffles.
- If you are buying bread to take home — Joyang Bangjik. The canelé and cheese soufflé bread come up again and again. Get there before the 20:20 last order.
- If you are going with an older relative — one review notes the slope on the way up to Outpost. The other four have no mention of a slope in their reviews.
- If you are saving on the price of a cup — Tramonto's americano at ₩6,500 is the lowest and Outpost's at ₩7,500 the highest. At 109 House the signature is the ₩9,500 latte.
Sunday closing ranges from 18:00 to 22:00 depending on the place. If the sunset is the point, line up that day's sunset time against the closing time first. For parking, Joyang Bangjik is the only one where pinning the public lot in advance seems worth doing.
Ask before you go
- 1Can you book a table at these cafes?
None of the five list a booking system. Joyang Bangjik has reviews about a weekend line in front of the parking lot, Tramonto about a 10-minute wait for a foot-bath seat. No waiting reports turned up for Duunri or 109 House, so on a busy day it makes sense to call and ask how seating is running.
- 2What time is sunset on Ganghwado?
By Badatime's Ganghwa Oepo figures: 18:35 on September 20, 18:24 on September 27, 18:14 on October 4 and 18:03 on October 11. Outpost, closing at 18:00 on Sunday, shuts before sunset; Tramonto at 19:00 means leaving within 20 minutes of it. Only 109 House, open to 22:00, leaves you room.
- 3How does the foot bath work?
Tramonto's foot bath is ₩6,000 for one and ₩10,000 for two, for 20 minutes. There are four seats, and the order is cold water first to set the temperature, then the bath salts. One review reports a 10-minute wait on a Sunday afternoon.
- 4At low tide do you only see mudflats?
Reviews of 109 House say you see seawater even when the tide is out. Outpost and Tramonto say nothing about tides in their listings, so if mudflats would bother you, check the Badatime tide table for Ganghwa Oepo before you go. Duunri and Joyang Bangjik have no sea, so tides do not apply.
- 5Which places have a closing day?
Cafe Duunri closes on the first Wednesday of each month. 109 House and Joyang Bangjik are listed as open year-round. Outpost and Tramonto list no closing day, so you only need to watch the hours by day.
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