Daejeon's Jeju Gardens and Gongju's Camping Café

Part 4: This café hop takes us to Daejeon and Gongju for unique atmospheres, strong coffee, and delicious pastries

Welcome to the fourth edition of Café Hop Throughout Korea with Me! I love exploring all the unique cafés Korea has to offer, and I’m so glad you’re here on the journey with me! This time, we’re starting in Daejeon before taking a ride over to Gongju.

Daejeon has been my home for the past two years, and even though I’ve lived here a while, I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of its café scene. It’s known as “Bread City” and is home to one of Korea’s most famous bakeries — Sungsimdang, which has been around since 1956. I’ll do a deep dive into this beautiful pastry haven later, but for now, just know that Daejeon knows what it’s doing when it comes to bakeries and cafés.

Next, we’ll visit Gongju, a small city about a 30-minute drive from Daejeon (or roughly an hour and a half by public transportation). It’s a place rich in history and the former capital of the Baekje Kingdom (one of the ancient Three Kingdoms of Korea). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend much time exploring the city itself as I just went for a quick lunch and café trip. But it seems like a very quiet and calm place, with a lot of temples, museums, (and cafés) to explore so I’d definitely like to go back.

Let’s get hopping!

Our first stop is to a Daejeon café that makes you feel like you’re on Jeju Island, while you enjoy delicious pastries and stroll through their pretty gardens. Next, we’ll pop over to Gonju to visit a camping café. And by “camping café” that’s literally what I mean — you can pitch a tent in the front yard while grilling up some samgyeopsal, and sipping on their tasty teas.

As always, here’s the running Naver Map List (Korea’s version of Google Maps) to easily access all the places I mention.

Note: To view the map, you may need to create a free Naver account.

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The Noeullo – Daejeon, South Korea

Address: 288-30 Noeun-dong Yuseong-gu Daejeon (대전 유성구 노은동 288-30)

Hours: 10:30 AM – 10:00 PM (7 days a week)

The Atmosphere

Surrounded with greenery and built with brick and stone the Noeullo is reminiscent of the mountains and forests of Jeju Island. It sits at the base of Wanggasan Mountain and is filled with 돌하르방 (dol hareubang) statues. These volcanic rock statues are symbolic of Jeju and symbolize power and protection from evil spirits.

When you walk into it’s main building you’re greeted with a very earthy and natural design — exposed ceilings, wooden pastry displays, and a volcanic rock barista counter. You can then head upstairs to find two spacious rooms with lots of natural lighting and plenty of seating.

Or, you can sit outside — there’s a patio, open-air tents, and peaceful gardens dotted with more 돌하르방 statues and large swings. You can take in the view, unwind, and just slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

The Menu

They have a large drink menu which includes coffee, tea, and seasonal drinks. They also offer various pastries, cakes, and breads that rotate daily.

My Order

Basalt Bread
Going along with the Jeju and lava rock theme, is the signature Basalt Bread — a squid ink bun filled with vanilla cream cheese. It was lovely. The texture reminded me of a concha with a bit of a mochi-like chew. The sweet cream filling paired beautifully with the savory bread and overall it was a very delicious pastry.

Egg Tart
One of the best egg tarts I’ve ever had! The custard was creamy and airy, made with real vanilla bean and the tart was flaky with perfectly caramelized edges. It’s also the perfect size and always makes me want to come back for more (which I have done several times).

Pie Manju
This is a buttery, flaky pastry filled with sweet red bean. My least favorite of the three, but still a tasty treat.

Mint Tea & Americano.
The mint tea had a bold, strong flavor and is perfect on a hot summer day. The Americano was strong, smooth, and made with high quality beans.

Overall I loved everything I ordered here. I visit this café often and I always enjoy coming back to try different pastries, enjoy the nature, and relax in a peaceful environment.

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Princess Picnic Café – Gongju, South Korea

Address: 508 Singwan-dong Gongju-si Chungcheongnam-do (충청남도 공주시 신관동 508번지)

Hours: Weekdays: 9:00AM – 6:00 PM | Weekends: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

The Atmosphere

In the midst of rice fields and mountains sits this pretty princess café. The outside looks like a fancy tree house with large windows, white drapes, and exposed wood. Inside, it feels like a cozy cabin — there’s coffee beans roasting, wicker and wood furniture, lush greenery, and even fancy chandeliers. There’s also an upstairs patio with lounge seating and a wood-burning stove and camping chairs.

The outside of this café is just as impressive as the interior. Korea’s camping culture is strong, and this café leans into it. Out front, guests can pitch tents and camp for the day and a bit further back, there are large picnic tables and benches for bbq and outdoor meals. Even though it was raining when I visited, there were still several families enjoying the cozy set up with their tents and picnics.

The Menu

The menu is filled with coffee, teas, lattes, brunch, and pastries.

My Order

Matcha Strawberry Cake
This cake was amazing — light, fluffy, and moist! It was honestly everything that I look for in a slice; not too heavy, not too sweet and so so good. It had airy strawberry whipped cream, a thin layer of strawberry jelly, and a nicely balanced matcha sponge.

Pain Au Chocolat
Not as crispy or flaky as I’d prefer, but still light, buttery, and filled with a good amount of chocolate and a soft pastry cream. A nice treat, but the cake was definitely the star.

Bain de Roses Tea & Americano
The rose tea was gentle and calming — perfect for the rainy weather. The Americano was bold and bitter in the best way, ideal for coffee lovers.

This was a lovely café to visit, and I’d like to return on a sunny day to enjoy their brunch and camping setup. Although my Gongju trip was short this time around, I’m excited to explore more of their café scene soon.

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Thank you for reading!

That wraps up this edition of Café Hop Throughout Korea with Me! I hope you enjoyed and are excited for more spots~ till next time, happy hopping!

I’d love to hear from you!

If you have a specific city in mind that you’d like to café hop in, let me know and I might just go there next!

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